Ist Issue
Nov., 1958

Bue:

LUMBER WORKER

Old “Feather-bedding” Issue
Again Raised by Employers

As the Canadian non-operating railway employees and
counterparts
negotiations, railroad management is beginning its cam-
paign to defeat the unions with a single word — “feather-

their American

bedding.”
W-page ads are appearing in
daily newspapers, editorials are
eo: out complaining about it
id news stories say “Feather-
bedding is the Issue” — as if the
debate ended there.

Employees Advertise

Well, in Memphis, Tenn., the
railroad employees did a little of
their own advertising. They
chipped in $5 a piece and ran a
large ad in the Memphis papers
to present “the, facts about rail-
roads and their employees.”

They pointed out that railroad
employees have “the finest pro-
ductivity record of any group of
employees in the entire nation.
Employee efficiency is at an all-
time peak.”

With the advent of automation,
thousands of railroad employees
have been laid off, employees who

y groceries, clothing, drug:

oline, furniture and accessori
for our homes from you who are
not directly connected with the
railroad,

230,000 Laid Off
In the U.S. the railroads have
laid off more than 230,000 em-
ployees and management “has no
intention of calling them back.”
Instead of passing the benefits
of automation.and improved pro-
y on in terms of wages,
nd lower prices, the railroads

© Increased profits to one of
the highest levels in 1
veraging $3,000,000 profits daily
in the last four months of 1958.

© Increased salaries to top
executives. Nearly 200 new offi-
s were added between 1955

and 1957. “The Boston and Maine
Railroad increased the salary of

its president from $25,000 to

-| pointed out,

enter this year's contract

$75,000 a year, President H. A.
Debutts of the Southern Railway
w a salary of $129,000 in 1957.
he 58 top officials of the South-
ern Railroad received earnings of
$1,667,510 in 1957,” the unions

Fabulous Profits

“In spite of fabulous profits, and
salaries being paid railroad offi-
cials the railroads! management
has seen fit to launch a multi-
million dollar propaganda cam-
paign attempting to picture all
railroad employees as ‘feather-
s’ and overpaid incompe-

tent:

The Memphis railroaders des-
cribed the campaign as a “reckless
distortion” unparalleled in the
history of employer-employee rela-
tions.

The average wage of train and
engine service employees, accord-
ing to the U.S. government, is
only $2.38 a hour, “certainly a low
rate-of pay for skilled workers in
this day and age.
ery class of railroad em-
ployee needs a substantial rais
in wages," the ad informed Mem
phis readers.

As for work rule changes, the
employees had some suggestions
of their own. They asked for a

differential between night and
day work, sick leaves, overtime
pay, away-from-home | expenses,

and holiday pay.
Railroads Benefit

If the railroad demands were
granted, “it would not save the
public one penny in the cost of
railroad freight and passenger
transportation, It would simply
mean bigger profits and fatter
salaries to railroad officials,” the
unions predicted.
In the past ten years, the rail-1

roads, through modernization, lay-|
offs and cuts in passenger service,
have sa millions of dollars.
“These savings were not passed
on to the public; most of it went
for bigger profits, bigger divi-
dends and bigger salaries.”

The ad quoted the president of
the Erie Railway, “The so-called
featherbedding of railroad wages
has been greatly exaggerated b
railroad executives. There is very
little so-called featherbedding.

Unsafe Systems

If the employers’. demands are
granted, thousands will be laid off
and the public will pay for unsafe,
inefficient rail transportation, the
rail unions charged.

“We believe the — American
people are too smart to be hood-
winked into believing the propa-
ganda being splashed across the
pages of our daily newspapers by
the railroad magna of our
nation.”

k a railroad employee for the
facts. He is probably your next
door neighbour.”

The same story be
an railroaders. Pro-
high yet wages are
below levels in other industries.
“The companies will probably try
to use the featherbedding issue in
the coming negotiatio: predicts
Harry Crowe, CBRT
director.

“There is absolutely no justi!
tion for it. The issue is a sham
and an insult to Canadian railway
employees.”

Shocking
A Teronto old age pen-
sioner has been fined $50 for

stealing one pound of butter
valued at 64 cents. If she

told

about Canad
ze

ductiv is

research

doesn’t pay the fine, she faces
a jail term.
Even the Toronto Globe

and Mail was shocked.

W.C.B. INSPECTOR, R. Wallace; 1.W.A., Regional Safety Director, John T.
Atkinson; and J. M. Clarke, Supervisor of Programmes and Training,
W.C.B., were members of one of the Panels at the Safety Seminar spon-
sored by the Prince George Joint Forest Products Safety Committee.

Steelmasters Press
For Eight Changes

The steel industry injected eight working rules changes into
the contract negotiations with the United Steelworkers of America.
These changes would mean the destruction of the union. In brief,
these are the eight industry demands:

(1) Speedup without union’s approval; (2) stringent penalties
for wildcat strikes and slowdowns even ‘though present contracts
are vigorously enforced by the union; (3) management alone would
set wage rates for different jobs; (4) companies would determine
working schedules and standards, with union having no say; (5)
vacations at whim of each company; (6) insurance, supplemental
employment benefits, pensions, and severance pay would be im-
paired; (7) seniority would be eliminated in times of promotions,
layoffs, etc.; (8) general revision of contract language to take
away more worker rights.

A Man Is Master
Of Any Situation F

Ss put her in her place! Aggie, | says,
n future I'll choose my own aprons!”

SHOE MANUFACTURING CO.
(B.C.) LT

2248-50 East Hastings St. Vancouver, B.