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Show ( SAYS K-ffl PLAN V MAY VIOLATE POLICY F Commissioner Knerr Tentatively Tenta-tively Opposes Traction Company Proposal. , REPLIES TO INQUIRY c (I j Qualifies Statement by Say- ing Board's Interpretation i jj May Be in Error. 1 i " Ja response to an inquiry from the executive board of division 382, Amal- Jj gauiated Association of Street and ' e Electric Bail way Employees of America, the industrial e6mmission of Utah, ( t through Commissioner W. M. Knerr, i Jj has advised the local street car men that ' c in the ."judgment of the commission, in- ' J auguration by the Utah LigHt and r Traction company of an innovation in c tlie form of one-man operation of street t cars would be a violation of the prin- i oipiea and policies of the national war I 2 ' labor; board, announced for the period 1 J" of the war. 2 The commissioner qualities this judg-e judg-e ment by saying- that the board's inter- c pretation of the principles and policies : ? laid down for the war period by the war abor board and the president in f his proclamation might be in error. The 5 opinion of the commission is based, it s is noted, on the interpretation that the L one-man plan "would be in the nature of i c H change in existing labor conditions in violation of the policies of the war I board. It goes further to state that if it is shown that the one-man operation 1 plan is dangerous to health or safety, it 1 i ! unqualifiedly would be in violation of y 1 the national labor policy. p : Mr. Reeder's Inquiry. ; The opinion from the industrial com- c mission "was called forth by the fol- " J 1 lowing letter written the commission by , ' ; J. A. Beeder. secretary of the executive ( i board of the local carmen 's organiza-. I tion: 1 ! ' ( ! ' 4 The employees of the Utah Light and : :J ! Traction company" are anxious to con-j j ; form to. and abide by, the poliov of the : : ( United States department of labor, and ' i , the war labor board. ' ,' , We understand that the president of ' i the United States has issued a procla- t J mation in relation to the principles and ' ' methods to be followed by employers and employees during the period of the tvar. . ' ' ' "Would you kindlv advise as to . ! . : whether or not it would be a violation , - of the national labor policy, or the . i president's proclamation, if the Utah ! Light, and Trac'tion company were given " j permission to operate street ears with J 1 one man in charee? , -"I am asking this information at the request of the executive board of Divi- ' ' 3 r sion No. 382, A. A. of S. and E. R. E. of A." j Mr. Knerr's Reply. , ' The rer-1- of the eommission. written 1 ' j and signed by Mr. Knerr, reads as fol-! fol-! lows: : j Referring' to your favor of June 3. ( 1918. relatiner to the operation of I street cars in Salt Lake City, under ; j the nlan known as the "one-man plan." i For your information and puid- anre, we are ennlosing" you here-' here-' with a copv of plans and methods ; of labor adjustments, together with . the principles and policies to eovern relations hetween workers and em- plovers during: the war. and the i proclamation of the president of the , : United States urpriner employers and employees to conform to same. We respectfully refer you to see-j see-j tion 2. under plans and methods of , labor adjustment, which reads as fol lows: , 1 "To do the same things in similar controversies in other fields of national na-tional activity, rielavs and obstructions obstruc-tions which mipht. in the oninion of ' the national board, affect detrimentally detrimen-tally such production. " Under Faction 4. subdivision A, you will find the following- declaration declara-tion : 1 "Tho national board shall refuse to take coernizanee of a controversy between emplover and workers in any field of Industrial or other activity ac-tivity where there is by agreement or federal law a means of settlement which has not teen Invoked." i Under the heading- of "Principles and Policies to Govern Relations Between Workers and Em plovers in War Industries for the Duration of the "War." we respectfully refer yon to peption 3, which reads as follows: "Established safeguards and reen-lations reen-lations for the protection of the health and safety of the workers shall not be relaxed." President's Stipulation. We also rspectfullv direct your attention to the proclamation of the president of the United States, especially es-pecially to the last paragraph of the proclamation, which reads as follows fol-lows : "A nd T do herehv urge unon all emnlovers and employees within the United States the ncessitv of util-izine util-izine the moans and methods thus providpd for the adjustment of all Industrial In-dustrial disputes, and request that durinc th pendency or mediation and arbitration through the said rnpans and methods, the re shall bo no discontinuance of Industrial operations op-erations which would result in curtailment cur-tailment of the production of war necessities." In our judgment, if the Utah Eight Traction company will be permitted per-mitted to operate their street ears by the one-man plan, it would be a violation of tlu- national war hoard nrinelpVn and policies to he followed by employers a nd emplovps during he period of the war; that is to say, that. In so far as changing existing cond i tions are concerned. On the other hand. Jf It can he shown that the operation r,f the one-man ear Involves In-volves the life, health, safety nnd welfare of the r-rnployee, It certainly would be a violation of the national labor policy. You rriav be advised, however, that possibly the Interpret.! Hon. as above outlined by the Industrial commission commis-sion of Utah m;y not be rorrwt. We are eon vlnew! that before your ortfa nizat.iou should prornnlga le a. strike in this i-nse the pollers nnd principles of the war labor board should be followed and you should e-ompl v wit h t lie n-fpiest of the president of tlie T,nlt-d State that work b not discontinued pending negotiations. |