OCR Text |
Show EIGHT-HOUR DAY " FOR SWITGHMEN AWARD FILED IN CASE OF THIRTEEN THIR-TEEN EASTERN AND MIDDLE-WEST MIDDLE-WEST ROADS. Decision of Board Had Been Eagerly Awaited for What Bearing It Might Have on in the Adamson Act Controversy. New York. An eight-hour day, an Increase in wages of 5 cents an hour and straight pro rata overtime was granted to the members of the switchmen's switch-men's union employed by thirteen eastern and middle western railroads in an award filed here Saturday by the federal board of arbitration that heard their differences., The decision of the board had been eagerly awaited by the railroads in general and the four major brotherhoods brother-hoods of railroad trainmen for what bearing it might have on the controversy contro-versy between them over the Adam-son Adam-son act, in which the eight-hour day is a question at issue. The decision says that "eight hours or less shall constitute a day's work," gives "an increase of 5 cents an hour on the present rates of pay," and rules that "overtime shall be paid at pro rata rates," to be computed "on the basis of the actual minutes worked." While the switchmen asked fof a 10 cent increase, the statement emphasizes empha-sizes the po.nt that the 5 cent advance ad-vance is the largest given in any arbitration. arbi-tration. The increase was granted, the neutral arbitrators explain, because be-cause of the high cost of living and the hazards and hardships of the work. |