organization has been here over 70 years. Our organization has been here 68 years. All through the years we have been absolutely 100 percent law-abiding organizations. We have done everything we possibly could to help this country, to help the railroads. We have settled these disputes for 50 years in conference across the table. We settled them with men who understood how to settle a grievance. We have settled them with men who were practical operating men. You can put Mr. Shields or Mr. Robertson or Mr. Hughes on here and they will tell you that for half a century when we had any grievances to settle in this country, we could settle them regardless of how big they were because on the other side of the table sat some very practical railroad operating officers, many of whom have gone to their reward.

What do we find today? We find a disposition on the part of some that they don't want to settle. The situation has entirely changed, and they are trying to blame these organizations that have been around here longer than practically any other labor organization in America. They are trying to smear us. They are using the prestige of every place they possibly can. As I pointed out in my testimony the other day, we are looked upon as a group of irresponsible labor leaders that don't want to make a settlement, that we want to confuse the issue, that we don't want to give the men what they are entitled to. Where do you find a greater loyal group of employees than you find on these American railroads? I will challenge anybody to put them up against the men in any industry, and yet today they are kicked around and pushed around to the extent that you have such an unhappy group that, I don't know, it will take 25 years to get them back where they properly belong. If these railroads' managements want the railroads to function as they should during a crisis, the military crisis and economic crises that we are in now, I should think that they would call in these men and say, "We want to make a settlement. Sure, we want to get you boys decent wages and working conditions. Why? Because you are the men who are going to run these railroads whether it is 25 below zero out in Montana or whether it is 100 in the shade down in Arizona."

Railroad men have a hard life, Senator, and you know that. If you ride these trains, just go out into Minnesota and North Dakota and South Dakota and Montana today. You don't find the grass green; you don't find the trees budding; you don't find people running around in their shirt sleeves. You will find 4 feet of snow in Minnesota; you will find snowdrifts all through the Dakotas and in Montana. Do you think it is easy to run a freight train or a passenger train or do a job of switching when you are up to your belly in snow and in 20° to 25° below zero? Is it any wonder that those men want enough money to buy some meat and potatoes and help the good wife. and the kids get along? That is the kind of men we are fighting for, and they are up against a tough, hard proposition. But there is no sympathy around here apparently from these railroads when they will sit here and say they won't make an agreement because of these two very small, indefensible arguments that they put up. They have got to have one man dispose of this, and apparently if they have their way we will sit here until that one man or somebody else decides what they are going to do. In the meantime the railroads will run just as they happen to run. Nobody seems to care particularly. I don't know

whether this managers' conference committee in the East and the West and the South see eye to eye. I don't know whether they do or not. I doubt whether they do. I would like to have each one of them testify. I would like to have each one of them come before this committee and testify as to whether or not they think that these decisions that are going across this table represent their viewpoint, that there have been presidents of railroads and there have been managers of railroads that want to make settlements. They have asked me if they couldn't make a settlement. What do they get when they are tied up by a managers' conference committee? No; they are not privileged to make a settlement. They have told our men that they are not privileged to make settlements. So what do we find? Here we find a group of men who have full authority to settle or not to settle, and it is contralized.

All the class I railroads of the United States are centralized by these three managers' conference committees. Apparently the individual railroad has lost its right to settle even though it wants to. I see a settlement that came in through here yesterday. I see a settlement that came through on the Indiana Harbor Belt Railroad with the Brotherhood of Locomotive Firemen and Enginemen. Apparently they are not a member of this committee. Apparently they are not involved, but they made a settlement. They made a settlement on the very same figures that we are agreeable to making settlement on. We are agreeable to making a settlement on that very same railroad, but what do the managers want to do? They say, "Sure, you can make the same settlement on that railroad that the firemen made, provided you give up the air-hose coupling rule," for which they have an hour on the Indiana Harbor Belt Railroad. That shows you how ridiculous they are. They don't say to the firemen, give up anything. No; because they don't have anything to do with the air-hose coupling rule. I don't say that against the firemen's organization because I will fight for them just as hard as I will for any member of my own organization, but I point out to you that the Indiana Harbor Belt Railroad is represented in this conference, and yet we cannot get a settlement on that railroad. Why? Apparently because of these two reasons. Just think what a ridiculous situation that is going to be.

Just think what a ridiculous situation that is going to be in the Chicago district. Here is a group of men now enjoying increased rates. What about the other fellow? Do you think that is going to create satisfaction? I will say that that will create more dissatisfaction than you or I or anybody in this room can stop, because there is nothing that upsets the railroad man more than to find that somebody gets more money for doing the same character of work than he is doing. Everybody works hard for these railroads, and they shouldn't try to chisel one against the other. Everybody is entitled to fair play and decent treatment, and that is all that we are asking for. Apparently the only way we can get it is through a hearing such as this. The press of the country hasn't been too liberal with these labor leaders or these labor leaders' propositions. Why? Because it is always confused, just as it was confused by these two newspaper releases. I will pick up a newspaper this afternoon and I will gamble that that statement that was put out by the railroads will be in there about me saying that apparently I was agreeable to Steelman and his nominee. I will

find one and bring it in to you because it went out of here an hour before I had an opportunity to testify. Do you think that same paper will put my testimony in now? No.

That is confusing, Senator. That is indicating to our men back home and out on these various properties that we don't know what we are doing. We know what we are doing. You get these other labor presidents on here and they will tell you the same as I am doing, it is a national disgrace and the longer this thing goes I think the more of a disgraceful thing it is. Two years on the 15th day of this month. Just think of it. Two years we have been attempting to get this matter behind us. Yet we are still quarreling about it today, boiling it right down here to a few marbles that cannot be justified.

The CHAIRMAN. I am disappointed, of course, that this impasse exists, but I suppose all we can hope for is that reason will come to the minds of the men on both sides and possibly a settlement may yet be reached. In the meantime, we will continue the hearings

Mr. MURDOCK. Mr. Chairman, may I at this time offer as committee exhibit No. 15 a copy of the Indiana Harbor Belt Line Railroad Co. agreement which was furnished to me yesterday by the Mediation Board?

The CHAIRMAN. It may be inserted in the record as committee exhibit No. 15.

(The document referred to was marked "Committee Exhibit No. 15," and is as follows:)

COMMITTEE EXHIBIT No. 15

AGREEMENT A

This agreement made this 2d day of March 1951, by and between the Indiana Harbor Belt Railroad Co. and its employees represented by the Brotherhood of Locomotive Firemen and Enginemen.

Witnesseth:

Whereas on or about November 1, 1949, certain proposals were served on the carrier by the Brotherhood of Locomotive Firemen and Enginemen on behalf of the employees; and

Whereas on or about the same date certain proposals on behalf of the carrier were served on the employees of said carrier represented by the Brotherhood of Locomotive Firemen and Enginemen; and

Whereas subsequent to November 1, 1949, the said proposals served on the carrier by the Brotherhood of Locomotive Firemen and Enginemen on behalf of the employees were withdrawn;

Whereas general order No. 2, issued February 8, 1951, by Assistant Secretary of the Army Karl R. Bendetsen, provides for an interim wage increase effective October 1, 1950, of 121⁄2 cents per hour for employees represented by the Brotherhood of Locomotive Firemen and Enginemen.

It is agreed:

ARTICLE 1. BASIC DAILY RATES OF PAY

(a) Effective October 1, 1950, 23 cents per hour or $1.84 per day shall be added to the basic daily rates of firemen, helpers on other than steam power, and hostlers and hostler helpers: Provided, however, That said increase of 23 cents per hour shall include the interim increase of 121⁄2 cents per hour effective October 1, 1950, as provided by general order No. 2 so that the total increase effective October 1, 1950, including said interim increase shall be 23 cents per hour.

(b) Effective January 1, 1951, 2 cents per hour or 16 cents per day shall be added to the basic daily rates of employees referred to in paragraph (a) of this article 1.

(c) Effective March 1, 1951, 2 cents per hour or 16 cents per day shall be added to the basic daily rates of employees referred to in paragraph (a) of this article 1.

81733-51-35

(d) Upon the date this agreement A becomes effective as provided for in agreement B, 4 cents per hour or 32 cents per day shall be added to the basic daily rate in effect on such date.

(e) All arbitraries, miscellaneous rates, or special allowances as provided in the schedule or wage agreements shall be increased under this agreement in proportion to the daily increase under this article.

(f) In determining new hourly rates, fractions of a cent will be disposed of by applying next higher quarter of a cent.

ARTICLE 2. COST-OF-LIVING ADJUSTMENT

(a) A cost-of-living adjustment will be determined in accordance with changes in the Consumers' Price Index for Moderate Income Families for Large Cities Combined-All Items (1935-39 equals 100) as published by the Bureau of Labor Statistics, United States Department of Labor, and hereafter referred to as the BLS Consumers' Price Index. For the purpose of this computation an arbitrary base index of 178.0 is agreed to. The cost-of-living adjustment as hereinafter provided shall be made commencing April 1, 1951, and each 3 months thereafter based on the BLS Consumers' Price Index as of February 15, 1951, and the BLS Consumers' Price Index each third month thereafter as illustrated by the following table:

BLS Consumers' Price Index as of

Feb. 15, 1951.

May 15, 1951.

Aug. 15, 1951_.

Nov. 15, 1951_
Feb. 15, 1952_

May 15, 1952.

Aug. 15, 1952_

Nov. 15, 1952_

Effective date of adjustment-first pay period on or after

Apr. 1, 1951.

Feb. 15, 1953.

May 15, 1953_

July 1, 1953.

(b) The cost of living adjustments, when provided for, shall remain in effect to date of subsequent adjustment, as provided for in paragraph (a).

(c) Wage rates in effect March 1, 1951, will not be reduced during the period of this agreement. However, such basic rates are subject to a cost-of-living adjustment which, if any, shall be added to the basic rates in effect March 1, 1951, in accordance with the following table; adjustments to be made on the dates specified in paragraph (a):

BLS Consumers' Price Index:

178.0 and less than 179.0. 179.0 and less than 180.0_. 180.0 and less than 181.0. 181.0 and less than 182.0.... 182.0 and less than 183.0.... 183.0 and less than 184.0_.

184.0 and less than 185.0_.

Cost of-living allowance, cents per hour None

and so forth, with corresponding 1-cent adjustment for each one point change in the index. The initial allowance of 1 cent made when the index reaches 179.0 will not be eliminated unless the index reaches 178.0 or less.

Examples: If the BLS Consumers' Price Index as of February 15, 1951, should be 179.0 and less than 180.0, 1 cent per hour shall be added effective April 1, 1951, as a cost-of-living adjustment; if such index as of May 15, 1951, should be 178.0 or less, then effective July 1, 1951, the cost-of-living adjustment which may have been established under this example will be eliminated.

If the BLS Consumers' Price Index as of February 15, 1951, should be 180.0 and less than 181.0, 2 cents per hour shall be added effective April 1, 1951, as a cost-of-living adjustment; if such index as of May 15, 1951, should be 179.0 and less than 180.0, then effective July 1, 1951, the cost-of-living adjustment established under this example will be reduced to 1 cent per hour.

(d) In the event the Bureau of Labor Statistics does not issue the specified BLS Consumers' Price Index on or before the effective dates specified in paragraph (a), the cost-of-living adjustment will not become effective until the first pay period after release of the index.

(e) No adjustments, retroactive or otherwise, shall be made because of any revision which may later be made in the published figures of the BLS Consumers' Price Index for any base month.

(f) The parties to this agreement agree that the continuance of the cost-ofliving adjustment is dependent upon the availability of the official monthly BLS Consumers' Price Index in its present form and calculated on the same basis as the index for August 15, 1950, except that, if the Bureau of Labor Statistics, United States Department of Labor, should during the effective period of this agreement revise or change the methods or basic data used in calculating the BLS Consumers' Price Index in such a way as to affect the direct comparability of such revised or changed index with the index for August 15, 1950, then that Bureau shall be requested to furnish a conversion factor designed to adjust to the new basis the base index of 178.0 described in paragraph (a) hereof, and the several indexes listed in paragraph (c) hereof.

In the event the cost-of-living adjustment is discontinued under the provisions of article 2, paragraph (f), rates in effect March 1, 1951, plus the 4cents-hourly addition provided for in article 1 (d) shall be restored effective with the next adjustment date as specified in paragraph (a) and either party shall be free to serve notice for changes in rates of pay.

(g) The parties agree that this article 2 shall remain in effect for a period of 3 years or until March 1, 1954, and thereafter subject to change under the provisions of the Railway Labor Act as amended.

ARTICLE 3. FIVE-DAY WORKWEEK

SECTION 1. (a) Beginning on the date that this agreement becomes effective, the carrier will establish for firemen, and helpers on other than steam power, and hostlers and hostler helpers, represented by the Brotherhood of Locomotive Firemen and Enginemen, a workweek of five basic days. Except as otherwise provided in this agreement, the workweek will consist of five consecutive days with 2 days off in each seven. The foregoing workweek rule is subject to all other provisions of this agreement.

(b) The designated officer or officers of the railroad and the representative or representatives designated by the Brotherhood of Locomotive Firemen and Enginemen will meet and agree on details and methods for rebulletining and reassigning jobs to conform with the 5-day week. After all initial changes have been made to place the 5-day week in effect, subsequent changes will be made in accordance with schedule agreement rules.

SEC. 2. The term "workweek" for regularly assigned employees shall mean a week beginning on the first day on which the assignment is bulletined to work. SECTION 3. (a) When service is required by the carrier on a day off of regular assignments it may be performed by other regular assignments, by regular relief assignments, by combination of regular and regular relief assignments or by extra employees (existing rules or practices under which unassigned employees may be used are preserved). Where regular relief assignments are established, they shall, except as otherwise provided in this agreement, have five consecutive days of work with designated days of service. They may have different starting times on different days within the periods specified in the starting-time rules, and different points for going on or off duty on different days.

As far as practical regular relief assignments for crews or individuals shall be confined to two different starting-time periods but this will not prohibit an assignment within three different starting-time periods when necessary relief assignments cannot otherwise be set up at straight-time rates.

(b) Rules providing for assignments of crews "for a fixed period of time which shall be for the same hours daily" will be relaxed only to the extent provided in (a) of this section 3.

(c) Where there is not sufficient relief work to provide a regular relief assignment of 5 days per week, it will be permissible by agreement between the general chairman and authorized carrier representatives to make a regular relief assignment for less than 5 days per week, and the man so assigned may then go to the extra board in his proper turn and protect extra work to and including a fifth day of his workweek, but this will not constitute a guaranty of 5 days per week for the holder of such an assignment.

(d) Any rules which require the carrier to make a 6- or 7-day assignment shall be eliminated.