I am not charging this as being a wrong position, but I am saying it is a natural position that they are confronted with, too. So that is a barrier, besides the White House that made it. These things have all seemed to react against us. The war is on, and we can't have a strike, and we don't want any strike while the war is on. Everything seems to be sheltered by the Government, and what the Government has done up to the time we came into the picture, we have to take that or do the best we can to get something else, and where can we look for help? Senator MORSE. I want to thank you, Mr. Robertson. We will recess until Tuesday morning at 10 o'clock, at which time Mr. Hughes will be given an opportunity to make a supplementary statement, after which it is my understanding that Mr. Loomis will be recalled to the stand for whatever questions the members of the committee or counsel may wish to ask of him. We stand in recess until Tuesday at 10 o'clock. (Whereupon, at 4:45 p. m., the committee recessed until 10 a. m., Tuesday, April 3, 1951.) LABOR DISPUTE BETWEEN RAILROAD CARRIERS AND FOUR OPERATING RAILROAD BROTHERHOODS TUESDAY, APRIL 3, 1951 UNITED STATES SENATE, COMMITTEE ON LABOR AND PUBLIC WELFARE, Washington, D. C. The committee met at 10 a. m., pursuant to recess, in the old Supreme Court room, the Capitol, Senator James E. Murray (chairman) presiding. Present: Senators Murray (chairman), Lehman, and Morse. Also present: William H. Coburn, clerk of the committee; Ray R. Murdock, counsel to the subcommittee on labor-management relations; and Tom Shroyer, of the professional staff of the committee. Senator LEHMAN (presiding). The committee will be in order? Mr. MURDOCK. Before Mr. Hughes commences his statement I would like to offer some formal exhibits for the record if I may. At the last session Senator Morse inquired as to whether or not Dr. Steelman had been invited to appear at these hearings. I informed him that he had been. The Senator suggested that the invitation be made a part of the record, and so I offer in evidence as committee exhibit No. 21 a copy of the letter addressed to Dr. Steelman by the chairman of the committee on the 23d of February 1951 inviting him to appear. I may say for the record that I am advised by the chairman's office that no response has been received to the invitation. Senator LEHMAN. This exhibit will be received. (The document referred to was marked "Committee Exhibit 21" and is as follows:) COMMITTEE EXHIBIT 21 FEBRUARY 23, 1951. Hon. JOHN R. STEELMAN, The White House. MY DEAR DR. STEELMAN: I had given your office previous notice of the hearings of the Senate Committee on Labor and Public Welfare on the dispute between the railroad carriers and the four operating brotherhoods, which opened on February 22, 1951. The first two witnesses to appear were Mr. Roy O. Hughes, president of the Order of Railway Conductors, and Mr. William E. B. Chase, vice president of the Brotherhood of Railroad Trainmen. Both of these witnesses testified with respect to meetings they had held with you during the course of the dispute. For your convenience and information, I am enclosing herewith a copy of the stenographic transcript of the testimony of these witnesses. The committee will, of course, welcome any statement from you, and if you desire to appear before the committee I am confident that the opportunity to do so could be arranged at your convenience. I direct your particular attention to page 55 of the enclosed transcript on which it is recorded that Senator Morse formally suggested that you be heard with respect to these matters. With kindest personal regards, I am, JAMES E. MURRAY, Mr. MURDOCK. At the last session there was a discussion of the status of dining car stewards, and in connection with the questioning of Secretary Bendetsen on that question I offer for the record a letter received from Secretary Bendetsen by the chairman, also a letter from the Brotherhood of Railroad Trainmen to General Heileman dated March 20, 1951, and a reply dated March 29, 1951, from Brigadier General McIntyre. That is exhibit No. 22. Senator LEHMAN. It is so ordered. (The document referred to was marked "Committee Exhibit 22" and is as follows:) COMMITTEE EXHIBIT 22 DEPARTMENT OF THE ARMY, Washington, D. C., March 30, 1951. Mr. RAY R. MURDOCK, Counsel, Subcommittee on Labor and Labor-Management Relations, DEAR MR. MURDOCK: This will acknowledge receipt of your letter of March 26, 1951, which referred to information give you by Mr. L. M. Hill, a steward on the Pennsylvania Railroad. The secretary of the local lodge of the Brotherhood of Railroad Trainmen in New York which represents dining car stewards on eastern railroads, raised a question with the Chief of Transportation, Department of the Army, regarding an interpretation of General Order No. 2, which was issued by the Department of the Army-operation of railroads on February 8, 1951. A reply has been made to the secretary of the involved lodge in New York, and Mr. Hill should apply to the local lodge officers for the interpretation. Sincerely yours, Maj. Gen. F. A. HEILEMAN, KARL R. BENDETSEN, Assistant Secretary of the Army. BROTHERHOOD OF RAILROAD TRAINMEN, Chief of Transportation, Department of the Army, Washington, D. C. DEAR SIR: The above local lodge, Brotherhood of Railroad Trainmen, represents the dining-car stewards on the eastern railroads. It was our understanding and interpretation of General Order No. 2, that we would be granted the 5 cents an hour increase with the same retroactive feature as other operating personnel, since we are part of those employees mentioned in section 2 (directive) paragraph (b), who have had no increase during the present dispute, and whose contracts are held by the Brotherhood of Railroad Trainmen. The railroads have failed to place in effect this increase for dining-car stewards, although other operating personnel, on the same carriers, have already received this increase, and in most cases the retroactive pay involved. We respectfully request you issue a directive to the various railroads, instructing them to place in effect General Order No. 2, paragraph (b), as applicable to dining-car stewards. We would appreciate being advised of your action in this matter. Yours very truly, Approved: E. S. BURLINGAME, Secretary. T. J. MARION, President. MARCH 29, 1951. Mr. E. S. BURLINGAME, Secretary, Lodge No. 162, Brotherhood of Railroad Trainmen, New York, N. Y. DEAR SIR: Your letter of March 20, 1951, addressed to the Chief of Transportation, Department of the Army, regarding an interpretation of General Order No. 2, issued by the Department of the Army-operation of railroads on February 8, 1951, has been referred to the undersigned for reply. It is of course understood that the Brotherhood of Railroad Trainmen represents dining-car stewards on railroads to which you have referred. It is not understood, however, that the provisions of paragraph II (directive) b, (2), are applicable to dining-car stewards. It is understood that negotiations between your brotherhood and the involved carriers are still in progress regarding settlement of the matter of hours, wages, etc., for the stewards, and it is hoped that these negotiations will soon result in a satisfactory settlement. Yours very truly, A. F. MCINTYRE, Brigadier General, USA, Assistant Chief of Transportation for Railroad Operations. Mr. MURDOCK. Reference has been made frequently to a publication called A Yearbook of Railroad Information, 1950 edition, which is published by the Eastern Railroad Presidents' Conference. I offer a copy as exhibit 23. Senator LEHMAN. It is so ordered. (The document referred to was marked "Committee Exhibit 23" and filed with the committee.) Mr. MURDOCK. Reference has been made in the course of the hearings to a book entitled "Railroad Men and Wages," by J. Elmer Monroe, of the bureau of railway economics, Association of American Railroads, July 1947. I offer a copy of this volume as committee exhibit 24, and may I say, Mr. Chairman, that this copy is made available to the committee by the graciousness of the Association of American Railroads. Senator LEHMAN. It is so ordered. (The document referred to was marked "Committee Exhibit 24" and filed with the committee.) Mr. MURDOCK. Some of the testimony has used as reference a book entitled "Wages, Hours, and Employment in the United States, 1914 to 1936," published by the National Industrial Conference Board. I offer a copy of that as committee exhibit 25. Senator LEHMAN. It is so ordered. (The document referred to was marked "Committee Exhibit 25" and filed with the committee.) Mr. MURDOCK. Reference has been made in the course of the hearings to the increases in rates granted to carriers. I offer as committee exhibit 26 a summary of these increases which has been provided by the Interstate Commerce Commission. Senator LEHMAN. It is so ordered. |