U.S. Emergency Board No. 81 Records

Collection Number: 5037

Kheel Center for Labor-Management Documentation and Archives, Cornell University Library

DESCRIPTIVE SUMMARY

Title:

U.S. Emergency Board No. 81 Records, 1950

Collection Number:

5037

Creator:

U.S. Emergency Board

Quantity:

2 linear ft.

Forms of Material:

Records (documents) .

Repository:

Kheel Center for Labor- Management Documentation and Archives, Cornell University Library

Abstract:

Consist of carrier and employee exhibits; awards, reports, etc.; also documents pertaining to the General Rules Movement.

Language:

Collection material in English

ORGANIZATIONAL HISTORY

An Executive order of the President dated February 24, 1950 resulted in the appointment of a board composed of Hon. Roger I. McDonough, justice, Supreme Court of Utah, Chairman, Hon. Mart J. O'Malley former justice, Supreme Court of Indiana; and Professor Gordon S. Watkins, University of California. Public hearings were held in Chicago, Illinois, beginning March 2, 1950, through May 9, 1950 the record consisting of 49 volumes of 8,385 pages, and 143 exhibits.

Upon stipulation of the parties and approval of the President, two extensions of time were granted, allowing to June 15, 1950, for rendition of the Board's report to the President.

The emergency precipitating the establishment of this- board resulted from the announced intention of the employees represented by the two organizations, to withdraw from the service of the railroads represented by the Carriers' Conference Committees, in connection with their demands for proposed new rules and changes in existing rules governing working conditions affecting primarily conductors, trainmen, yard service employees, and certain dining car and other groups of employees, altogether about 180,000 employees of the nation's major railroads.

The issues were numerous and complex, involving such matters as the 40-hour workweek; differentials for car retarder operators, footboard yardmasters, and baggage-men handling United States mail; graduated rate of pay tables in all classes of service; the restoration of the standard wage rates between territories; and modification of other rules. Also involved were carriers' proposals to change pay provisions, rules, regulations, interpretations, and practices pertaining to the 40-hour workweek (if recommended) interdivisional, and intradivisional runs; pooling of cabooses; switching limits; and numerous other proposals.

On June 15, 1950, the board made its report to the President, recommending a 5-day, 40-hour basic workweek for railroad yard service employees, with an increase in basic rates of pay of 18 cents per hour, effective October 1, 1950. Upward adjustments in rates of pay for car retarder operators, footboard yardmasters and baggagemen handling United States mail were also recommended. The board recommended the withdrawal of a number of other proposals of the organizations, including one which called for a graduated basis of pay for road conductors and trainmen. The board also recommended against the establishment of a 100-mile, 5-hour basic day in passenger service to replace the 150-mile, 7 1/2-hour basic day. Among the changes in rules proposed by the railroads, the board recommended that the carriers and the organizations negotiate revisions in rules to permit interdivisional runs, pooling of cabooses, and changes in yard switching limits; redefinition of rules covering coupling and uncoupling air hoses; inclusion of a rule covering rate of pay for work performed in more than one class of service in a tour of duty, and change in reporting for duty rules. It recommended the withdrawal of other carrier proposed rules changes.

During the course of the hearings in this case, two additional disputes on similar issues were referred to this same board by the President. (See Emergency Boards Nos. 83 and 84).

COLLECTION DESCRIPTION

Consist of carrier and employee exhibits; awards, reports, etc.; also documents pertaining to the General Rules Movement.

Records include carrier exhibits dealing with work rules, wage rates and differentials, hours of work, the history of the diesel rules movement, and working conditions. Employee exhibits include statistics on then existing economic conditions in the U.S., hours and wages in other industries, productivity comparisons, and studies of the impact of dieselization on the industry and the workforce and studies of safety matters. Also miscellaneous documents of unknown origin relating to the questions considered by this Board.

SUBJECTS

Names:

Brotherhood of Railroad Trainmen

Eastern Carriers' Conference Committee

Order of Railway Conductors and Brakemen

Order of Railway Conductors of America

Southeastern Carriers' Conference Committee

United States. Emergency Board No. 81.

Western Carriers' Conference Committee

Subjects:

Mediation and conciliation, Industrial--United States--Cases.

Wages and labor productivity--United States.

Railroad conductors.

Railroads -- Employees

Hours of labor. Mediation and conciliation, Industrial. United States.

Industrial safety. Mediation and conciliation, Industrial. United States.

Labor productivity. Mediation and conciliation, Industrial. United States.

Mediation and conciliation, Industrial. Railroads. United States.

Railroads. Safety regulations. United States.

Railroads. United States. Dieselization.

Wages. Mediation and conciliation, Industrial. United States.

Wages. Railroads. United States.

Work rules. Railroads. United States.

Working conditions. Mediation and conciliation, Industrial. United States.

Form and Genre Terms:

Records (documents)

INFORMATION FOR USERS

Access Restrictions:

Access to the collections in the Kheel Center is restricted. Please contact a reference archivist for access to these materials.

Restrictions on Use:

This collection must be used in keeping with the Kheel Center Information Sheet and Procedures for Document Use.

Cite As:

U.S. Emergency Board No. 81 Records #5037. Kheel Center for Labor-Management Documentation and Archives, Cornell University Library.

CONTAINER LIST

Container		Description	Date
Box 1	Folder 1	Conductors' and Trainmen's 40 Hour Week and Rules Case, Carriers' Exhibit B, History of the General Rules Movement Involving the Class I Rail carriers and Their Engine, Train, and Yard Service Employees	1960
Box 1	Folder 2	Conductors' and Trainmen's 40 Hour Week and Rules Case, Carriers' Exhibit C, Statutes, Awards and Agreements Involved in the Great Rules Movements	1950
Box 1	Folder 3	Conductors' and Trainmen's 40 Hour Week and Rules case, Carriers' Exhibit D, Misc. Reports, Awards, Agreements, and Interpretations Involving Wages and Working Conditions of Railroad Employees	1950
Box 1	Folder 4	Conductors' and Trainmen's 40 Hour Week and Rules Case, Carriers' Exhibit 19, L. W. Horning, Basic Day and Overtime Rule in Passenger Service	1950
Box 1	Folder 5	Conductors' and Trainmen's 40-Hour Week and Rules Case, Carriers' Exhibit 16, Use of Road Crews to Perform Work in Yard	1950
Box 1	Folder 6	Conductors' and Trainmen's 40-Hour Week and Rules Case, Carriers' Exhibit 4, History of The Diesel Rules Movement	1950
Box 1	Folder 7	Conductor's and Trainmen's 40-Hour Week and Rules Case, Carriers' Exhibit E, 40-Hour Work Week for Railroad Employees and for Railway Express Agency Employees	1950
Box 1	Folder 8	Emergency Board No. 81, Case A-3290, Carriers Represented by Eastern, Western, and Southeastern Carriers' Conference Committees and Order of Railway Conductors Brotherhood of Railroad Trainmen	1950
Box 1	Folder 9	Conductors' and Trainmen's 40-Hour Week and Rules Case, Carriers' Exhibit A, The Proposals of the Parties and The Issues Before the Board	1950
Box 1	Folder 10	Conductors' and trainmen's 40-Hour Week and Rules Case, Carriers' Exhibit No. 5, Witness: GP Brock	1950
Box 1	Folder 11	Conductors' and Trainmen's 40-Hour Week and Rules Case, Carriers' Exhibit No. 3, Witness: JM Budd	1950
Box 1	Folder 12	Conductors' and Trainmen's 40-Hour Week and Rules Case, Carriers' Exhibit No. 2, Witness: JM Symes	1950
Box 1	Folder 13	Conductors' and trainmen's 40-Hour Week and Rules Case, Carriers' Exhibit 15, Use of Trainmen and Yardmen to Couple and Uncouple Hose, Chain and Unchain Cars and Make Air Tests	1950
Box 1	Folder 14	Conductors' and Trainmen's 40-Hour Week and Rules Case, Carriers' Exhibit 14, Rate of Pay for Footboard Yardmaster	1950
Box 1	Folder 15	Conductor's and Trainmen's 40-Hour Week and Rules Case, Carriers' Exhibit 13, Rate of Pay for Car Retarder Operators	1950
Box 1	Folder 16	Conductors' and Trainmen's 40 Hour Week and Rules Case, Carriers' Exhibit 12, Penalty Pay for Work on Sundays and Holidays in Yard Service	1950
Box 1	Folder 17	Conductors and Trainmen's 40 Hour Week and Rules Case, Carriers' Exhibit 11, Starting Time for Yard Crews	1950
Box 1	Folder 18	Conductors' and Trainmen's 40 Hour Week and Rules Case, Carriers' Exhibit, 10-a, Witness: DP Loomis, Appendices Referred to in Carriers Exhibit Entitled 48 Hours Pay for 40 Hours of Work	1950
Box 1	Folder 19	Conductors' and Trainmen 40 Hour Week and Rules Case, Carriers' Exhibit, DP Loomis, 48 Hours Pay for 40 Hours of Work	1950
Box 1	Folder 20	Conductors' and Trainmen's 40 Hour Week and Rules Case, Carriers' Exhibit 9, Witness: DP Loomis, Rates of Pay for Yard Service Employees	1950
Box 1	Folder 21	Conductor's and Trainmen's 40 Hour Week and Rules Case, Carriers' Exhibit 8, Duties of Firemen on Diesel Locomotives, Employees' Exhibit No. 66, Firemen's Diesel Case	1950
Box 1	Folder 22	Conductor's and Trainmen's 40-Hour Week and Rules Case, Carrier's Exhibit 7 Duties of Enginemen in Diesel Engine Rooms, Employees Exhibit No. 17, Engineers' Diesel Case	1950
Box 1	Folder 23	Conductor's and Trainmen's 40 Hour Week and Rules Case, Carriers' Exhibit 6, Duties of Engineer and Assistant on Diesel Locomotives, Employees' Exhibit No. 15, Engineers' Diesel Case	1950
Box 1	Folder 24	Conductors' and Trainmen's 40-Hour Week and Rules Case, Carriers' Exhibit 38, Financial Condition of the Railroads	1950
Box 1	Folder 25	Conductors' and Trainmen's 40-Hour Week and Rules Case, Carriers' Exhibit 38, Witness: J. Elmer Monroe, Financial Condition of the Railroads	1950
Box 1	Folder 26	Conductors' and trainmen's 40-Hour Week and Rules Case, Carriers' Exhibit no. 35, Safety	1950
Box 1	Folder 27	Conductors' and Trainmen's 40-Hour Week and Rules Case, Carriers' Exhibit No. 31, LD Comer	1950
Box 1	Folder 28	Conductors' and Trainmen's 40 Hour Week and Rules Case, Carriers' Exhibit 30, Witness: LD Comer, Right of Management to Fix the Time of Reporting For Road Crews	1950
Box 1	Folder 29	Conductors' and Trainmen's 40-Hour Week and Rules Case, Carriers' Exhibit 29, Additional pay for Initial Terminal	1950
Box 1	Folder 30	Conductors' and trainmen's 40-Hour Week and Rules case, Carriers' Exhibit 28, Witness: LD Comer, Pay For Expenses Away From Home	1950
Box 1	Folder 31	Conductors' and Trainmen's 40-Hour Week and Rules Case, Carriers' Exhibit No. 23, Witness: DC Raffensparger	1950
Box 1	Folder 32	Conductors' and trainmen's 40-Hour Week and Rules Case, Carriers' Exhibit 20, Witness: LW Horning, Overtime Rate in Passenger Service	1950
Box 1	Folder 33	Conductors' and Trainmen's 40 Hour Week and Rules Case, Carriers' Exhibit 18, Witness: JJ Sullivan, Road Employees Performing More Than One Class of Road Service	1950
Box 1	Folder 34	Emergency Board No. 81, Case A-3290, Carriers Represented by Eastern, Western, and Southeastern Carriers' Conference Committees and Order of Railway Conductors, Brotherhood of Railroad Trainmen, Brief on Behalf of the Carriers	1950
Box 1	Folder 35	Conductors and Trainmen's 40 Hour Week and Rules Case, Carriers' Exhibit No. 1	1950
Box 2	Folder 1	Index to Opening Case of Order of Railway Conductors and Brotherhood of Railroad Trainmen	1949
Box 2	Folder 2	Employees' Exhibit Nos. 1-7	1949
Box 2	Folder 3	Employees Exhibits Nos. 8-12
Box 2	Folder 4	Employees Exhibits Nos. 13-19
Box 2	Folder 5	Employees Exhibits Nos. 20-25
Box 2	Folder 6	Employees Exhibit Nos. 26-30
Box 2	Folder 7	Employees Exhibits Nos. 30-40
Box 2	Folder 8	Employees Exhibits Nos. 41-48	1949
Box 2	Folder 9	Employees Exhibits Nos. 49-55
Box 2	Folder 10	Index to Carriers' Case Employees' Rebuttal and Closing Arguments	1949
Box 2	Folder 11	Employees' Rebuttal Exhibit Nos. 57-62	1948-1950
Box 2	Folder 12	Employees' Rebuttal Exhibit Nos. 63-69	1949
Box 2	Folder 13	Employees' Exhibit Nos. 76-86

Contents

U.S. Emergency Board No. 81 Records

Collection Number: 5037

Kheel Center for Labor-Management Documentation and Archives, Cornell University Library