1908 - Wholesale Layoff of Men

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Thu Jan 31 23:04:19 EST 2008


Roanoke Times - February 1, 1908

Wholesale Layoff of Men

On Thursday at the Island Yard of the Norfolk & Western Railroad
at Lynchburg about fourteen hostlers, overhaulers and operators were
suspended until further orders, while the hours of some of those
still working are said to have been reduced. This makes about
seventy-five men who have been laid off at the island yard in the
past few months.
Some time ago the workers of the Chesapeake & Ohio railway shops
at Clifton Forge, who are making full time at nine hours a day, were
cut to eight hours a day, and now it is reported that the shops are
only to be operated three days each week, thus giving the men only
twenty hours work for each week instead of fifty-four.
Twenty-four engineers have been laid off in the past few days at
Clifton Forge, and twenty-nine locomotives have been put out of
commission. This means that many more trainmen will lose work for a
time at least.
It is reported that the management of the company, in the hope of
reducing expenses during the period that traffic is light, will
operate the freight trains during the day as much as possible in
order that the night operators may be laid off. This has resulted in
thirty-one operators on the main line being laid off until the
traffic picks up again.
It is believed in railway circles in Clifton Forge that this
condition will not prevail long, and that it will not be many more
weeks before all of the idle men will again be making good time.

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- Ron Davis, Roger Link




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