The proposed legislation, therefore, I might say in conclusion, meets a serious deficiency in the present provisions for unemployed railway workers. It will give particular attention to the displaced older worker, and will simultaneously provide incentive for the railways to relocate and reemploy these experienced men while it gives more nearly adequate compensation to those who are not placed. Departing in method from the protection afforded employees in other industries, the proposed legislation is nevertheless strictly in accord with the principles now well established in the United States of increasing compensation for the unemployed. Finally its cost, insofar as it cannot be avoided by better placement of unemployed railway workers, can naturally be met out of the savings which technological progress is bringing to the carriers. Mr. SCHOENE. Mr. Chairman, I am sorry I was a little late getting in after lunch, and I assume that Mr. Oliver's statement has been incorporated in the record, that is, particularly the tables appended, which would need to be reproduced. Senator COOPER. I think he has read his statement. I believe that all that will be necessary will be to include the tables. Mr. SCHOENE. Yes; that is what I was particularly concerned about. (The material appended to Mr. Oliver's statement follows:) TABLE A-1 Employment, traffic, and employees per million traffic units, class I line-haul railways, 1920–January 1957 1 Derived by applying to first 11 months of 1956 the ratio of the first 11 months of 1955 to the year 1955. Source: Interstate Commerce Commission, 1920-53, Statistics of Railways in the United States; 1954 and 1955, Transport Statistics in the United States; 1956 and 1957 Statements M-220 and M-300. 1 Not available. NOTE.-Employees separated represent employees (including those who die or retire) who work in a year but not in the following year; employees in active service at end of year are those who work in a year and in the year following; new entrants are employees with no previous railroad service; and reentrants are those who returned to railroad service after an absence of at least 1 calendar year. The number in active service at end of any year is the difference between the number in service during the year and the number separated during the year. This difference, added to the number of new entrants and reentrants in the following year, gives the number in service in that year. Data based on 4-percent sample. Source: Office of Director of Research, U. S. Railroad Retirement Board, Mar. 1, 1957. TABLE A-4 Average days of unemployment under Railroad Unemployment Insurance Act, 1 Average days of unemployment include all creditable days, whether waiting-period or compensable, but the first 7 days for each beneficiary are excluded in computing the average per week of total unemploy ment. Source: Railroad Retirement Board, annual reports. TABLE A-5 Duration of unemployment, by age groups, benefit years 1947–48, 1950–51, 1955–56 Exhaustion of railroad unemployment benefits, 1947–48, 1950–51, and 1955–56 TABLE A-8 Railroad unemployment insurance accounts exhausted, by years, 1945–56 Railroad employees in 1954, by age and by period of service 1 Employees with 120 or more months of service, including service before 1937. 2 Includes a small number of employees whose ages were not reported. 3 Based on employees whose ages were reported. 4 Less than 0.5 percent. Source: Office of Director of Research, United States Railroad Retirement Board, Mar. 1, 1957. 17 20223223 22 16 23 19 11 20 13 7 14 10 5 10 7 4 8 3 3 € TABLE A-11 Railroad employees in 1952 by occupational group and employment status NOTE.-Employees separated represent employees (including those who die or retire) who worked in 1952 but not in the following year; employees in active service at end of year are those who work in a year and in the year following; new entrants are employees with no previous railroad service; and reentrants are those who returned to railroad service after an absence of at least 1 calendar year. Detail may not add to totals because of rounding. Data based on 4-percent sample. Source: Office of Director of Research, U. S. Railroad Retirement Board, Apr. 7, 1955. |