individual employee. This report has reference only to the minimum rates of wages and maximum number of hours which have been established in the various organized trades, and does not purport to show the extent to which there may be individual variations from the established scales. Time-rates are calculated in various ways, but generally by the hour, day, or week. Thus, in the building trades, the wages are generally calculated by the hour, while in most mills and factories a weekly rate prevails. In this report the rate or unit shown is that reported by the union to this Bureau. In some cases the organizations have returned a rate per hour, day, and week, as well as an overtime and a Sunday rate, thus indicating that each rate has been established among their members. In other cases a rate for only one period has been returned, i.e., for an hour or for a day, and in such cases only the rate returned has been entered in this report, for the reason that the daily or weekly rates may not, in many instances, be computed accurately on the basis of the hourly rates. Frequently the agreements between employers and labor organizations contain clauses to the effect that workmen after commencing work shall be paid for at least one-half day even though the hours actually worked may amount to less than one-half day. The preparation of this report has involved much correspondence with the officers of the various labor organizations in this Commonwealth and also a considerable amount of field work on the part of representatives of this Bureau. To some extent, also, it has been necessary to confer with employers in order to supplement or confirm the data obtained from trade union officials. A spirit of hearty co-operation has been generally manifested by those whom it has been necessary to consult and the Bureau wishes, hereby, to express its appreciation of the assistance so cheerfully rendered. 1 The symbols used throughout this presentation in the columns headed "Overtime" signify as follows: Reg. =Regular Time; 1 T.-Time and one-fourth; 11⁄2 T.-Time and one-half; 2 T.- Double Time; 3 T.=Triple Time. * Repairing old boilers, double time; other work, time and one-half. Saturday from 1 P.M. to 5 P.M., time and one-half; other overtime, double time. 1 If working out of the city, employees receive $3 a week for carfares and dinners. * Before 10 P.M., time and one-half; after 10 P.M., double time. 3 After 10 P.M. and on Saturday afternoons, double time; other overtime, time and one-half. Another scale for apprentices. On Sundays and Labor Day, triple time; on other holidays, double time. |