1908 - Wholesale Layoff of Men

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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