GOVERNMENT

tlt

Storage

ALLOTMENT AND ASSIGNMENT OF PAY TO COVER

14 THE GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE

.1' mho 

6 /41965

N HEARING

BEFORE THE

rco; COMMITTEE ON CIVIL SERVICE

OF THE

COMMITTEE ON

OFFICE AND CIVIL SERVICE

.,SE OF REPRESENTATIVES

EIGHTY-NINTH CONGRESS

FIRST SESSION

ON

H.R. 1732

A BILL TO EXTEND THE ACT OF SEPTEMBER 26, 1961, RELATING TO ALLOTMENT AND ASSIGNMENT OF PAY, TO COVER

THE GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE, AND FOR OTHER

PURPOSES

MAY 11, 1965

Printed for the use of the

Committee on Post Office and Civil Service

*

U.S. GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE

17-817 WASHINGTON: 1965
OA- CI

•

ea

a. r " • ••

14;1

COMMITTEE ON POST OFFICE AND CIVIL SERVICE

TOM MURRAY, Tennessee, Chairman

JAMES H. MORRISON, Louisiana

THADDEUS I. DULSKI, New York

DAVID N. HENDERSON, North Carolina

ARNOLD OLSEN, Montana

MORRIS K. UDALL, Arizona

DOMINICK V. DANIELS, New Jersey

LINDLEY l3ECKWORTH, Texas

HARLEy p. STAGGERS, West Virginia

ROBERT N. C. NIX, Pennsylvania

JOE R. POOL, Texas

WILLIAM J. GREEN, Pennsylvania

SPARK M. MATSUNAGA, Hawaii

PAUL J. KREBS, New Jersey

RAYMOND F. CLEVENGER, Michigan

JAMES M. HANLEY, New York

JOHN V. TUNNEY, California

CHARLES E JOHNSON, Staff Director

B. BENTON BRAY, ASsociate Staff Director

JOHN H. MARTINY, Counsel

WILLIAM A. IRVINE, Assistant Staff Director

ROBERT J. CORBETT, Pennsylvania

H. R. GROSS, Iowa

- GLENN CUNNINGHAM, Nebraska

EDWARD J. DERWINSKI, Illinois

ROBERT F. ELLSWORTH, Kansas

ALBERT W. JOHNSON, Pennsylvania

JOHN H. BUCHANAN, JR., Alabama

JAMES T. BROYHILL, North Carolina

SUBCOMMITTEE ON CIVIL SERVICE

LINDLEY BECKWORTH, Texas, Chairman

THADDEUS J. DULSKI, New York

ROBERT N. C. NIX, Pennsylvania

WILLIAM J. GREEN, Pennsylvania

SPARK M. MATSUNA GA, Hawaii

RAYMOND P. CLEVENGER, Michigan

Ex Officio Voting Members

TOM MURRAY, Tennessee ROBERT J; CORBETT, Pennsylvania

TT

ALBERT W. JOHNSON, Pennsylvania

ROBERT F. ELLSWORTH, Kansas

JAMES T. BROYHILL, North Carolina
4

CONTENTS

Statement of—

Epstein, Simon R., Acting Deputy Controller, Government Printing rase

Office 3

Griner, John, president, American Federation of Government Employees 7

Leich, Harold H., Chief, Program Planning Division, Bureau of

Programs and Standards, Civil Service Commission 4

Long, John J. legislative representative, International Printing

Pressmen and Assistants Union of North America 9

Manbeck, Jesse, president, Columbia Typographical Union No. 101;

accompanied by John R. Evans, vice president, and Joseph Leftwich,

member of the legislative committee 5

McCart, John A., operations director, Government Employes'

Council 

Reed, James, legislative assistant to Hon. Carlton Sickles, a Representative in Congress from the State of Maryland 2

ALLOTMENT AND ASSIGNMENT OF PAY TO COVER

THE GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE

TUESDAY, MAY 11, 1965

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES,

SUBCOMMITTEE ON CIVIL SERVICE OF THE

COMMITTEE ON POST OFFICE AND CIVIL SERVICE,

Washington, D.C.

The subcommittee met, pursuant to notice, at 10 a.m., in room 215,

Cannon House Office Building, Hon. Lindley Beckworth (chairman

of the subcommittee) presiding.

Mr. BECKWORTH. The subcommittee will come to order.

The Subcommittee on Civil Service is bolding hearings today on

H.R. 1732, sponsored by Representative Carlton R. Sickles. The

purpose of this legislation is to include employees of the Government

Printing Office within the provisions of the Act of September 26,

1961, Public Law 87-304 (5 U.S.C. 3071-3078), which authorizes

(1) the voluntary allotment and assignment of compensation for

payment of such items as deemed appropriate by the head of the

department, and (2) the payment of compensation and allowances

when emergency evacuation has been ordered.

An identical bill, H.R. 8827, was reported to the House of Representatives last year but was not passed.

The two major types of allotments which have been authorized by

the Civil Service Commission, to which the Presidential authority was

delegated by Executive Order 10982, are allotments for payment of

State income taxes when the employee is employed outside of a State

in which he is required to pay State income taxes. Payroll allotments

for payment of State income taxes for most Federal employees who

are employed within the State in which they pay State income taxes

are covered by the act of September 23, 1959, Public Law 87-371

(5 U.S.C. 84b).

There was no objection on our committee to enactment of the legislation last year, and no objection has been presented to the committee

to enactment of H.R. 1732, the bill currently pending before our

subcommittee.

(The bill H.R. 1732 follows:)

[H.R. 1732, 89th Cong., 1st sess.]

A BILL To extend the Act of September 26, 1961, relating to allotment and assignment of pay, to cover

the Government Printing Office, and for other purposes

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of

America in Congress assembled, That paragraph (1) of the first section of the Act

entitled "An Act to authorize pay with respect to civilian employees of the United

States in cases of emergency evacuations, to consolidate the laws governing allot1
2 ALLOTMENT AND ASSIGNMENT OF PAY TO COVER THE GPO

ment and assignment of pay by such employees, and for other purposes", approved

September 26, 1961 (75 Stat. 662; 5 U.S.C. 3071), is amended—

(1) by striking out the word "and" immediately following "(F) the

Library of Congress;";

(2) by adding

"(G) the Government Printing Office; and" immediately below

"(F) the Library of Congress;"; and

(3) by striking out "(G)" and inserting in lieu thereof "(H))".

Mr. Du',sic' (acting chairman). Our first witness is Mr. James

Reed, legislative assistant to Congressman Sickles.

Mr. Reed.

STATEMENT OF JAMES REED, LEGISLATIVE ASSISTANT TO HON.

CARLTON SICKLES OF MARYLAND

Mr. REED. Good morning, Mr. Chairman. I am Jim Reed, legislative assistant to Carlton Sickles.

The Congressman had to attend two subcommittees this morning,

both having executive sessions, marking up different bills. He

regretted the fact that he was not able to be here but he wanted to have

a letter written to Chairman Murray incorporated to make the

strongest possible support for this legislation.

Mr. DuLsKi. Do you have the letter here?

Mr. REED. Yes.

Mr. DuLsm. If there is no objection it will become part of the

record.

I know the Congressman is very much interested and that he would

like to be here. I am happy to see him represented.

(The letter referred to follows:)

CONGRESS OF THE UNITED STATES,

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES,

Washington, D.C., May 11, 1965.

HON. Tom MURRAY,

Chairman, House Post Office and Civil Service Committee,

213 Cannon House Office Building, Washington, D.C.

DEAR MR. CHAIRMAN: I am very pleased that a hearing has been scheduled on

May 11th, to consider H. R. 1732 which would amend the act of September 26,

1961, Public Law 87-34, to include employees of the Government Printing Office

within its provisions.

This bill is identical to H. R. 8827, which was favorably reported by the Committee on Post Office and Civil Service in the 88th Congress. Unfortunately,

time ran out on this legislation in the 88th Congress. I would hope that early

favorable action by the committee will enable H. R. 1732 to become law this year.

The practical effect of this legislation is to extend to the employees of the

Government Printing Office the benefits most other Federal employees have regarding voluntary assignment and allotment of their salary for payment of items

deemed appropriate by the Public Printer and the payment of compensation

and allowances when emergency evacuation has been ordered.

I know of no opposition to this legislation. It is my understanding that the

allotments authorized by the Public Printer under the authority of this bill can

be programed on existing electronic payroll equipment without any material

increase in cost.

H.R. 1732 has been endorsed in principle by the Honorable Louis Goldstein,

Comptroller of the Treasury of the State of Maryland, because of its relation to the

collection of Maryland State income taxes.

I hope that the committee will take favorable action on this legislation and

I would appreciate it if you could include this letter in the hearings.

With best wishes.

Very sincerely,

CARLTON R. SICKLES,

Member of Congress.
ALLOTMENT AND ASSIGNMENT OF PAY TO COVER THE GPO 3

Mr. DULSKI. Our next witness is Mr. Simon R. Epstein, Acting

Deputy Controller, Government Printing Office.

STATEMENT OF SIMON R. EPSTEIN, ACTING DEPUTY

CONTROLLER, GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE

Mr. EPSTEIN. Mr. Chairman and members of the subcommittee,

I am appearing before this committee in behalf of the Public Printer,

in order to furnish a statement of the views of the Government Printing Office relative to H.R. 1732. This bill proposes the extension of

the act of September 26, 1961, relating to allotment and assignment

of pay, to cover the Government Printing Office.

We did not take any action to implement the provisions of Public

Law 87-304 since it did not name the Government Printing Office

as one of the agencies affected. However, when it was ruled by the

Comptroller General that this act would cover the authorization for

allotment and assignment of pay by employees for other than emergency evacuation purposes, we requested a decision from the General

Accounting Office concerning the possible effect on the Government

Printing Office. On August 8, 1963, the Comptroller General ruled

that, since the Government Printing Office is not specifically mentioned,

it is not one of the departments covered by this act; and secondly,

since regulations or orders issued pursuant to the authority granted

by the act cannot have a greater scope than that authorized by the

act, it follows that the Government Printing Office is not subject to

any such regulations or orders. Therefore, no action was taken by the

Government Printing Office to implement the act.

If the Congress approves bringing the Government Printing Office

under this act, it will require some additional work to provide the

necessary accounting for the allotments and assignments of pay

authorized. However, in view of the fact that the passage of this legislation will place the Government Printing Office in a comparable position to other Federal Government agencies with respect to payroll

allotments, the Public Printer is in favor of this bill.

I have letters dated February 4 and May 6, 1965, to Chairman

Murray from the Public Printer setting forth his views on this

subject.

Mr. DuLsKi. You can have these inserted as part of the record,

without objection.

(The letters referred to follow:)

U.S. GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE,

Washington, D.C., February 4, 1965.

Hon. Tom MURRAY,

Chairman, Committee on Post Office and Civil Service,

House of Representatives, Washington, D.C.

DEAR MR. CHAIRMAN: III accordance with your request of January 28, 1965,

I am furnishing in triplicate comments on H.R. 1732 to extend the act of September 26, 1961, relating to allotment and assignment of pay, to cover the Government

Printing Office, and for other purposes.

I am pleased to report that I have no objection to passage of the above bill,

as it will place the Government Printing Office within the same provisions of the

law as other agencies of the Federal Government in this respect.

I am also attaching the statement of Harry J. Humphrey, Deputy Comptroller,

contained in the hearing before your committee on May 12, 1964, previously

reporting on the position of this Office.

Sincerely yours,

JAMES L. HARRISON, Public Printer.
4 ALLOTMENT AND ASSIGNMENT OF PAY TO COVER THE GPO

U.S. GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE,

Washington, D.C., May 6, 1965.

Hon. Tom MURRAY,

Chairman, Committee on Post Office and Civil Service, House of Representatives,

Washington, D.C.

DEAR MR. CHAIRMAN: The act of September 26, 1961, relating to the allotment and assignment of pay, would be extended to the Government Printing

Office by the enactment into law of H.R. 1732. This would authorize the Government Printing Office to enter into agreements with the States of Maryland and

Virginia to withhold State income taxes from the salaries and wages of our employees who reside in these jurisdictions. As you know, they are not presently

covered by legislation permitting them to voluntarily make this election.

The Government Printing Office employees who live in the District of Columbia

do have the District of Columbia income taxes withheld from their pay. The

proposed legislation would extend this service to our employees who reside in

Maryland and Virginia. Many of them have requested the Office to furnish this

convenience.

In view of the fact that the passage of this legislation will place the Government

Printing Office in a comparable position to other Federal Government agencies

with respect to payroll allotments, I am in favor of this bill.

Sincerely yours,

JAMES L. HARRISON, Public Printer.

Mr. DULSKI. Do you have any questions?

Mr. MATSTJNAGA. NO questions.

Mr. BECKWORTH. Our next witness is Mr. Harold H. Leich, Chief,

Program Planning Division, Bureau of Programs and Standards,

U.S. Civil Service Commission.

STATEMENT OF HAROLD H. LE1CH, CHIEF, PROGRAM PLANNING

DIVISION, BUREAU OF PROGRAMS AND STANDARDS, CIVIL

SERVICE COMMISSION

Mr. LEICH. Mr. Chairman and members of the subcommittee, I

appreciate this opportunity of appearing before you in order to

present our views on H.R. 1732, introduced by Congressman Sickles.

H.R. 1732 is designed to bring the Government Printing Office

within the purview of the act, Public Law 87-304, relating to emergency evacuations and allotment and assignment.

On March 23, 1965, Chairman John W. Macy, Jr., of the Civil

Service Commission, sent a letter to Tom Murray, chairman, Committee on Post Office and Civil Service, setting forth the Commission's

views.

If appropriate, Mr. Chairman, I suggest that this letter be made a

part of the record of this hearing.

We have no objection to coverage under Public Law 87-304. The

executive and judicial branches, as well as the District government,

are now covered, and so is the Library of Congress in the legislative

branch. Therefore, it would seem appropriate the Government

Printing Office should be covered as well.

I should point out, Mr. Chairman, the regulations and procedures

established under this authority by departments and agencies in the

executive branch issued pursuant to section 6 of the act and Executive

Order 10982 must be consistent with regulations of the Civil Service

Commission. The General Accounting Office, of course, is not

covered by Executive Order 10982, and, similarly, the Government

Printing Office would not.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman, for this opportunity.
ALLOTMENT AND ASSIGNMENT OF PAY TO COVER THE GPO 5

Mr. DULSKI. We were very happy to have you.

Mr. Matsunaga?

Mr. MATSUNAGA. Will there be no additional cost to the Government?

Mr. LEIGH. So far as I know, in the Government Printing Office

the Civil Service Commission would not have jurisdiction.

(The letter referred to follows:)

U.S. CIVIL SERVICE COMMISSION,

Washington, D.C., March 23, 1965.

Hon. Told MURRAY,

Chairman, Committee on Post Office and Civil Service,

House of Representatives,

Room 213, Cannon House Office Building.

DEAR MR. CHAIRMAN: This is in further reply to your request of January 28,

1965, for the Commission's views on H.R. 1732, which would bring the Government Printing Office within the purview of the act of September 26, 1961, relating

to allotment and assignment of pay and other matters.

The act of September 26, 1961 (Public Law 87-304), authorizes the head of each

department covered by the act to provide for the continuance and advancement of

pay to its civilian employees in cases of emergency evacuations, and to provide for

allotments and assignments of pay by such employees. This act now applies to

all departments and agencies in the executive and judicial branches, to the

municipal government of the District of Columbia, and to the General Accounting

Office and the Library of Congress in the legislative branch. H.R. 1732 would

extend the authority provided by this act to the Government Printing Office.

The authority to the head of each department under the act of September 26,

1961, to provide for evacuation payments and allotments and assignment of pay

is permissive. However, the regulations and procedures established under this

authority by departments in the executive branch must be consistent with regulations of the Civil Service Commission issued pursuant to section 6 of the act and

Executive Order 10982. If included within the purview of the act, the Government Printing Office, not being in the executive branch, would not be subject to

the Commission's regulations.

The Commission sees no objection to the enactment of legislation such as

proposed in H.R. 1732 to bring the Government Printing Office within the purview

of the act of September 26, 1961.

The Bureau of the Budget advises that from the standpoint of the administration's program there is no objection to the submission of this report.

By direction of the Commission:

Sincerely yours,

JOHN W. MACY. Jr., Chairman.

Mr. DULSKI. Our next witness is Mr. Jesse Manbeck, president,

Columbia Typographical Union No. 101.

STATEMENT OF JESSE MANBECK, PRESIDENT, COLUMBIA

TYPOGRAPHICAL UNION NO. 101

Mr. MANBECK. Good morning, Mr. Chairman. My name is

Jesse B. Manbeck. I am president of Columbia Typographical

Union, No. 101. I wish to testify in favor of H.R. 1732.

The union of which I am president has about 1,500 members

working in the Government Printing Office who, through an oversight

in the original bill passed by Congress, do not have their Maryland

or Virginia State income taxes withheld through the payroll deduction

plan. This bill, which is an amendment to the original bill on payroll

deductions, will allow the Government Printing Office to make the

same deductions as is now done by all other Government departments

and agencies if the employee so desires. It is my understanding that

the officials of the Government Printing Office have no objection to

the purposes of this bill.
6 ALLOTMENT AND ASSIGNMENT OF PAY TO COVER THE GPO

I know you gentlemen realize that it is a much simpler and convenient procedure to have your State income tax deducted through the

payroll withholding plan as you get paid than to be faced with a

lump-sum payment either quarterly or annually. It is a valid procedure to ease the impact on these workers.

You gentlemen can also realize that the charity drives that are

conducted each year throughout the Government departments and

agencies also use the payroll deduction plan for collection of the

pledges, instead of individually billing by the charity organizations.

I may point out at this time that the employees of the Government

Printing Office who signed pledges in November 1964 for the United

Givers Fund have as yet to receive statements from that organization.

Although this bill would allow the deduction of union dues by the

Government Printing Office, I wish to state emphatically that

Columbia Typographical Union No. 101 does not seek or request the

Government Printing Office officials to collect union dues from its

members through the process of payroll deductions.

To recapitulate, our union's position on this bill is: (1) That our

members desire to have the opportunity to pay their Maryland and

Virginia State income taxes through the use of payroll deduction

procedure by the Government Printing Office, the same right now

afforded all other Government employees; (2) our charity organizations deducted by the use of payroll deductions; and (3) I wish to be

very emphatic that Columbia Typographical Union No. 101 does not,

nor will we, ask the Government Printing Office to deduct any union

dues from our members through the payroll deduction process.

I would like to read—The employees in private industry—the

largest private industry in Washington is the printing industry, $50

million annual income—it is agreed employers will withhold from

wages—tax on income. We are seeking equal opportunity for the

Government Printing Office to do the same thing our members

downtown are doing for the private employee.

I thank you for giving me this opportunity to appear before you

and express the views of America's oldest labor union on this important bill. We are sure it was intended that our members not be

discriminated against in this matter, but they have been denied the

same opportunity already afforded all other Federal employees.

Mr. DULSKI. You were very emphatic about union dues deductions.

Mr. MANBECK. We do not permit a dues checkoff, and we never

have.

Mr. DULSKI. Is there a reason for it?

Mr. MANBECK. I suppose it is steeped in ancient history. We

have always made a practice of not asking any favors of employers

and we are still operating like that. Anything that won't be put in

the contract we will do ourselves. We collect the dues ourselves.

Mr. DULSKI. The reason I am asking: A man who is a member of

your organization takes part in the training program throughout the

country.

Mr. MANBECK. Our training costs are about $600,000. Our members are trained in any new process coming in so they will be prepared

to do the work.

Mr. Du',sm. Thank you very much.

Mr. MANBECK. Thank you.

Mr. DULSKI. Our next witness is Mr. John McCart, Operations

Director, Government Employes' Council.
ALLOTMENT AND ASSIGNMENT OF PAY TO COVER THE GPO 7

STATEMENT OF JOHN A. McCART, OPERATIONS DIRECTOR,

GOVERNMENT EMPLOYES' COUNCIL

Mr. MCCART. Mr. Chairman and members of the subcommittee,

the Government Employes' Council representing 31 AFL—CTO unions

with members in the Federal service, including the Government

Printing Office, endorses H.R. 1732.

Introduced by Representative Carlton R. Sickles, the bill authorizes

the Public Printer to utilize payroll deduction for State income taxes

and union dues at the request of employees.

The Council desires to express its appreciation to the sponsor of the

measure and to you and your colleagues on the subcommittee for

arranging this hearing.

The purpose of the pending legislation is to extend to Government

Printing Office employees the same opportunity which now exists in

other Federal agencies for employees to designate withholding State

income tax levies and union dues from their pay. On the part of both

the Public Printer and the individual employees involved, the action

would be voluntary.

In the case of union dues, agreement would have to be reached

between unions and management at the Government Printing Office

to apply the payroll withholding process. Following such agreement,

the individual employee would still exercise the option of having his

dues deducted or not.

In effect, the bill under consideration simply extends to the Government Printing Office the 1961 statute (Public Law 87-304) approved by the House Post Office and Civil Service Committee. That

law prescribed the conditions under which Federal workers generally

and the Federal Government may allot and assign their pay. It

served as the basis for the executive branch policy permitting

voluntary payroll withholding of union dues.

We urge that the subcommittee approve the legislation at an early

date.

Mr. D uLsKi. Thank you very much.

Mr. Matsunaga.

Mr. MATSUNAGA. NO questions.

Mr. DuLsKi. Mr. John Griner, president, American Federation of

Government Employees.

STATEMENT OF JOHN GRINER, PRESIDENT, AMERICAN

FEDERATION OF GOVERNMENT EMPLOYEES

Mr. GRINER. Mr. Chairman and members of the subcommittee,

my name is John Griner. The American Federation of Government

Employees, I believe, has the largest membership in the Government

Printing Office, other than the Typographical Union of any other union.

I have a statement which I wish to file this morning. I don't want

to take up the time of the committee. I would like to say though that

we wholeheartedly are in favor of H.R. 1732.

We believe that if this legislation is enacted it will place the Government Printing Office in the same position as other Government

agencies. We do not know, nor can we find out, any reason why

this particular establishment of Government was left out of the original legislation, Public Law 87-304.
8 ALLOTMENT AND ASSIGNMENT OF PAY TO COVER THE GPO

I am going to have to express an opinion regarding dues deduction

because the gentleman who represented the Typographical Union

said they did not want dues deductions and he indicated the only

reason he knew of, it would place something under obligation to the

employer. Of course, that is a provision in their constitution which

prohibits dues deduction and, therefore, that is the only position

they could take. We do not feel we are placing ourselves under

obligations to the Government or any other employer by asking for

dues deduction because the actual cost of that dues deduction is

charged back against the union.

The Civil Service Commission representative pointed out it is

possible that the Civil Service Commission would have no authority

in this respect because it is not in the executive branch of Government. I am sure a central arrangement can be worked out with the

Government Printing Office that has been worked out with the executive branch of Government. There is a 2 cents per item for dues

deduction which is charged back against the union.

The Commission agreed at the time this was established—agreed

they represented the employees' organizations within the Government—that that would cover the cost.

We have several hundred members in the field establishments of

the Government Printing Office scattered throughout the United

States as well as the District of Columbia. We also would like to

have the employees of those establishments given this same right

to have their taxes and State taxes deducted, as given to other employees of the installations of Government.

Again, Mr. Chairman, I would like to say we are heartily in favor

of this legislation. We need it for the dues deduction as well as the

deduction of State taxes, and I appreciate the opportunity of appearing before you.

Thank you very much.

Mr. DULSKI. Thank you. Your statement will be placed in the

record.

(The statement follows)

PREPARED STATEMENT OF THE AMERICAN FEDERATION OF GOVERNMENT

EMPLOYEES

The American Federation of Government Employees wholeheartedly supports

the bill H.R. 1732 because it will remedy the omission of the Government Printing

Office from the law which provided the basic legislative authority for voluntary

allotments by Federal employees.

That law, the act of September 26, 1961 (Public Law 87-304), was recognized

as the statutory authority for allotments for such purposes as State income taxes

and union dues. Authority for allotment for union dues was affirmed specifically

in a decision of the Comptroller General to Chairman John W. Macy of the Civil

Service Commission dated January 7, 1963 (B-40342 and B-132133). Another

decision (B-104553) was rendered June 4, 1963, construing the statute to be

authority also for the withholding of State income taxes.

Once Public Law 87-304 was recognized as the statute authorizing withholding

from the pay of Federal.employees of sums for various purposes, the question then

arose as to the scope of coverage of the law. Was it Government-wide in its

application or, in the case of the legislative branch, did it relate only to those

agencies specifically enumerated?

It seemed plain that section 1 applied the law to. "each executive department

of the Government of the United States of America" as well as to "each agency

and independent establishment" and to "each corporation wholly owned or

controlled by such Government." The judicial branch and the government

of the District of Columbia were both specifically named in their entirety, but
ALLOTMENT AND ASSIGNMENT OF PAY TO COVER THE GPO 9

the act still failed to indicate blanket coverage of the legislative branch as a

whole. Reference was made only to two agencies of that branch—the General

Accounting Office and the Library of Congress.

The report on the bill H.R. 2555, which became Public Law 87-304, indicated

the desire of Congress that the regulations of departments outside the executive

branch conform "as nearly as practicable to the presidential regulations." however, the report contained no comment on the extent of coverage of the lerislative

branch. The Government Printing Office was not specifically mentioned in the

act. Since there were references to two other le,;islative agencies, it was necessary for the Public Printer as the head of the GPO to request a decision by the

Comptroller General.

The Public Printer posed two questions in his letter of request to the Comptroller General, and the answers given by that official ruled out the coverar.e of the

GPO by the act of 1961. The decision was handed down August 8, 1963.

To the first question: Is the Government Printing Office included in the law,

though not specifically mentioned, the answer was as follows:

"Section 1 of the act does not generally include the le,islative branch of which

the Government Printing Office is a part, in defining the 'departments' covered

by the act. Therefore, since the Government Printing Office is not specifically

mentioned, it is not one of the departments covered by the act."

A ne,:ative answer also was given to the secoad question: If it is not included,

is it subject to any regulations or orders issued under authority of Public Law

87-304? The answer was as follows:

"Secondly, since regulations or orders issued pursuant to the authority granted

by the act, it follows that the Government Printing Office is not subject to any

such regulations or orders."

This affirmation by the Comptroller General of the exclusion of the Government

Printing Office from the benefit of the law has made the enactment of such a

measure as H.R. 1732 necessary. Since it is the only agency not covered, the

extension of coverage to the GPO would insure uniformity of application of this

law throurhout the Government service.

There are more than 7,000 employees of the Government Printing Office, so

that there is a sizable group of employees who are presently excluded from the

benefits of making voluntary allotments from their pay as a matter of personal

convenience. Inasmuch as there are many members of the AFGE employed by

the GPO, we are urrirm the subcommittee to act favorably on H.R. 1732.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman, for permitting us to submit this statement.

Mr. GRINER. We tried to explain this cost for the congressional

budget. It is not something the Government pays for; we pay for

it. Thank you very much.

Mr. DuLsKi. The next witness is Mr. John J. Long, legislative

representative, International Printing Pressmen and Assistants Union

of North America.

STATEMENT OF JOHN J. LONG, LEGISLATIVE REPRESENTATIVE,

INTERNATIONAL PRINTING PRESSMEN AND ASSISTANTS UNION

OF NORTH AMERICA

Mr. LONG. Mr. Chairman and members of the subcommittee, my

name is John J. Long, legislative representative for the International

Printing Pressmen's Union, AFL—CIO.

Thank you for this opportunity to appear before your committee.

The International Printing Pressmen's Union, AFL—CIO, the largest

union in the graphics arts industry, represents over 100,000 members

in our 50 States.

We wish to endorse H.R. 1732, introduced by Congressman Sickles,

to authorize the Public Printer to utilize the payroll deduction for

State income taxes and union dues at the request of the employees.

This bill would extend to the Government Printing Office employees the same opportunity which now exists in other Federal agencies

for our members to designate withholding State income tax levies and

union dues from their pay. This would be a voluntary action on

the part of the Public Printer and the individual employees involved.
10 ALLOTMENT AND ASSIGNMENT OF PAY TO COVER THE GPO

Agreement would have to be reached between the unions and

management at the Government Printing Office to apply the payroll

withholding process. Following such agreement, the individual

would still have the option of having his dues deducted or not.

This bill would extend'to the Government Printing Office the 1961

statute, Public Law 87-304, approved by the House Post Office and

Civil Service Committee. That law prescribed the conditions under

which Federal workers and the Government may allot and assign

their pay. It served as the basis for the executive department's

policy permitting voluntary payroll withholding of union dues, which

we hope that you will soon extend to the 700 members of our international union who are employed in the Government Printing Office.

• I would like to add, Mr. Chairman, we have both skilled and unskilled, and we are anxious to have the payroll deduction.

I agree with Mr. Griner some of our people in the GPO are semiskilled and skilled, and we believe it is necessary.

Mr. Du',sm. Any questions?

Mr. MATSITNAGA. NO questions.

Mr. LONG. Thank you.

Mr. DuLsKr. This concludes the public hearing on H.R. 1732.

The meeting stands adjourned.

(Thereupon, at 10:45 a.m. the hearing was adjourned.)

0
- .