The labor world. [volume] (Duluth, Minn.) 1896-current, 1918-07-20

that the basic eight-hOur day shall
,pply in the plant of the Worthington
Pump & Machinery company at East
Cambridge, Mass, and at the Snow
plant at Buffalo.
In this case, Loyal A. Osborne and
Fred Hewitt, representing the en-
ployer and labor elements of the
board, respectively, tried to adjust
- dispute which concerned both wages
and the basic Workday. The wage
increase was readily agreed upon.
Rates established at East Cambridge
ranged fsom 46 cents for helpers to
72 cents an hour for toolmakers and
first-class machinists. But Osborne
and Hewitt disagreed on the eight
hour rule, since the company was OPP
on sub-contract work for the
government.
Secretary of the Navy Daniels in
formed the War Labor board that the
production of U-boat destroyers
would be hindered if these two plants
stopped work and for that reason the
board voted, upon motion by Frank
p. Walsh, one of the joint chairmen,
that the basic eight-hour day should
be established Immediately in both
places. A special suggestion by Sec
retary Daniels that he favored the in
stallation of the basic eight-hour day
in all plants doing work for the navy,
FASTENED this action. It also helped
to bring the decision that the whole
question of the basic workday shall
=be settled thi smonth.
In order to safeguard the navy de-
partment against and further friction
in the Worthington Pump company
case, the board retained full jurisdic-
ion over it, and sent an examiner to
East Cambridge to see that time-and-
a-half rates be paid for all overtime,
pending the final and general deci-
ion on the basic workday.
If these vitality important standards
1ave now been Indicated, and are to
oe duly established when the National
War Labor board meets on July 23,
hen it is time to call attention to the
act that the government has formed
mother body-the War Labor Poll
lies board-Which is to apply these
standards to all Of the war industries,
regardless of whether the employees
n those industries shall go through
he various steps of bringing an in
lustrial dispute to Washington. The
Var Labor board, headed by Messrs.
-aft and Wash, has been established
$ supreme court of Industrial dis
-'utes. The War Labor Policies
'oard, representing the government
departments that are struggling with
var labor administration; has been
stabl1shed to compel war contractors,
9 we'll as to bring the government de-
'artments to abide by uniform con-
.itions as to wages, hours and other
erms OF employment. It cannot en-
-orce wage which is below the min
mum which will be fixed by the Taft
Walsh board. 1t will, on the other
and, force thousands Of small and
1g contractors to pay that minimum
7age. At least, that is it's purpose.
An unfortunate result of the tenn
orary absence Of Mr.. Taft has been
he action of his proxy, Mr.. Judson,
voting with the five employers on
he War Labor board against any
consideration of the case of the steel
'orkers in the Birmingham. district.
he six who voted against the action
eclared that the strike had been bro
en-, and that there was no. dispute
sft for settlement. Mr.. Walsh and
ne five labor members voted in favor
taking up the original dispute.
hey lost, on the tie vote.