Denver labor bulletin., 1918-07-20
GIVEN TITLE OF EFFECT
I'VE EDGE OF THE LA
BOR MOVEMENT"
Secretary Daniels Places o. K.
on Eight-Hour Day for All
Naval Work; Policies Board
Fixes Standard for
Women Workers.
By LAURENCE TODD
Especial Representative The DeArer Labor
Rull In

Especial Representative The De-.rer Labor
Buiietin)
WASHINGTON, July 13.-A mini
mum wage for common labor of be-
tween As and so cents an hour is to be
fixed by the national war labor board
before the end of the present month
That is the meaning of the decision
rendered by the board in the case of
5000 employees in eight plants at
Waynesboro, Pa, this week, granting
them minimum rate of 40 cents an
asked a minimum of only 80 cents an
hour. Some of them had been get
ting % cents an hour, at the time
they went on strike.
This Waynesboro case sets the rule
for all cases which will come before
the board later, in which the minimum
wage for common labor is an issue.
The board announces that it now
has under consideration the question
of determining the living wage which,
under its principles, must be the min
imum rate of wage to permit the
worker and his family to subsist in
health and reasonable comfort Final
determination of the question was
made special order of business for
Tuesday, July 2S."
Minimum Rate Applied.
Hundreds of thousands of men are
working in war industries in the
United States today at less than 40
cents an hour. As fast as their griev-
ances are brought before the national
war labor board, whether separately
as common laborers or along with the
grievances of skilled and better-paid
men, the minimum wage rate will be
applied. The statement that the rate
to be fixed this month will be above
40 cents an hour is based upon the
known government figures as to the
cost of living in even the cheapest
of the industrial towns of the East.
How honestly the board is earning
the title of effective edge of the la
Dor movement" is illustrated further
by its decision to take up also, on
July 2S, the final consideration of the
question of the basic workday. In
the meantime it has made a temporary
decision that the basic eight-hour day
shall apply in the plant of the Worth
ington Pump and 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 in the
board, respectively, tried TO adjust a
dispute which concerned both wages
and the basic workday. The wage
increase was readily agreed upon.
Rates established at East Cambridge
ranged from 46 cents for helpers to
~ cents an hour for toolmakers and
first class machinists. But Osborne
and Hewitt disagreed on the eight
hour rule, since the company was op-
Grating on sub-contract work for the
government.
Eight-Hour Day for Navy.
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
installation of the basic eight-hour
day in all plants doing work for the
navy, hastened this action. 1t also
helped to bring the decision that the
whole question of the basic workday
shall be settled this month.
In order to safeguard the navy de-
partment against any further friction
in the Worthington Pump Company
case, the board retained full jurisdic-
ton over it, and sent an examiner to
East Cambridge to see that time and
a half rates be paid for all overtime,
tCsasinssA sa Psss Pear,