The Washington herald., 1918-06-29
WAR WORKERS
DEMAND WAGES
MATCH HOURS
Federal Employees Petition
Congress to Correct In
equitable Plan.
ASK INCREASE OF PAY
.ogertime Should Bring
Time and a Half, They
( Allege.
ASK INCREASE OF PAY

-.i Allege.
"Give US higher wage. II you in
crease our working day." ask the
Federal employees Of the Congress
that passed the Borland amendment
Wednesday.
A petition sent yesterday to swa-
gar Sherley. chairamn of the House
Committee on Appropriations, asked
that provision be made for extra
pay for extra work in the Urgent
Deficiency Bill now before the COM
mittee. and also points out the in
justices Of the Borland amendment.
The Federal Employees ask for a
fifteen per cent increase in their
present salaries. in compnsation for
the increased number OF hours and
for pay for work over the eight
hours and holiday and Sunday work,
at the rate Of one and q half times
the regular rate.
Unheard Of and Negotiable.
Any other course Of procedure
than that requested by the employees
Is stated by them in the petition as
unheard OF and inequitable.
The rate of pay is that allowed
by the Naval Appropriation Act of
March I. 1917. In this act. the Pres
ident. In case of national emer-
gency, Is allowed to suspend the
eight hour law. The wages paid for
such work In the time of national
are to be based on the
eight hour day, and all work IN ex-
cess OF those hours is to be paid at
the rate OF time and a half.
The petition also calls the attention
OF the House to the fact that the
eight-hour day and time and a half
Tor overtime Is the scale in all gov
ernment institutions. navy yard, ar
senals and shipbullding plants.
Employees Were Patriotic.
The employees suggest that they have
been most ready and willing to do
a great deal OF overtime work here
tofore, as a purely patriotic duty. The
action Of Congress In increasing The
OF hours to those Of an in
dustrial concern make them desirous
Of receiving the wages paid In such
places.
The petition follows: - -. =
I'm view Of the fact that CongreEs
has seen ft to increase the hours OF
work or government employees from
seeyn to eight In Section Of the
legislative appropriation bin for the
fiscal year 1913, we respectfully re-
quest that a provision be inserted in
the urgent deficiency bill now before
vnr1r RnNarT1iftaA
cent Increase In compensation on ac-
count Of this increase in hours, and
providing for pay for overtime work
in excess OF eight hours a day. and
for holiday and Sunday work. at one
and one-half times the regular rate.
Pay on Same Basis.
we do not believe that Congress
can under any conditions Justify an
increase in hours, without providing
a commensurate increase In compen-
sation. Such a procedure II unheard
Of and inequitable. The rate of pay
for overtime work requested Is that
which has been allowed by the naval
act Of March (, 1917, as
follows:
THAT. In case Of national emer-
gency, the President Is authorized to
suspend the provisions Of law pro-
more than eight hours labor
in any one day of persons engaged
upon work covered by contracts with
the United States;
Provided further, that the wages
Of persons employed upon such con-
tracts shall be computed on a basic
day rate OF eight hours work, with
overtime rates to be paid for at not
less than time and one-half for all
hours worked in excess of eight
hours
Allowed Elsewhere.
This same rate OF overtime is
Institutions, navy yards, ,arsenals and
shipbuilding plants, as it is allowed
in all contract work for the United
States.
These government employees have
not heretofore requested pay for
overtime work, as they were and
are ready and glad to perform dur
ing the war all necessary overtime
work required of them by the heads
Of the departments without pay
therefor. and as a purely patriotic
duty. The action of Congress. how
ever. in increasing their normal
hours from seven to eight a day
places their regular work day on a
par with the work day in indus
trial institutions. It is thereore
necessary for us to ask that our
condition with regard to pay for
overtime work also be placed on a
par with industrial Institutions.
-- For Urgent Bfu.
We make this request and here
by respectfully ask that a hearing
on this. matter be granted to us be-
fore the Urgent Deficiency bill is
disposed OF by your committee"
This petition was signed by Fl.
NJ. McLarin, president OF the Ma
tonal Federation of Federal EN-
ployes.
Letters and appeals in person
were carried yesterday to Presi-
dent Wilson, asking him to veto
the appropriations bill which car
ried with it the Borland amend
ment.
Samuel Gompers. president of the
American Federation Of Labor, also
sent letter to the President. call
ing his attention to the injustice
and unfairness of the bill
The National War Labor Board
of which former President Taft and
Frank P. Walsh are joint chairmen
has been requested by the clerks
unionfto intercede with the Presi-
dent S