The Washington herald., 1918-10-28
WAGE INCREASE
FOR SHIPYARDS
Uniform Rate Announced
for Country of 80 Cents
for Basic Crafts.

\ new national wage scale for
shipyards was announced yesterday
by the ShipbuiIding Adjustment
Board tthe Macy bosrd) with a
sharp increase for the men. in all
parts of the country. The basic
crafts are granted so cents an hour.
Previously on the Pacific Coast
these crafts had received s6.25 a
day, or 65ss cents an hour, and on
the Atlantic 20 cents.
The board reached the new ma
tionsl wage figure by computing the
increase in the cost of living since
the scale was last fixed and adding
1t to the existing scale. The in
creased cost of living on the Pa
cific from October. 1917. to October.
1918, according to the Bureau OF
Statistics of the Department of La
Dor. was 20 per cent. Applying this
10 the s5.25 basic crafts. the wage
would become $3.50 or rs "a cents
an hour
During the same period the aver
age increase in the cost of living in
shipbuilding centers on the Atlantic,
Gulf and Great Lakes was Is per
cent Added to the 70-cent wage
base. this would make the new fg-
ure S0I5 cents. The Board averaged
the two at so cents to get a national
hgure. This is substantially above
the wages paid the same crafts out
side OF shipyards.
Various Rates for Others.
However. these same percentag ges
of increase have not been applied to
lsborers. nor to all classes of skilled
mechanics. The board fixed differ
ent rates of wages for laborers and
common laborers in the three dis
tTicts. Pacific Coast, North Atlantic
and Great Lakes. and South At
lantic and Gulf. allowing increases
Ito those on whom the burden of
rising costs of living falls most
heavily. as much or more than is re-
quired by a strict application of the
increase in cost of living reported
by the Bureau of Labor Statistics"
Also the board decided it was not
wise "te apply this entire increase in
the cost of living to occupations al
ready above the base rate of the scale
for the skilled trades" as in the case
of the crane operators in Seattle and
Portland. who had already received a
10 per cent increase in December,
though the original award of SIS had
been adhered to in San Francisco and
Los Angeles.
The lowest wage provided is Ss cents
an hour, for passer boys in the West
and for passers in the South Atlantic
and Gulf. The highest award is to
the heavy forgers. who draw Sl.iS
throughout the country.
Retroactive on Csnst.
The award is from October |. ex-
cept on the Pacific Coast, where it is
retroactive to August l. at which time
it was promised the Coast workers.
Working conditions and overtime
regulations remain as at present in
the various districts. until the Presi-
dent issues his proclams ton putting
in effect the Frankfurter committees
recommendations, when the terms of
that proclamation will supe-cede ex-
listing regulations.
The board orders semi-annual re-
adjustments of wages on a basis of
increased cost of living each October
and April l. and orders such yards
as have no contracts with the unions
of which their workmen are mem
bers TO permit the organization of
shop committees representing both
men and employers, to settle yard
grievances me men are to elect
their own representatives free from
company interference.
The companies operating open-shop
yards are guaranteed a continuance
of Sopen-shop conditions, while all
workmen are pledged their right to
Join unions without company inter-
ference or discrimination.
Frankfurter Board Asserts.
The award of the Macy board Is
Joined in by the Conference OF Ma
tional Labor Adjusting Agencies,
which is the corellating body of the
government in fixing wage scales.
otherwise known as the Frankfurter
committee. Its approval is unani-
nous except In the matter of semi
annual readjustments, where W. It.
Taylor, representing the Railroad Ad-
ministration. excepted.
Tho award comes in time TO prevent
a critical situation in Pacific Coast
wards, where the existing wage
agreement had expired. and compile
CONTINUED ON PAGE THHKE