Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1927-07-31
SOCIAL WAGE PLAN
IS UNION PROGRAM
President Green Explains
New Method of Aiding
Nations Workers.

Maintenance of the social position
of the wage Garner on par with that
OF other consumers is to he the basis
Of future wage levels in the policy
of the American Federation of Labor
under President William Green. Thus
higher social wage" as dis
| ting uished from higher money
wages" and higher real wages" be-
comes the watchword of the American
| Federation of Labor.
This standard for determining wage
| increases is set forth in a signed de
Claration" by President Green entitled,
| The Modern Wage Policy of the
American Federation of Labor" in the
August issue Of the American Fedora.
| ZIONIST, published yesterday.
Text Of Declaration.
This. declaration" reads as follows:
"One Of the chief tasks of organized
labor has always been to secure higher
| wages for workers. The struggle for
higher wages now enters it's third
| phase.
I'm the earliest period organized
labor struggled for higher money
wages. Instead of so per week, it
tried to secure S11 per week, and the
| next year perhaps Sl2.
"A second period in the wage
policy began as organized labor real
ICED that the amount of money is no
! adequate measure for deciding
whether z wage is high or low. and
that it is necessary to relate money
| wages to prices. Then organized
labor struggled for higher real wages
that is, wages that would buy
more.
Very obvious changes in prices
induced organized labor to realize the
| necessity for calculating in real
wages.
Very obvious changes in produc-
tivity Of labor today induce organized
labor again to widen its wage policy.
| Higher money wages from an
economic point of view do rot i'm
prove the situation Of the worker if
prices increase more than money
wages.
| Higher real wages from n social
point OF view do not improve the
situation of. the worker if productivity
increases more than real wages.
Factor Of Productivity.
For higher productivity without
corresponding increase OF real wages
means that the additional product has
|
Garner. This means that the social
position of the wage Garner in rela-
| ton to other consumers becomes
worse, because his standard of living
will not advance prOpOrtiOnately with
| those of other groups.
"Dcteriorating social postion-that
is. declining purchasing power OF the
| mass of the wage earners in relation
to the national product--brngs about
industrial instability, which will de-
velop into industrial crisis.
THE American Federation Of Labor
| is the first organization of labor in the
world to realize the importance of the
| factor of productivity in economic So
| ciety. 1t no longer strives merely for
| higher money wages; II no longer
strives merely for higher real wages
it strives for higher social wages, for
wages which increase as measured by
prices and productivity.
| This modern wage policy lifts the
movement to an absolutely new level.
| For higher real wages meant only a
| betterment of the economic position
| while higher social wages mean better
ment of the economic and social posi-
ton of the worker. The modern wage
| policy guarantees an active but stable
! development of Industrial society.
OISdHLZcu ldDOI ID HoW It's LiiIL u
| phase of it's wage policy-watching
| the development of productivity in
order to secure a satisfying social po-
sition for the worker" says Mr.. Green
| in extenuation of the foregoing decla-
! ration.
| Prices and Productivity.
The social position of the wage earn
err is worse, even with higher money
wages, If he does not share with other
consumers in increased production
which his labor helped to bring about,
| in which case he is not permitted to
| share together with all others the
benefits of human progress" he points
| out.
Mr.. Green concludes his common
| tary remarks by saying:
'In what degree should social wages
! increase? Differently in different in
dustries. The social wage policy OF
the American Federation of Labor
does not intend to keep wages exactly
on the same level with prices and pro.
ductivity. Wages may keep pace with
prices and productivity, wages may
| increase more, wages may decrease
less. but always both prices and pro-
ductivity are the measures for wages
always wages are related to prices