Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-02-06
EQUALITY IN PAY
ASKED OF COOLIDGE
Federal Employees Federation
Charges Discrimination in
Protest to President.

Charging that the Personnel CLASH
fcatdon Board has refused to recognize
the principle Of equal compensation for
equal work, the national executive
council of the National Federation of
Federal Employees yesterday addressed
O protest to President Coolidge. insist
ing that large groups of women en-
ployes In the Bureau of Engraving and
Printing and In the mail equipment
shop of the Post once Department
are being Disseminated against. An
investigation by Mr.. Coolidge Is re-
ouested. The council arranged today
to take I'D for consideration the several
nav bills now pending in Congress, with
indications that the Brookhart-Ceiier
measure may receive the Endorsement
Of the body.
Reminding the President that the
classification act of 1928 provides that
ain determining the rate OF compensa-
ton which an empl0ye. shall receive,
the principle of equal compensation 1oF
equal work irrespective Of sex shall oe
followed" the executive council as
serted that "the appeal of the employees
of the wetting division OF the Bureau
Of Engraving and Printing mas peen
pending before the board for more IMAM
I've years"
Auceal Twice Rejected.
s'ourinS this time the board has twice
re4ertad this appeal, in spite OF the
facts surrounding it and the recon-
nendation of the Treasury Depart
n,ent that the appeal be granted, the
executive council said in its letter 10
Mr. Coolidge.
.sMen doing work of like response
hility in the SAME establishment nave
been granted higher ALLEGATIONS by the
board. The women concerned In TINS
appeal are performing very responsible
machine operation. In the mail equip
n,ent shop women are engaged In OPP
Grating machines, sewing heavy canvas
mail bags. Both of these groups are
allocated in grade of the clerical-me-
chanical service. Our contention is
that they should be allocated In grade
3 Of this service. but irrespective OF
this contention it Is certainly the duty
Of the board to place them at least in
grade 2, In which men holding positions
Of similar character have been placed.
we request you, as Chief Execu-
tive. to cause the necessary tnveStiga-
ton to be made which viii bring about
the parity of compensation between the
sexes which is so clearly provided for In
the classification act of 1928, but which
in respect of the groups above men
toned has not fairly been applied" the
letter concluded.
This letter was signed by Luther G.
Steward. president of the National Fed
Grafton Of Federal Employees, who is
al hA ~ M
tionai executive council, and other
officials.
Program TO BE Considered.
The national executive council. which
II the governing body OF the fedora
ton between conventions. arranged O
program for today calling for con-
sideration Of D number Of routine or
eanixatfon matters, including action on
requests for additional charters by
local groups. Later in the course Of
the meetings the retirement situation
win be considered. The sessions are
quarters, In the Labor Building, 10 B
Speakers at last nights session of
the council included Edward Heating.
the editor of Labor; Miss Jessie Dell,
graduated women on their organiZa-
ton and declared she would do all In
her power to see that the equal pay
clause is made effective, and Mai.
George L. Berry, president Of the In
ternational Printing Pressmen's and As
sistants' Union of North America, who
told Of the work Of his organization and
the success it is attaining In securing
desired legislation.