Montana labor news., 1932-12-29
ANTI-LABoR PROVISIONS OF ECONOMY LAW

~ANTI-LABOR PROVISIONS OF ECONOMY LAW
The so-called Economy" law enacted by the first SEES
sion Of the Seventy-second Congress expires June 80,
1888. 20
In addition to taking about $50, 900, 900 from govern
ment employees during the year by means of a compul-
sorry furlough without pay, which amounted to a salary
slash of eight and one-third per cent, the law victlmlzed
them in other ways.
Annual leave of thirty days with pay was revoked.
Differential pay for night work in the government print
ing office was cut fifty per cent and all overtime pay
abolished. The differential pay for night work in the
postal service was also cut fifty per cent. The railway
mail service and the letter carriers both suffered severely.
The executive council Of the American Federation of
Labor in its report to the recent annual convention OF the
Federation denounced the anti-labor provisions of the
economy law as objectionable legislation for which
there is no defense" The convention itself declared:
"We are in complete accord with the councils
~justifiable objections to this abortive legislation,
which was hastily enacted under the spur of an hys-
terical clamor for a reduction in national govern
ment expenditures, and which degenerated into an
attack on wage and employment standards for which
organized Federal workers had long struggled.
1.-THE principal savings effected by the economy bill
have come from the meager wages of the government
workers, thus decreasing their purchasing power and
retarding economic recovery, and, furthermore, I'M
posing undue hardships upon the employees without
any appreciable reduction in government tax rates.
1T is important that the government IN its capacity
as an employer establish and maintain high wage
and employment standards as an example for private
industry, and it is particularly essential that this
policy be now followed in order to help build up
the mass purchasing power of wage-earners so neces-
sary for economic stability"
With this merited indictment of the notorious measure
as the basis for its action the convention continued:
1.-The fifty-second convention of the American
Federation Of Labor, in full approvalof the councils
wellfounded objection to the economy law, hereby
instructs the council to give all possible aid to in
terested affiliates, not only to repeal this unsatis-
factory law at the earliest possible moment, but to
correct retroactively the injustices that have been
imposed upon many workers by restrictive admin
istrative rulings and practices since it has been in
operation"
The American Federation of Labor took prompt steps
to carry out the instructions of the convention immedi-
ately after Congress convened. Frank Morrison, secre-
tary of the Federation, headed a delegation of represen-
tatives of national and international unions and placed
organized labors definite objections to the continuance
of the measure, as well as firm opposition to President
Hoovers proposed additional II per cent slash, before
Chairman Byrns of the House of Representatives COM
mittee on appropriations, which was the first committee
to consider bills making appropriations for salaries of
government employees for the next fiscal year.