Evening star., 1933-12-05
UNION WAGE RATE
FOR CIVIL WORKS
PUzzLESOFF|C|ALS
Conformance With Scale
Would Result in Increase
for Skilled Workerc.
ALLEN DOUBTS RULING
APPLIES TO PROJECTS
Jacob Baker, Regional Official, Or
ders Pay Based on Collective
Agreements.

District officials today were puzzled as
10 whether union rates of wages should
be paid to mechanics who may be en-
ployed On District civil works projects.
They had before them a telegram
dated november 27, from Jacob Baker,
a regional official of the Federal C. w.
A.. stating that an agreed wage rate
should be paid to such employees in cases
where the employer and the employees
have subscribed to collective agreements
or understandings.
Employees of the District C. w. A.
have been paid within the range of As
cents and S1.l0 an hour. originally set
by the Federal authorities If union
scales are to be applied to organized
workmen, such as bricklayers, plasterers
and others employed on District c. w.
A. projects, their pay would be higher
than those now existing
Doubted Application.
District officials in charge of the
operation of the local employment pro-
gram have been under the impression
that the new order did not apply to
C. W. A. work here. Hence, they say.
they have no agreement with organized
labor. They point out that actual build
ing construction is not included in the
C. w. A.
The union scale of wages for this
area. generally speaking. has been
cdopted by the District as the pre-
vailing wage" for mechanics under
terms Of the Bac0n-DaviS law That
law applies to contract work, officials
say.
Commissioner George E. Allen. in
charge of the District C. W. A. pro-
gram, said he was under the impress
sion the union wage order did not ap-
ply to c. w. A. employees. but had no
objection to the paving. of the higher
scale if Federal authorities ruled that
should be done.
The notice from Baker not made
public until today. reads:
In the event the prevailing hourly
rate prescribed under collective agree
ments or understandings between or
ganized labor and employers on April
80. 1855. snail D' above thc minimum
that agreed wage rate shall be the rate
to be paid for employees on projects
financed from funds appropriated by
the administrator of civil works"
Women's Scale Increased.
District C. w A. officials announced
today the minimum scale for certain
women supervisors of such work as sew
ing and canning have been increased
from 30 to so cents an hour. This ap-
plies only to forewomen. The minimum
scale for the actual workers in such
service" activities will remain at 80
cents an hour
Several complaints have been filed by
women receiving 30 cents an hour. who
charged they were receiving less per
week under C. w. A. than they received
formerly for similar work when they
were under emergency relief status. In
such cases. additional relief, in the
form of groceries or rent will be pro-
vided for emergency relief funds.
Commissioner Allen has asked the
formation Of special committee, in
Guiding both District and private
agency officials. to plan leisure time
| activities for c. W. A. workers who have
short week of 80 hours. He hopes
to develop a wide program of recrea-
tional centers to provide both recreation
and vocational training for such per-
| sons.