Evening star., 1933-07-27
LABOR OPENS DRIVE.
AGAINST PAY CUTS.
Green Says Employers Must
Reduce Hours, but Not
Cut Wages.

After issuing a statement that the
American Federation of Labor was
pushing an extensive campaign of
unionization in mass production indus
tries, President William Green said to-
day that employers under contract to
unions will be expected to reduce the
number of hours for workers to IS q
week if they accept the blanket code
of the national industrial recovery ad-
ministration.
He emphasized the pay for the short
er week is to be on the same scale for
the longer week.
my understanding of the blanket
code Is that 1t was never intended as .
device for reducing wages" Green said
THE primary purpose Of the act is to
reduce unemployment and to increase
wages.
Says Wages Must Stay Up.
IF a reduction in the number Of
hours worked by employees in any line
Of industry is brought under the opera
ton Of the blanket code, the wages paid
for the reduced number of hours must
be as great as those under the longer
hours. The provision Is sustained by
section Of the blanket code, which
states as follows:
Not to reduce the compensation for
employment now in excess of the mini
mum wages hereby agreed to (notwith-
standing that the hours worked in such
employment maybe hereby reduced) and
to increase the pay for such employ
ment by an equitable readjustment Of
all pay schedules
For example, suppose contract be-
tween union workers and an employer
in shop provides for A hours a week.
In the event the employer agrees to the
blanket code, he Is expected to reduce
his hours to IS and 40. as provided in
the voluntary code. The pay must be
at least as much as that paid under
the 44-hour week"
johnson Rating Awaited.
Administrator Hugh S. johnson Of
the National Industrial Recovery Ad-
ministration has turned this matter
over to his legal staff for q ruling.
Meantime, no reply was forthcoming
from Johnsons Office as to whether an
employer who complied with the blan-
ket code provisions respecting white
collar" and industrial workers now paid
below the minimum wage OF the code,
would receive his blue eagle insignia If
he insisted upon carrying out a previous
contract to pay union employees above
the minimum wage, but would not agree
to reduce their working hours.
Green said the federation is issuing
charters to Federal" locals now being
organized in Individual plants OF the
automobile, rubber and other indus
tries.
The new set-up would have the union
parallel the organization of the indus
tries themselves under the national re-
covery acts codes of fair competition.
The employers, as block or individ-
ually, would deal with one union and
not three or more. The unions, like
wise, would deal with one set OF en-
ployers.
Organized labor, Green announced.
has established an Office in Detroit to
help motor workers to organize. He re-
ported it has been active at Akron, with
tire factory men and about so Federal
locals have been chartered.
Explains Organization.
In explaining the policy pursued in
organizing these locals. Green issued
the following statement:
'The American Federation Of Labor
Is pursuing its traditional policy in or
ganizng the workers in the automobile,
rubber, steel and miscellaneous indus
tries. The establishment Of Federal
labor unions In mass production In
dustries means the American Fedora
tion Of Labor itself will represent these
Federal labor unions as they are d.
rectly chartered by the parent organ
ization.
Federal labor unions have been
formed by the American Federation OF
Labor for many years. Through this
form Of organization, the workers who
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