Evening star., 1933-07-31
COMPANY UNION PLAN
OF LABOR BARGAINING
IN STEEL CODE DROPPED
Continued From First Page.)

jobs are not as rule qualified to fill
skilled, or even semi-Skilled positions in
the steel mills Second, it Is un-
derstood that the essence of the indur-
trial recovery plan is that each indus
try Is expected to the extent Of its abil-
ity to provide reasonable amount OF
employment for the individuals who
have been attached to 1t and who nor
mally look to 1t for work.
ITO attempt to 60 afield and bring
into the service Of the steel industry
those who have been attached to other
industries at once creates unSatiSfac-
tory conditions in respect OF relation
between the Employer and employees"
Lamont took the stand after john
son had opened the important meet
ing by telling assembled representa-
tives:
I'VE start of with a feeling Of great
cooperation and support from this
very moment"
The code, submitted by the industry.
states that the plants Of the industry
are opened to capable workmed with
out regard to their membership or nom
membership in any labor organization,
and expresses the belief of the indus
try in the soundness Of the principles
Of collective bargaining under which
certain members Of the industry have
dealt with their employees and that the
rights Of the employees and members
OF the industry to bargain collectively
through representatives elected or ap-
pointed and acting In accordance with
employe representation plans, should
be preserved and protected"
Lamont analyzed the wage scales.
ranging from Is cents per hour in the
South to 40 cents in highly indus
trialized areas. explaining that in the
latter the weekly wage ON 4O.hour
basis would be SIG. He presented fig
ures to show that A cents per hour
Is the highest the industry has paid
in the last decade.
Hope for Raise in South.
"Thus the proposed Accent rate for
unskilled labor Is only 81 per cent less
than the highest base rate paid during
the past II years. when living costs
were far above the present level"
Lamont continued.
The Department OF Labor reports
that the cost Of living declined by "a
per cent from June, 1929. when the A
cent rate was paid, to June, 1888. The
proposed rate Of 40 cents an hour, there
fore. is the equivalent in purchasing
power to 53-cent rate in 1929, and the
minimum weekly earning of SIG have
q purchasing powre equivalent to $2l.2o
in 1929"
He held out possibility that wages
In the South may be placed at q higher
figure than the IS to 27 cents proposed
by the code.
"They may not be final" he said.
Some representatives Of the Southern
industry will be here later today and
IN anf6 f6ar mil I.a 1,a1I
The industry's proposed code also in
cludes a proposal for a maximum
average Of 40 hours work per week in
any six-month period.
Company Union Section.
The company union" section Of the
code, after saying plants Of the indus
try are open to capable workmen,
whether or not they are members of la
Dor organizations. added that "the in
dustry firmly believes that the unquali-
fled maintenance Of that principle Is in
the interest Of its employees.
For many years." it said, "the men,
bers Of the industry have been and
the employees of such members collec-
lively on all matters relating to their
employment
The text then referred to q system
OF employe representation outlined as
supplement to the code. Under the
plan the employees would elect their
representatives to consider questions
OF hours, wages and conditions of en-
ployment with the employers. The final
decision ON any dispute would rest,
under the plan, with the chief officer
OF the company concerned.
Action Follows Recess.
1T Is the belief of the industry" 1t
continued, "that the method of collec-
tive bargaining set forth in such plans
provide for a day-to-day adjustment
Of all matters relating to the employ
ment Of employees in the industry and
at the same time insureS to such en-
ployes q knowledge and understanding
Of the conditions Of the business Of
their employer which they would other
wise be unable to obtain"
johnson, who previously had said he
could not receive the section in queS-
ton as meaning anything, today told
Lamont he believed its inclusion was
inappropriate. Lamont then pulled an
additional statement dealing with this
subject from his pocket. a. recess was
called and the action soon followed.
Secretary Perkins said that in asking
steel men what they considered should
be the length of the working day, they
almost invariably responded:
six hours is enough. lady"
At the conclusion of Miss Perkins
statement, Donald RiclEg, general