The Bismarck tribune., 1933-07-31
|UN|0N|ZAT|0N issue
IS ELIMINATED AS
STEEL CHIEFS MEET
Labor Federation Demands 80.
Hour Work Week and $18
a Week Minimum
BUSINESS SIGNING PLEDGES
Encouraging Reports Are Being
Received From Many
Large Cities
BUSINESS SIGNING PLEDGES

Washington, July 31-(P-Triumph
ant already in one major respect, the
American Federation of Labor de-
nanded Monday afternoon that the
steel industry further modify it's pro-
posed competitive code to limit the
work week to 30 hours and to pay at
least $l8 a week.
Powers OF the industry, under the
impetus of objections by labor and
federal officials, had removed from
their proposal the controverted "com-
pany union" section under which the
steel operators were in a position to
control organization by their workers
more than if unrestricted banding to-
gether were allowed.
1nterrupting the first hearing on
the practices formulated to increase
wages and employment In the gigan-
tic industry, the directors took the
elimination vote while they stood in
a small crowd together in an ante
room adjoining the auditorium of
the commerce department in which
the hearing was held.
The move was in the face OF de-
termined opposition to the company
union" section which organized labor
was preparing to combat It was well
coined by Hugh s. Johnson, the in
dustriai administrator, as a harbinger
OF more harmony.
Soon thereafter, In testimony to
the crowded hearing, Secretary Per-
kins Informed the steel industry that
its code proposed wages too low and
the working hours too long to ac-
complish the Unemployment aim of
the law.
Agreements Are Mounting
Even as johnson concentrated on
steel, postmasters and recovery ed
ministration offices throughout the
nation continued to report mounting
totals of volunteer agreements by en-
ployers with President Roosevelt to
go along with the blanket" agree
nent for curtailed working hours and
better pay.
Already the signatures accumulated
guaranteed that hundreds of thou
sands Of workers Monday were enter
ing upon shorter work weeks in Of
fices and stores, in factories and me-
chanical establishments.
No national total of agreements
signed was yet available but district
headquarters at San Francisco by
Sunday night had reported 19,8O8;
Chicago, 4,289: probably affecting
100000 workers; Boston 1888 covering
1887 employees; St. Louis 4,153; New
Orleans 1854: Louisville 1902; Jack
sonville 789. Some of these cities had
had a late start on distribution of
blanks.
Officials Monday were whipping to-
gether final draft of code for the
retail industry, under which mer-
chants would operate pending its for
NAL consideration and approval in
stead Of under President Roosevelt's
blanket wage and hour agreement.
A premature announcement was
given that all retail stores would be
permitted a 48-hour week instead of
the 40-hour week specified in the
presidents agreement.
Not Definite Yet
Later, however, A. D. Whiteside, q
deputy administrator, said it had not
been determined whether this would
affect all stores or only those in the
smaller cities.
Johnson said the plan to permit the
retailers to operate temporarily un-
der their own code and use the Of
ficial blue eagle" insignia was not
an exemption from the presidents
agreement, but was fulfilling the in
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