Evening star., 1933-10-14
|A.E.L, VOTES BROAD
|PLAN TO BOOST j. S.
|EMPL0YES' STATUS|
Pay Restoration, Sick and
Annual Leave Among
Provisions.
"C0URT OF APPEALS"
Is ALSO REQUESTED
Speaker Flags Temporary Basis
and Accuses Officials of
"Chiseling."

The American Federation OF Labor
which has just concluded its two-week
convention at the Willard Hotel, today
stood committed to broad program
OF improvement in Government en-
ployment conditions.
This included:
Immediate restoration Of pay.
just working conditions and allow
| ances, including necessary travel al
lowances; night differential rights;
| holiday differential; promotions; equi-
! table sick and annual leave provisions
Sufficient appropriations to meet the
restored pay roll, thus doing away with
further separation from service.
Adjustment of the cost-of living
basis for fixing pay.
Thtrty-hour week.
Thirty-year optional retirement.
Elimination Of speed-up practices.
Establishment Of an employees court
Of appeals"
Employe representation on personnel
boards.
Improvement Of postal substitute and
village letter carriers working and wage
conditions.
Sponsored by Unions.
All the employe unions affiliated with
the Federation joined in sponsoring the
resolutions.
In its closing hours last night when
Government employment was under
discussion. the reorganization program
came under fire from E. Claude Bah
cock, president of the American Fedora
ton Of Government Employees.
Taking the floor while the Fedora
ton was preparing to vote opposition
to any reorganization move that would
Commission. Babcock declared: Every
single. consolidation or transfer Of func-
tions of the Government has resulted
in disaster for some honest workers"
Continuing. he said:
There has developed the practice Of
placing permanent workers on q tenn
porary basis and taking away from
them the just projections accorded by
law and subjecting them to the whims
Of new supervisors unfamiliar with their
work.
This practice is legal but indefen-
sible. Workers for the Government
should be given fair deal. They do
not have it now.
Charges U. S. "Chiseling."
while the Government is asking in
dustry to reduce hours of labor and
maintain buying power, 1t, itself, to use
Gen. Johnson's expression, is chiseling.
Unpaid overtime is required, wages are
reduced. and work conditions are ag-
gravated. The Government should lead
and not follow to decent treatment of
workers.
ITO return to the question Of con-
solidations, the changes SO far accom-
plished have resulted in extending
hours of work. in firing employees and
in reducing wages.
THE Government workers average
wage is now down under S340 a day.
Further elimination of honest work.
ers by use of the chicanery of placing
them in a temporary status must not
continue.
THE promised reabsorption of fired
workers in the newly created agencies
is now known to be a myth. Admins
trative officers have disobeyed the ex-
press mandate of the President to sat-
isfy patronage seekers while thousands
of workers remain on the so-called re-
employment lists
IF this continues this administra-
tion must accept all the approbrium
of adopting an outright spoils system" !"
Harrison Move Pleases.
Babcock also voiced satisfaction at
the pledge received yesterday from
Senator Harrison, Democrat. Of Missis-
sippi, chairman of the Senate Finance
Committee, to work for restoration of
Government pay.
The convention adopted group of
resolutions bearing on navy yard and
arsenal workers as follows:
Urging construction of naval vessels.
main engines, auxiliary engines and
war munitions at these plants rather
than in private establishments.
Protesting employment of enlisted
personnel in civilian capacity.
Providing for payment of architects.
engineers and craftsmen in Navy field
service under the classification act.
Another resolution indorsed, spon-
sored by James j. Noonan of Central
Labor Union, Washington. called on
the Executive Council to work for re-
moval of the discriminatory wage diff
ferentials existing here by reason of
the fact that Washington is classed in
the Southern zone under N. R. A. codes
This, it was pointed out, brings about
lower wages here than elsewhere,
despite the fact that living costs in this
section are highest in the United
Sta%ss"