Montana labor news., 1936-03-05
General LabOrers Union
Wins W. P. A. Wage
Scale Rate Victory

The long struggle OF the general lab
orers union and the grievance COM
mittee Of the Trades and Labor Coun-
Gil has finally resulted in a complete
victory for the union.
Almost since the institution Of the
Works Progress Administration the
general laborers union has contended
that the Government should pay the
scale established by that organization
namely TIC an hour for common lab
or, Through the determined efforts
of the union movement Of Butte, Great
Falls, Missoula and the State Fedora
ton of Labor, Montana was able to
secure consideration from the Gov
eminent in which the National Relief
Administration agreed to pay the pre-
vailing rate OF wages in this state.
Through an edict Of President Roos-
eve1t a security earnings wage was
established by the Government, but
originally it was required that 100 hours
of work was necessary in order to get
full the amount of money allowed. The
unions OF the state objected to work
ing that length Of time. Government
agencies finally consented to the I'M
ions demands by establishing the pre-
vaihng rate for common labor at 67Ec
per hour and that is the scale that has
been in effect up to the present time.
The general laborers union had estab-
lished contracts with individual en-
ployers of Silver Bow County at a rate
Of TIC an hour. The rate given by
the w. P. A. was never acknowledged
as final and the union asked the Trad
.es and Labor Council to assist them
in securing the 72c. The grievance
committee of the Trades and Labor
Council finally referred the matter to
Roy jacobson, a member Of the Regi-
onal Labor Board at Salt Lake. A sur
vey by the Government was made Of
wage schedules paid in Silver Bow
County but in that survey, the com
NOR laborer at the mines was taken
into consideration. The days pay rate
and the amount paid to watchmen, sur
face men and others were included in
the computations of the system. The
unions objected, stating that the wages
paid on the hill had no relation TO
that paid common labor down town
and the Government erred in includ-
ing this type Of employment in their
rate schedule.
Shortly after the appointment Of
lanes Combo of the Engineers Union
to the position Of Regional Director
of the w. P. A. and the appointment
of Joe Parker as State Administrator
the grievance committee again pressed
for action.
Mr.. Combo and Mr.. Parker held a
conference in Butte and upon the ar
rival of the new Administrator at
Washington, he Immediately paid a
visit to Senator Murray about the mat
ter. According to the story described
by the chairman of the grievance com
nittee, Frank Shea, Mr.. Murray i'm
mediately put on his coat and together
with Mr.. Parker went to see Henry
Hopkins, National Head of the w. P.
A Through the joint efforts of Mr..
Parker, Senators Wheeler and Murray,
the National Administration finally
agreed that the wage schedule in Sill
yer Bow County should be established
as 72c. This victory by the unions
doesn't mean that any more money will
actually be earned in a month by COM
mon labor on works progress projects,
but it does mean that instead of work
ing 70 hours in a month that they will
now only be required to work approx
mately &C 2-3 hours.
At the meeting of the Trades and
Labor Council last night, great salts
faction was expressed over the way
the matter had been handled by the
grievance committee of the Trades
and Labor Council and the grievance
committee expressed their appreciation
of the joint efforts to Mr.. Parker, Sen
ator Wheeler and Senator Murray.