The Washington times., 1936-07-01
LEAVE DEMAND
=
:. CAUSES WPA
CONFUSION
By J. EARLE MOSER

TWOrKS PTOgTeSS AuAlAAAAoCA dGAOA
have been thrown into considerable
confusion by the current visits OF
heads of unions composed OF WPA
project workers from several large
Eastern cities.
: Announcements, released by the
union petitioners Monday that
ruling of Comptroller General NC
Carl denying sick and annual leave
benefits to WPA administrative or
clerical workers on Federal prof.
ects would be set aside, were
flatly denied today at WPA.
Officials close to Administrator
SfIarry Hopkins said they told the
Union speakers, who hailed from
New York, Chicago, Philadelphia
'and Washington, claiming to be
aaffiliated with the American Fed
.eration of Labor, that the question
sof leave for supervisory workers
on projects would have to be left
to the discretion Of the General
Accounting Office and Acting
Comptroller General Richard N.
Elliott. ,.,.u
=. In addition TO the leave pe4leAACo,
"the DELEGATIONS rqueSt that all
such workers be considered "ad-
administrative employees" that they
be given a 39-hour week, and that
their salaries be placed on an an
;nual basis, were also said at WPA
TO be matters on which the Acting
Comptroller General must rule
and it was added that the union
group was told that WPA could
onlv recommend such procedure to
1Genral Accounting Office. A
'WPA spokesman said today:
- 1--WE would be glad to help
!. them but we have not the
e power. We can only lend @
4 sympathetic ear and make rec"
=; concentrations"
=, =. A large loophole, however, has
appeared on the holizon in, favor
ssof the request for leave BENEFITS.
sThe loophole is contained in the
Comptroller Generals June 4
sieave decision, strict interpreta'
stion Of which would allow admin
sistrative workers, such as time
iclerks, pay roll clerks and other
aWhite collar employees, the desired
5ieave.
y. An official synopsis Of the de-
1cision denied leave to persons on
"a Federal project paid security or
sprevailing wages out Of funds al
dotted by PWA, but it added:
:. persons employed in an ad-
:, ministrative or clerical capacity
ON PWA projects and paid from
=: said administration funds, in
Guiding those who are not di
''rectly employed in the central
office i'm the District Of COlum-
bia or at one Of its district or
local headquarters, are entitled
to annual and sick leave"
Although this clause appar-
emily entities clerical workers to
leave, the previous item denying
such benefits to persons receiving
the security wage has caused
doubt, and further, explanatory
ruling may be sought of the Act
ing Comptroller.
Another meeting was scheduled
today at WPA headquarters, with
Fred s. Bartlett, director of the
WPA finance and reports section,
playing host to the union petition
ers. The question does not effect
tn executive force of the agency
in washington, as they receive
the same leave benefits as other
employees Of the Government here.
Overtime
While the Civil Service Commits
sion awaits reports of all Federal
offices on the condition of over
time within their portals, for even
stual submission to Congress for
possible remedial action, local of
sficeS continue to enforce overtime
hon personnel without apparent
conscience.
~. The latest tactics of sweatship
trend have appeared in the Inter-
nal Annex Building, where en-
lployes complain they are forced to
work between 10 and IL hours
daily. Included in the group, work
ing in the securities division, are
approximately so women clerks
who find the overtime wearing on
Shealth and difficult to endure.
q
=. AppOintees
i. The National Federation of Fed
seral Employees District Federation
has made the following committee
chairman appointments:
" Educational forum. DR.. j. Frank
Tin Meyer; legislative, Grace E.
<.Reardon; publicity and public re-
tlations, Henry G.. Nolda; enter
@1ainment and sports, William
@:Walsh; organization, Frank LON
stbard: public utilities, w. E. Hoff-
!: helms; credit union, Mrs. Ola G.
liking; hospital and health insur-
ance, Bella A. Trouland: rent and
home buyers, William s. Kinney:
finarce, Harvey B. Gram; buying
service. Mrs. Rebekah K. Pedigo.
- Odds and Ends
(! Gertrude McNally reports her
office was "Swamped with work"
incident to the closing of Con-
s<gresS Treasury has authorized
1871 public building projects to be
paid for Ender the First Deficiency
Act the Procurement Division
:. (Treasury) intends to have an
orchestra sponsored by it's Wei
'*fars Association Morris Vein
garten, j. r. Toor, Stephen Bed