The potters herald. [volume] (East Liverpool, Ohio) 1899-1982, 1938-10-20
Low-Cost Housinq
Will Provide Jobs
. For Over 100000
Stlaus Praises the Building
Trodes Department

Houston, Textile important con-
tribution which the $sOO,0O0,OOO low
cost housing and slum clearance pro-
gram authorized by the Congress of
the United States will make to the
relief of unemployment was empha-
sized by Nathan Straus, Administrator
of the United States Housing Au-
thority, in an address: here before the
annual convention of the American
Federation of Labor. He said in the
neighborhood of one third of a million
jobs would be provided by the various
projects. ~ "e M7
He also paid tribute to the Build
and Construction Trades Department
of the American Federation of Labor
for it's cooperation in stabilizing work
conditions on the projects administered
by the Housing Authority.
"Of the $80O,OOO,OOO in the present
program, at least $6OO,OOO,OCO will go
directly into construction-into pay
envelopes Of men working on the
sites," Mr.. Straus said.
'"In addition this wave of re-employ-
ment will spread to all the Industries
which employ men in the production
or the manufacture or the transporta-
tion of things that 60 into the build
ing of home. These will all be real
jobs under normal private employ
ment conditions.
"The money now available under the
USHA Act will provide work for 300,-
COO men for one year."
Cooperation of Building Trades
1''j .''' Department
81 want to express as l have many
times before, my sense of apprecia-
tion for the action of the Executive
Council of the Building and Con-
struction Trades Department of the
American Federation of Labor when,
in fine spirit of cooperation with
Mr.. Walter v. Price, the USHA Di-
rector of Labor Relations, they adopt
ed two epoch-making resolutions.
"As you know, these resolutions pro-
vide that wage rates at the time work
is commenced on a USHA project shall
remain constant until the project is
completed, and that work on USHA
projects shall not be stopped because
of jurisdietional disputes.
"The Executive Council at the same
time recommended to all local build
ing trades councils that they take
similar action. So far nearly 100 To-
cal building trades councils and 275
local unions have adopted these res
olutions. That is record of which
we all can be proud"
Prevailing Wage Rates Are Mandatory
"Y0u know that when the United
States Housing Act of 1887 was pass
ed, Congress wrote into that Act a
section for the protection of labor
standards. That section provides for
the payment of prevailing wage rates.
"In determining prevailing wage
rates, the USHA and the local housing
authorities are giving every considera-
ton to the wage rates your building
trades unions have won through col
lective bargaining.
"We have made it condition of
every loan contract with local au-
thority that all employees of a con-
tractor shall have the rights Of or
ganization and collective bargaining;
that standards Of safety shall be OBJ
served on all work; that hours Of work
shall not be heightened; that overtime
payment shall be made; that COM
plants shall be Investigated and
handled promptly, SO that in every way
possible, labor shall be protected"