The potters herald. [volume] (East Liverpool, Ohio) 1899-1982, 1938-12-29

each mill as many as four per cent of
the total number of employees in the
learners classification at substand-
ard wage, Mr.. Shiskin said reliable
figures covering 1873 mills manufac-
turing cotton yarns and fabrics, wool
en- and worsted yarns and fabrics, silk
fabrics, and cordage an d twine, re-
vealed that out of $4,000 workers there
were "only TIA learners"
"We submit" he added, "that these
figures show conclusively that the
present need for learners in the indus
try is negligible and that the necessity
for the employment Of learners urged
by the applicants has no foundation
in available facts"
Turning to the demand of the tex
tile manufacturers for permission to
employ learners at wages thirty per
cent below the rate applied to the in
dustry as whole, Mr.. Shiskin quoted
Bureau of Labor Statistics figures to
show that % per cent of the employees
in the textile industry are unskilled
workers. He said the Act applies to
unskilled workers, that unskilled work
ers graduate into the semi-skilled and
skilled groups, and that learners are
unskilled workers. "It is our view."
he said, "that learner employed on
productive processes in the industry
who is building up experience for
seniskilled or skilled work should be
paid not less than the rate paid 10
the totally unskilled workers."
The final contention of the manufac-
turers was that the erection of new
mills in localities where there is no
supply of skilled labor in the immedi-
ate vicinity warrants the employment
of learners at substandard wages. Mr..
Shiskin punctured this claim with the
fact that there are now at least 1907
600 textile workers in the unemployed
army, and that the owners of new
mills or plant expansions should alb
sorb this unemployed army rather
than train learners.
Against Substandard Rates
1--WE have shown" Mr.. Shiskin con-
cluded, "that uranswerable evidence
is available to the Administrator that
the application for permission to en-
ploy learners at substandard rates is
without foundation in fact, does not
reflect a real problem in the industry,
and that it largely represents device
to secure administrative sanction for
the payment of a substandard mini
mum wage to large number of pro-
duction workers and thus depress the
wage structure in the industry.
"We submit that the acceptance of
the formula proposed in the applica-
tion would lead to unfair competition
in the industry, would create condi-
tion detrimental to the maintenance
of the minimum standards of living
necessary for health, efficiency and
general well-being of workers; would
serve to spread and perpetuate sub
standard labor conditions among the
workers throughout the nation; would
lead to widespread labor disputes bur-
dening and obstructing commerce and
would interfere with the orderly and
fair marketing of goods in commerce
eve have shown that the extent of
unemployment in the industry is such
as to deprive of validity any claims
that there exists an immediate and
current need of training Of workers in
the industry; that the extent of learn
er employment currently or in the past
is so negligible as to make any prom
ulgation of special regulations under
Section IA without justification and is
in other respects without foundation
in the existing practice Of the indus
try.
"In view of the foregoing we re-
spectfully request that the petition OF
the applicants for permission to EN-.
ploy learners at sub-minimum rates
be denied and that employment OF
learners be required at not less than
the minimum wage rate established
under Section g."