The potters herald. [volume] (East Liverpool, Ohio) 1899-1982, 1939-06-22
WAGE AND HOUR
INFORMATION

Elmer F. Andrews, Administrator,
Wage and Hour Division, U. S. De-
partment of Labor, today condemned
the proposed amendments to the Fair
Labor Standards Act as "A Bill to
Lower Wages and Establish Longer
Hours of Work" He denounced the
opponents of wage and hour legisla-
tion for their attempts to secure emas-
culating amendments to the Act at
time when it has been in effect for
only seven months.
Mr.. Andrews said "this bill threat
ems the working standards not only
of 100000 workers coming within
the provisions of the Fair Labor
Standards Act, but of every worker in
America, because it proposes to rec
ognize in federal law low wages and
long hours" He said further that "this
Legislation is being supported by we'll
financed lobby groups who are hell
bent on taking from clerical and indus
trial workers the social gains which
have been made during the last year" :"
The full statement Of the Admins
traitor follows:
"Last February, l stated to the
House Labor Committee that would
be glad to support certain clarifying
amendments to the Fair Labor Stand
ards Act. The changes proposed in
these amendments were all of a nom
controversial character and were gen.
orally agreed to and believed to be
a desirable improvement of the Act.
These changes were embodied in H.
R. 5435 introduced by Mrs. Norto,
Chairman of the House Labor Com
mittee. Powerful lobby groups, who
have always been unfriendly to labor
have transformed the original Bill in
to an attempted emasculation Of the
Fair Labor Standards Act.
"It is obvious now that no Bill can
be passed at this session of the Con-
gress without opening up the Act gen.
orally for revision. The most contro-
versial issues have been injected i
issues upon which there are sharp
difference of opinion, some of which
involve proposals to exempt hundreds
of thousands of employees. Such ques-
tions cannot be intelligently decided
except by time and experience in the
administration of the law. The Fair
Labor Standards Act has been in ef-
feet but seven months and there has
been no real opportunity to determine
conclusively what its effects will be.
This is no time for general revision
of the statute.
."H. r. 5435, with the proposed
amendments of the House Labor Com
mittee, would repeal the benefits of
the Act for hundreds of thousands Of
workers.
"In the lumber industry, 100000 en-
ployes would be removed from the
present 44hour workweek and worked
up to go, hours "a week for 38 work
weeks with no hour limitation at all
during the remaining IA workweeks.
"125,O00 employees engaged in pack
ing fresh fruits and vegetables would
be given complete exemption from
both minimum wages and maximum
hours.
$4,000 employees engaged in hand.
ling and processing tobacco Consist.
ing principally of Negro workers.
would be completely removed from the
minimum wage and maximum hour
provisions.
"Tens of thousands of employees en-
gagged in canning plants, slaughter
houses, terminal grain elevators, etc.
would be removed from practically al
protection from overtime hours.
"The jobs of tens of thousands o1
factory workers are endangered be-
cause of the provision in the Bill de.
manding that l allow lower wage
rates for homeworkers. This provis
ion runs counter to half a century o1
experience and the trend in all civil.
lied countries.
"In my judgment, this Legislation
should be entitled "A Bill to Lower
Wages and Establish Longer Hours OF
Work A vote for this Bill is vote
to nullify the Act. This Bill threat
ems the working standards not only
of the 100000 workers coming
within the provisions of the Fair La.
Dor Standards Act, but of every work.
er in America, because it proposes to
recognize in federal law low wages
and long hours.
"If the precedent is established Of
excluding large numbers of employees
without factual basis merely because
of the demand of an employer press
ure group, no worker covered by this
Act can long expect to receive its
benefits. Such legislative reward is
an invitation to other employer press
ure groups to secure a similar ex
emption for their workers.
Moreover, in recognizing intoler
ably long hours for hundreds of thous
ands of employees, the Bill woule
handicap labor unions in securing
reasonable hours in their collective
bargaining agreements.
"But even this doesn't satisfy the
)opponents of labor. 1t is not enough
to exempt from the benefits of the Act
loggers, packers of fresh fruits ano
vegetables, tobacco stemmers, and tt