The Butler County press. [volume] (Hamilton, Ohio) 1900-1946, 1940-05-31
MACHINISTS ADOPT
new RESOLUTIONS

new RESOLUTIONS
The Executive Council of the Inter-
national Association of Machinists
adopted the following resolution with
respect to the allegations of short
age of skilled mechanics to carry on
the national defense program:
RESOLUTION
WHEREAS, various groups and
business interests, under the guise OF
national defense, are engaged in a
vigorous attempt, through propaganda
agencies, to mislead the public mind
relative to an alleged shortage of
skilled and experienced mechanics,
and
WHEREAS, these same business
interests are advocating policies
whose purposes are the destroying OF
labor standards, their attack being
on the wage and hour regulations of
the Public Contracts Act and the Fair
Labor Standards Act and the wage
and hour legislation on the false prem
ise that there is an acute shortage of
skilled labor, and
WHEREAS, reliable statistics show
that there are approximately ten mil
lion unemployed in the United States,
many Of this number are skilled me-
chanics who have been denied employ
ment because of an arbitrary age
limit set by employers who prefer
school boys at low wage rates in pref
erence to the employment of skilled
mechanics at proper wage level, and
WHEREAS, investigation of such
alleged shortages show that the in
ability of most of those complaining
employers to secure skilled labor is a
result of their refusal to pay rea-
sonable rate in keeping with the skill
required, and
WHEREAS, the refusal of employ
ers to pay reasonable rates to skilled
! mechanics has forced thousands OF
| experienced employees to accept en-
ployment in industries requiring a
lesser skill but paying more reason
able rate, and
WHEREAS, many of the employ
ers have, under the guise of youth
training" demoralized the efficiency
of their industry by seeking to build
an organization of boys at low wage
costs in preference to skilled me-
chanics, and
WHEREAS, school boys and mex
perienced help such as have been en-
ployed at low wage rates cannot pro-
duce the engines and other necessary
equipment for the adequate protec-
tion of our nation, such as will be re-
quired by the present need for ma
tional defense, and
WHEREAS, there is large group
of skilled mechanics who depend on
relief agencies for employment in re-
| lief activities at very low earning
power, which has in large measure
been used to destroy labor standards;
THEREFORE, BE 1T RESOLVED
that, instead of any action that would
destroy labor standards in this coun-
try, we meet the present emergency
by adopting the following program:
1. The unemployment of skilled
semi-skilled and unskilled workers for
national defense, who are now en-
gagged in other industries not in con-
nection with national defense or on
relief projects.
2. The abolition of the age limit in
the employing of skilled workers, the
standard being only their ability and
qualification to perform the service
required.
8. That skilled mechanics who have
been forced to seek employment in in
dustries in which their former train
ing is not required be given an oppor-
tunity to return to the work of their
trade.
4. Cooperation with the Federal
Committee on Apprentice Training to
insure a program of legitimate ap-
prentice training.
5. Bona fide organized labor and
employers to have equal representa-
tion on all councils and committees
dealing with the program of recruit
ing and training of civilian labor for
the purpose of national defense.