The potters herald. [volume] (East Liverpool, Ohio) 1899-1982, 1940-01-04
EXEMPTIONS From
Continued From Page Onel


tices and of messengers at wages
lower than minimum wage pre-
scribed by the law.
Employment of handicapped work
ers at specified wages below the min
imum is also permitted for fixed
periods.
when exemptions are granted, en-
ployment Of these classes of en-
ployes is permitted under special GER
tifcate issued to employers under
regulations prescribing the number,
proportion and length of service of
such employees.
despite widespread unemployment
and the existing surplus Of skilled
and experienced labor, blanket indus
trywide exemptions have been sought
for learners in the textile and wear
ing apparel industries and for mes
sengers in the telegraph commune
cations industry.
"The American Federation of La
Dor, through presentation Of factual
evidence, proving that petitions for
exemptions in these industries were
without justification, succeeded in
blocking these attempts to force large
groups of workers to a level below
the wage floor. Exemptions have been
secured, however, for learners in the
hosiery industry and certificates Of
exemption for learners in individual
20 HI 1fcl nd, ct,,;n
have been issued on employers petit
tions.
"In the case Of all exemptions of
apprentices under the Fair Labor
Standards Act, this is permitted only
under certificates of apprenticeship
issued in accordance with the regula-
tions set up by the Federal Commit
tee on Apprenticeship on which labor
is represented. Although this pro-
cedure does serve to encourage ap-
premiership agreements between en-
ployers and employees and to other
wise safeguard the apprenticeship
standards, it leaves the power to ex-
empt from the minimum wage wholly
within the discretion of the Admin
istrator.
Differentials and Exemptions Lower
Minimum Standards
Call such exemptions and ,difFeren-
tials invariably serve as an effective
means of lowering the applicable min
imum. Through their operation large
groups of productive workers are
placed in employment at sub-standard
wages and in direct competition with
regular production workers. Such a
condition, given administrative sane
ton Of the Government, cannot help
but exert a strong downward press
ure upon the wage structure in the
entire industry in which such exemp-
tions are in operation.
Statutory Minimum Should Apply To
All LOw-Wage Workers
"The American Federation of Labor
believes that any minimum wage es-
tablished by statute as a minimum,
should apply to the lowest paid work
ers. Even beginners are employed as
production workers and should be paid
not less than this minimum rate to
which the least skilled production
workers are entitled. We believe,
therefore, that every effort should be
made to eliminate from the law and
from administrative regulations all
provisions permitting the payment Of
sub-minimum wages under the Fed
eral and State minimum wage legis-
la ion. Apprenticeship standards
should be set by collective bargaining
and should not be governed by broad
regulatory powers vested in the ad-
minstrator of minimum wage stat
ute.
"Another destructive precedent was
set in the Fair Labor Standards Act
in the form of broad exemptions of
important industrial groups, from
both the minimum wage and maxi
mum hour standards.
"The Act exempts from all stand
ards those employed in agriculture,
as we'll as anyone employed in what
Congress loosely termed area of pro-
duction' in handling, packing, storing
and preparing in their raw or natu-
raj state, or canning of agricultural
or horticultural commodities, or in
making cheese or butter or other dairy
products.
Large groups of workers in fruit
and vegetable packing and canning
and in slaughtering Of livestock are
also exempted from the maximum
hours for period Of not more than
Ia weeks in any calendar year under
the preteXt that these groups Of in
dustrial workers are related to agri-
culture. Through these exemptions
labor standards in some of the low
est paid industries have not been en-
forced.
AT the conclusion of the first ses-
sion of the 10th Congress an insistent
but abortive attempt was made to
deny minimum wage and maximum
hour protection to nearly 100000
workers in the agricultural, process
ing and related industries
Labor is determined to prevent all
efforts to change the structure of min
imum wage and maximum hour laws