Evening star., 1942-08-15
WLB Weighs
General Motors
Wage Increase
Panel Recommends
Boost Above Little
Steel Formula
BY the Associated Press,

ne war LdDOT bDdI q JOudy
a recommendation
Tor a scent hourly increase for
,25 900 General Motors workers
Two Clio unions asked rise OF
81 daily or 1919 cents an hour.
Two of the three WLB panel
Fowler V. Harper. public
and Patrick Fagan of the
United Mine Workers, recommended
a maintenance Of membership
clause, effective as of last January
/, and the wage increase retroactive
to April %, VIXEN the old contract
expired.
Wilbur H. Doran, industry mem
ber of the panel, recommended an
increase Of q cents an hour and q
of of-membership clause.
effective when the board order is
issued.
Textile Wage Action.
The panel recommendation was
announced last night shortly after
1t was said in an authoritative quar-
ter that the board had approved an
increase of 7l2 cents an hour for
81 900 workers employed in 40 New
England and II Southern textile
mills. Four out of five textile panel
members had recommended this, 1t
was said, and the board gave It's
approval.
In another important move 1t was
reported that the board had re-
jected the demand of the employees
OF the Aluminium Co. of America for
a 81 day increase. 1t was under
stood the board held that the alum
mum workers had been compensat-
ed for the rise in living costs since
January /, 1941 The formal order
is expected in the next day or so.
A move to narrow the wage diff
ferential in the textile case by Civ
ing Southern workers larger in
crease was said by the same source
to have been defeated.
The mediation panel had reported
that study of wages in three WLB
labor cases involving the 81 mills
showed the workers received sub
standard" pay.
The reported increase was less
than had been asked for by or
ganized workers. The Textile Work.
ers Union of America, CIO. which
represented the workers In % OF
the New England mills, and all OF
the ii Southern mills had asked for
a 10-cents- increase in the
North and a 20-cent increase In the
South. The union sought to wipe
out the differential between North
ern and Southern wages.
$1,000 Workers Affected.
The United Textile Workers of
America, AFL, which represents II
mills in the New Bedford (Mass)
area, and one in Waterville, Me, also
asked for an increase of 10 cents.
Affected by the wage action are
about $4,000 employees in Northern
mills and $4,000 in Southern mills.
Approximately half of the industry
in the North was represented in the
cases, and it was generally under
stood that the final wage decision
would be accepted by the industry
generally in that section. About 2
per cent of the Southern mills were
directly represented. They took the
position that it would be unfair to
base wage decision for the South
ern industry on representations
made by so small a part of it.
The recommended General Motors
increase included Il cents per hour
as an adjustment for increased living
costs, and 3l2 cents per hour to
equalize rates with those in Ford
plants.
The coSt-of- living increase was In
line with the formula adopted in the
Little Steel" case. A new principle
was invoked, however. in boosting
the hourly wage to equal that paid
elsewhere.
Report Made by Panel.
The panels report said average
hourly earnings of General Motors
workers advanced from 97.9 cents
an hour in January, l94l. when
they were working an average of
Alb hours per week, to S1147 an
hour in May, 1912, when they were
working an average of 45.6 hours
per week
After allowing for overtime pay
ments, the panel estimated the
average earnings at straight time
advanced from 941 cents to 81 065
in the period from January. 1941.
to May, 1942, The panel said that
represented an increase of 13.4 per
cent compared with the cost of iv-
ing advance of Is per cent in that
period.
Hence" they said. IAN increase
in wage rates amounting to 1.e per
cent would be necessary to equalize
real wage rates per hour In May.
1912, with the standard attained
in January, 1941.
"On the basis of straight time
earnings in January, l94l, an In
crease in wage rates of 16 per cent
would be equal to IL cents an
ouCIl all case WOULD
equalize the purchasing power of
average straight time wage rates
in May, 1912, with those prevailing
in January, l941."
Equalized Rates Urged.
The majority recommended, In
addition. IAN increase equivalent to
31a cents per hour for all employees,
both United Automobile Workers
and United Electrical Workers, for
the purpose of equalizing wage rates
throughout all General Motors
plants with the rates for compa-
rable operations throughout the Ford
plants"
The panel was UNANIMOUS In the
following recommendation:
One week vacation 40 hours pay).
for all employees with one years
seniority, and two weeks vacation
for those with five years seniority.
A one-year contract expiring April
%. 1943.
The majority recommendation in
addition, included: Women who