Evening star., 1942-09-23

help, he continued, are hurting the
efficiency of the department.
McCarran Urges More Pay.
Declaring Government employees
are running on the ragged edge of
their budgets because they cannot
meet the increased cost of living"
Senator McCarran, Democrat, of
Nevada, urged the committee to
provide pay increase that would
give the workers "contentment."
On behalf of the CIO United Fed
eral Workers, Miss Eleanor Nelson,
secretary treasurer, approved both
! the overtime and fiat raise pro-
posals. Supporting the overtime
plan, she said "the Government
should have the same standards
, for its own employees as it does for
private industry"
Charles I. Stengle, representing the
AFL American Federation of Gov
ernment Employees, also supported
both plans.
Mr.. Stengle opposed the ceiling
provision that would base the over
time rate on the first $4,000 of an
individuals salary.
Raise the limit" he urged.
Daniel E. Lloyd of the Education
Association of the District and
Hazel Davis of the National Edu-
cation Association asked that Dis
tr.ct school teachers be covered by
the legislation.
Edgar G. Brown, president of the
United Government Employees, ad-
vocated the fiat pay raise plan.
A 40 per cent increase in the over
time rate proposed for employees in
the classified service was in pros
pect, meanwhile.
The increase would be effected
by calculating base pay on 260-
day work year instead of 800 days,
as the measure now provides. The
change was suggested at the open
ting of the hearings yesterday by
Rear Admiral Charles w. Fisher,
director of shore establishments for
the Navy, to put Office workers on
the same basis as the skilled trades,
FIND Commissioner Arthur S. Flem-
ming of the Civil Service Commis-
sion said the Budget Bureau and
White House would not oppose It.
80 Compromise Measure.
An example of what the change
would mean is shown in the case of
an employe receiving $1,440 annu-
ally, whose base pay is so cents an
hour for an eight-hour day. The
overtime rate-at time and one
half-would be rs cents on the 360-
day basis. On the 260-day schedule
the hourly rate becomes, roughly,
20 cents, and overtime, $1.05.
The bill which now has started
through the Senate is compromise
version of an earlier measure spon-
eored by the administration to aid
"white collar" workers meet in
creased living costs. Lengthy hear
ings were held on the first bill by
the House Civil Service Committee
in midsummer, but the measure did
not get beyond that stage, postal
unions and the trades pbjecting to
its limited scope and urging a flat
$500 bonus for everybody.
The new measure is designed to
insure all postal workers an in
crease In compensation. In branches
now getting straight time for over
time after 40 hours, the rate would
70 to time and one-half.
The minimum work week would
be set at A hours, which would
mean that at least four hours would
be worked at the overtime rate
Postal workers have said their serv-
ice does not require a 44-hour week
A Standard in Many Units.
Elsewhere in the Government, the
44-hour week virtually has become
standard since the war started-it /!
48 in War and Navy-and thi.
figure would be set by law as s
minimum. All time over 40 hour!
would be compensate at time anc
one-half.
Representatives of some postal
unions yesterday argued that over
time pay is simply compensation for
increased working hours and Bears
no relation to the cost of living
They urged that the same formula
be applied to Federal employees as
has been invoked for private work.
ers by the War Labor Board-a Is
per cent increase to meet the cosl
Of living since January /, 1941.
Other witnesses said, however
that overall pay action should
await definition of national policy
by Congress in connection with the
pending wage and price stabilizatior
legislation, and that this overtime
bill should be disposed of strictly or
its own merits.
Displaces $500 Ceiling.
The new measure also embodiel
one other important change from
the original administration bill
which placed a $1,000 ceiling" OF
the amount of pay and overtime
that could be earned by an indi
viduaI. 1t is now proposed to pa.
overtime on the first $4,000 of al
employees salary, without regard II
total pay.
In principle this would represen
reduction for technicians in tn
upper brackets of a half-dozel
agencies who have been drawin
overtime on their full salaries. TIL
legislation under which they hav
been paid iSexpiring September 81
however, sd the new bill actual
reinstates their overtime, but at
lower rate than heretofore.
Chairman Ramspeek of the Hou
Civil Service Committee, said Il
day he did not plan to take I
the legislation until the Senate ha
disposed of it. He said the measur
might encounter some opposition i
the House now in view of the ia
situation.