Evening star., 1942-09-16
WlB Panel Backs
Sme|ters' Pay Rise
1eHaIt Migration
81 -o-Doy Increase Uroed
For 10000; Little Steel
Formula Exception Seen
EF the Associated Press.

s4Tolmulo Exception Seen
BF the Associated Press.
The majority OF a mediation
panel recommended today that
the War Labor Board order a
wage increase of 81 a day for
10000 copper, lead and zinc
workers in Idaho and Utah to
help stop the migration to higher
wage industries and to attract
requirements.
Dealing separately with 10 plants
OF the American Smelling and Re-
timing Co., involving an additional
5000 workers, East and West, the
panel majority recommended raises
ranging from 20 cents to 1924 a day
IN. seven OF them and suggested ne
sotiations for the three others.
Exception to Formula.
"A minority report said such an
order would create a new excep-
ton to the little steel formula.
In the little steel case, WLB set
forth policy permitting wage in
G1eases to meet the rise in living
o9sts since January /, 194l. The rise
Was estimated at about Is per cent.
1T was the first time the board has
been confronted with a wage recon-
mendation based on an inequality
among different industries. The
panel cited three types of Unequal
iffes which the board has recognized,
those between jobs in the same
plant. between comparable jobs in
the same area, and between COM
parable jobs in the same industry,
a1d then went on with fourth.
Limited Labor Supply.
This fourth" said the panel re-
port, might be defined as wage
disparities between industries COM
peting for the same limited labor
supply. which have directly caused
an outmigration of labor from one
industry to another, Of such dura-
ton and magnitude as to inter-
tere with vital war production and
to present an emergency war prob
lem of national significance. -
And the principle logically fol-
lows that if the problem thus
created may be solved, or it's solu-
ton materially aided, by the max
ing of fair wage adjustments, such
adjustments are not only proper
but are essential in the national
interest"
They would be consistent, the
report contended, with the Presi-
dents stabilization policy and the
boards little steel' decision.
Referring to recent War Man
power Commission order requiring
the metal mine workers to get
certificate of separation from the
United States Employment Service
before they could 60 into other
work, the report said, this order
does not, in our judgment, dispose
of the problem. On the con-
trary, adjustments on account of
these inequalities have become more
urgent"
Public Hearing Set.
A public hearing on the panel re-
port was set for September "a.
Making up the panel majority
we're Dean Lloyd x. Garrison of the
University of Wisconsin Law School,
representing the public, and A, E.
Stevenson, secretary of the Cleve-
land Industrial Union Council. They
also recommended granting union
security in the form of mamte-
nance of membership and the
checkof to the CIO International
Union of Mine, Mill & Smelter
Workers.
eAlmon x. Roth, president of the
San Francisco Employers Council
and industry member OF the panel,
dissented on both issues.
This country" Mr.. Roth's dis
sent said. "is facing acute labor
shortages in many critical war in
dustries. This overall manpower
problem cannot be solved by piece
meal wage adjustments which ex-
ceed the Is per cent limitation of
the little steel formula. To at
tempt such treatment will open the
door for flood OF exceptions which
will soon become the rule and defeat
stabilization.
The panel ma jority estimated the
migration to higher-paid jobs, prin-
cipally In the construction field, has
drained nearly 20 per cent of the
working force in Idaho and Utah.