Evening star., 1942-03-25
.LaborCurbDrive
Pushed Despite
Unions Offer
Roosevelt, Opposing
40-Hour Law Change,
Splits With Leaders

The Congress of Industrial
Organizations and the American
Federation OF Labor stood ready
today to modify their overtime
pay scales in response to admin
istration efforts, but despite this
the House drive pushed forward
to suspend the 40-hour week in
war industries.
Even though President Roosevelt
reiterated his opposition to chang
ing the 40-hour week and thereby
put himself into disagreement with
two Democratic leaders, Speaker
Ray burn and Chairman George OF
the Senate Finance Committee.
agitation for a longer work week
in arms plants continued unabated
and the way the controversy was
shaping up. the Associated Press
reported, led many on Capitol Hill
to believe that a definite show
down was ahead, perhaps involving
some sort of compromise.
One authoritative source dis
closed that the House Naval A.
fairs Committee was studying legis-
lation which would put only war
industries on standard 48-hour
week, with a bonus-incentive plan
to spur production. The double
purpose of the bill would be the
reduction OF labor costs on arms
contracts and the recapture OF all
war order profits above per cent.
Unions Offer Waivers.
Committee discussion of this bill
followed action of the C. I. o. and
A. F. L. In offering to forego some
OF the extra pay now provided in
existing contracts.
The C. I. O.'s executive board rec
commended to affiliated unions last
night that they waive overtime paw
for Saturday. Sunday and holiday
work when such work is performed
within 40-hour week. However,
overtime rates would continue In
effect for work over and above the
40hour limit.
President William Green OF the
A. F. L. likewise announced that
his union had given the Government
assurance that it will waive dou-
Bile time payment for Sunday and
holiday work in all war industries
for the duration"
c. I. o. Chief Philip Murray said
the action was at the behest of
President Roosevelt and Donald M.
Nelson, War Production Board chief,
but Mr.. Green claimed that A. FL.
unions had adopted such a policy
more than a year ago. He cited
the A. F. L. building trades and
metal trades unions for "outstand-
ing examples"
Agreement Cited.
The building and construction
trades department of the A. FL.
entered into stabilization pact with
the Government and war contrac-
tors last year" he recounted. This
agreement, covering a million and a
half workers. provided specifically
that all double-time would be
waived and that fiat rate of time
and-a-half for overtime would be
instituted.
The Metal Trades Department of
the A. F. L. negotiated an agreement
last January covering 100000 work.
ers IN West Coast shipyards and pro-
viding for 24-hour a day, seven-day
week production. This pact specified
that double time should be paid only
for a seventh consecutive day Of
work. This is in accord with Presi-
dent Roosevelt's policy
Double time for Sundays happened
to be one Of the issues in the case in
volving the international Harvester
Co.. which was called for a hearing
today before the full War Labor
Board. Both C. I. o. and A. F. L. un-
ions have joined in presenting de-
mands on the subject. but in view
OF the announcements last night the
two unions were expected to with
draw their double time claims.
The latest legislative effort in
volving the labor and war produc-
ton question was still in the tenta-
tive drafting stage. but House sources
said the proposed bill would:
/. Retain the present 40-hour max.
imum work week for civilian pro-
duction, while increasing it to 48
hours for those engaged in war work
Under that plan, overtime pay would
start for the war workers after 48
hours, and bonus payment system
would be inaugurated to discourage
slow-downs and to encourage in
crease individual effort and output.
2. Establish a limitation on profits
of 6 per cent of the cost. That fea-
ture of the bill would be aimed
chiefly at recovering big bonus pay
ments to corporation executives and
employees.
3. Freeze the union status in in
dustry for wars duration, with an
added clause to limit union initiation
fees to IS and to peg union monthly
dues to their level on March 1.
4. Outlaw jurisdictional strikes and
eliminate double time pay for Sum-
day and holiday work and time-and. d.
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