Evening star., 1942-07-12
Plane Makers Ask
0PA 10 Suggest
Stabilized Wage
Labor AssoiIs Proposal,
Throwing Los Angeles
PorIey in Deadlock
D, the Associated Press.

Porley in Deadlock
D, the Associated Press.
LOS ANGELES, July I.-War.
plane makers asked the ONCE ol
Price Administration today to sug-
gest a stabilized wage scale after the
Government rejected labors plea
for an estimated s125, 900, 900 annual
increase.
Labor representatives at the Gov
eminent sponsored management :
labor conference to fix wages
promptly assailed the manufactur
ers' suggestion and threw the parley
into a deadlock at the end of its
first six days.
Paul r. Porter, wage stabilizatior
chief of the War Production Board
told the conferees that pay boosts
Jointly requested earlier in the week
by both the CIO and AFL would
not only contribute to an upward
spiral in the cost of living but would
unstabilize employe' relations in
other war and essential industries.
Wants Big Turnover Stopped.
Foster w Harper, deputy chair
man of the War Manpower Commits
sion, demanded that great turn
over of labor in war industries be
stopped. He attributed the turnover
both to labor migration and to en-
listments in military services.
@ Management, representing nine
West Coast plane plants. followed
with this three-point QUESTIONABLE,
addressed to the OPA:
Il. Does Government consider
wage legels in the Pacific Coast
Airframe plants as substandard?
%. What is the definition of wage
Inequalities?
! '-3. At what level will Government
permit wages to be set which the
Government. feels would prevent
migration and yet not be inf1a-
tionary?"~
U. S. Agencies Statement.
Government representatives. in a
statement released later, took the
position that it's unity of front had
been questioned during the discus
sions. The statement read:
I'm view of the statements made
by management and labor partici-
pants in the aircraft sterilization
conference at the close of today's
session. implying conflict over pro-
cedure among Government agencies
represented, the OPA delegation
joined with advisers of other agen-
cies in declaring it has complete
confidence in Chairman Paul Por-
ter's conduct of the conference and
agrees that the WPB has sole re-
sponsibility for this conference"
The conference was called to
stabilize the industry's wages COM
mensurate with increased living
costs in the last year and with COM
parable pay in other war industries,
but with warning note that too
high a boost would lead to imitation.
The factories produce planes for
the Government on a cost-plus
basis. Yet to be decided is the ques-
ton: Who pays the wage boosts,
management or Government? Some
Federal spokesmen have asserted
the factories. profit margin is suffi-
cient to permit an increase without
passing it on to Uncle Sam.
Heated Argument Develops.
The manufacturers statement pre-
cipitated heated argument, climaxed
by Chairman Porter's ruling that the
OPA not be required to reply. He
said, however, the OPA might SUBJ
NIT a written statement if it chose
but indicated it might not be ac-
cepted as yardstick.
"It must be recognized that there
Is a wide difference of opinion rel
ative to the policy of OPA." the
CIO and AFL replied in a joint
statement. Labor xxx should be
Iallowed to present their case sub.
stantiating this request (for higher
ipay) prior to the time any state
Ements are made by the OPA which
might influence the deliberations
land decisions of this conference, tt
the end that stabilization through
scollective bargaining would not be
fachieved as requested and directed
by the President"
Labor charged that the manufac-
lturers attempted to confuse the
issues involved by repeatedly re-
ouesting that the OPA present it,
program of price control and its
effect upon wage freezing
Porter's Statement Quoted.
+ Mr.. Porter. in his statement thai
Iabor's demands were excessive, tolc
the conference:
a.. = It is the opinion of the
War Production Board that the
wage increases requested are incon.
,sistent with the seven-point pro.
gram to control the cost OF living
as stated by the President in hi
message to Congress on April 27.
] Wage advances to this extent
land at this time would not only con
tribute to an upward spiral in th'
Icost of living, but would unstabiliz'
.employe relations in other war ane
Essential industries, especially OF
1.-THE Pacific Coast"
The AFL and CIO requested tha
current minimums of 60 cents al
hour for unskilled labor be raiSet
to o5 cents and that other clasSifl
cations be increased. Top demant
was a boost for skilled Workmel
from S1.52 to ST go an hour. The 81
cent minimum applies for a limi
of 80 days, with scent raise eacl
of the first three months to boos
pay to IS cents.