Evening star., 1942-05-22
Blanket Boosts
In Pay Opposed
By ByPresident
Indorses Overtime
Adjustment for U. S.
Employees, However

1noOTSlnS projected extra COM
pensation for overtime work by
Federal employees, President
Roosevelt today promulgated a
policy of opposing individual
company blanket wage raises
during the war period.
Basis for this latter position, he
explained, is the already announced
national policy regarding imitation
controls-one portion of which con-
sists of discouraging spiraling pay
increases.
With reference to the increased
compensation for Federal workers,
already recommended to Congress in
the suggestion that time and one
half pay be granted lower -salaried
public employees for work beyond the
40-hour week, the President told his
press conference that the proposal
is one Of simple justice.
Federal employees, he went on,
have had little in the way of salary
increases in the last few years to
give them equality with other work.
ing groups. The proposed measure
of reward, he added, could be de-
scribed as a proper adjustment.
Income Uniformity Sought.
Mr.. Roosevelt's declaration of op-
position to plant-wide pay raises by
individual companies came in re-
sponse TO questioning over the pro-
posal of a Western. aviation firm to
increase the pay of all its employees.
The President asserted that one
company. just because of its ability
to pay high wages. should not be
encouraged to take this action and
thereby make other workers Of the
same industry unhappy. The ma
tional objective, he emphasized. is
one of uniformity in the control
of worker income.
Asked to clarity his remarks. the
President said the Government
would do everything it could to
prevent increases contrary to ma
tional policy. He added. however.
that he did not know what these
steps might be.
Meanwhile, prompt enactment OF
the Federal pay bill was urged on
Congress by the c. I. o. United
Federal Workers. which described
it as IAN essential war measure"
Evasions Predicted.
Concurrently, in radio address
over WINK, James B. Burns. presi-
dent of the American Federation Of
Government Employes-A. F. L. af-
f1liate-predicted evasion Of the pro-
posed law by some supervisors,
and urged several revisions.
President Roosevelt has shown
the way to greater morale. efficiency
and production in the nerve-center
of the Nations war effort" the
U. F. w. said in letters to Senate
and House leaders. adding that the
Presidents proposal must be the
No. l item on the calendar of legis-
lation for Federal employees There
can be no reason for delay in max
ing it law"
Eleanor Nelson national secretary
treasurer of the U. F. W., also sent
a letter to the President expressing
the qualification and enthusiasm"
Of the union over the measure
recommended Wednesday by the
Civil Service Commission with the
approval of the President.
Supervisors Action Feared.
In his radio talk last night. Mr..
Burns pointed out that the overtime
rate is not payable for extra hours
other than those ordered by the head
of an agency. and that this restric-
ton opens the way for supervisory
officials to order overtime as they
see fit, for which employees would
not be paid.
1T has been stated unofflcially,
but on high authority" he said.
that the effort will be made to keep
maximum hours to not more than
48 weekly, because it is recognized
that excessive hours lead to ineffl-
cheney, illness and abstenteeism.
That recognition, unfortunately,
has not percolated down to some of
the lower reaches in administrative
ranks, where some supervisors seem
to think that employees, regardless
of age or sex. can work unlimited
hours as if they we're machines. and
that they ought to be happy to do
so if some minor official thinks they
should"
Asks Removal of Ceiling.
He also objected to the fact that
overtime is not to be paid if it will
put the pay of an employe over
50 $500 annually. In some instances
where employees already receive
overtime pay this limitation will
mean a reduction, he said.
The fact is that only employees
now receiving $4,000 or less would
get full benefit from the time-and-
a-half provision if they worked 48
hours and were paid for the extra
time under the proposed bill" Mr..
Burns said, advocating removal Of
the $1,000 ceiling.
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