Evening star., 1942-11-26
D. {. Per Diem
Force 10 Share
In Pay Raise
300 Affected.
Approval Of WLB
Held Unnecessary

On the heels Of the Commission
ers' order to increase wages for 5000
per diem employees of the District
government, the National War
Labor Board announced yesterday
that District employees were included
In its order allowing State, county
and municipal governments to ad-
just wage or salary rates without
prior approval by the WLB.
Before the Commissioners an
nounced the wage increase Tuesday,
1t was learned, an effort had been
made to determine whether the Dis
trict came under this order. A WLB
attorney expressed the opinion that
the District was a part of the Fed
eral Government and was therefore
not included. 1t was decided to an
nounce the increases and submit
them to WLB.
The WLB, by unanimous vote, de-
termined yesterday that the District
could be considered under the gen.
eral order covering State, county and
municipal governments, and WLB
approval will not have to be obtained
to put the increases into effect.
Women's Pay Equalized.
- z4lz lo,;e;o,c x,actardoy tho
War Labor Board took the follow
ing actions:
/. Gave employers the right to
equalize the pay of women and
men for similar work without ask
ing WLB permission, provided that
pay adjustments are reported when
made and shall not furnish basis
for higher price ceilings or be used
to resist otherwise justified reduc-
tions. The board would have au-
thority to stop or modify such pay
adjustments later but any such rul-
ing would not be retroactive.
2. Delegated to the Secretary of
War the power to rule on all wage
and salary adjustments of the more
than 100000 civilian employees of
the War Department, the Army Ex-
change Services and Government
owned, privately operated facilities
of the War Department.. Wages and
salaries fixed by statute are exempt.
The order set up an Appeals Com
mittee to handle apeals in connec-
ton with adjustments for employees
of Government owned, privately
operated facilities of the War De-
partment.
Rates for New Jobs.
8. Empowered impartial chairmen,
unpires or arbiters to fix rates for
new jobs without prior board ap-
proval if they have that duty under
a modified collective bargaining
agreement. New rates set through
this machinery should not result in
any substantial increase In costs and
cannot furnish a basis for increased
price ceilings. They should be in
balance with the established rates
for other jobs covered by the agree
ment and be consistent with the
boards wage stabilization policy.
4. Issued a further definition of
General Order No. which exempts
employers of not more than eight
employees from the requirement of
getting board approval of pay in
creaseS. The further definition,
designated as B-4 specifies that the
time to determine the total number
of employees is when the employer
puts the adjustment into effect or
agrees to it. No employer may
make adjustments under this ex-
emption for more than eight per-
sons in the year following october
3, 1912, in the case of wages, or Oc-
tober 27, 1912, in the case of salaries.
S. Issued an Interpretation of
general order No. 6 because of ques-
tions raised about the provision that
the rate for new job classification
shall be fixed "at level not exceed
ing that which prevails for similar
classifications within the area"
Protects Rate Structure.
The object of that order, said the
board, was to prevent an employer,
upon opening new plant or Great
ing new job ciassiflcations in his
existing plant, from paying rates
which would unstabilize the rate
structure in the area affected by his
action. In interpreting general order
No. 6, this object should be kept in
mind, and the order should be given
a practical and common sense
reading"
In the case of the creation of a
new job classification in an existing
plant, wage and hour local offices
may make final rulings, except in
unusual circumstances such as the
setting up of new department of
substantial size.
In the case of the establishment
Of new plant, local wage and hour
Offices will transmit the question to
WLB regional directors for rulings.