Evening star., 1942-07-17

and indirectly upon all labor, to ac-
cept the sacrifices which are their
share under the national program
for adjusting our domestic economy
to the needs of total war.
by accepting its responsibilities,
labor will have the opportunity for
leadership in the fight against eco
nomic instability, for with labor
It's obligations it has right
to insist that vigorous steps be
taken to effectuate every point to
the seven point program. This is a
time when labor craftsmanship can
serve the country we'll"
Labor Wins Rest Of Case.
Though allowed less than half Of
its wage demand, the union largely
won the rest of its case. The board
granted union security in the form
Of maintenance-of- membership
clause combined with the company
checkoff (collection) of union dues,
and q minimum daily wage guaran-
tee. The full union shop had been
asked.
DR.. Taylor pointed out in q press
statement that the board arrived at
the A cents, or 51l cents an hour,
by applying the guiding principles
IS follows:
THE steel workers had secured
a wage increase of 11.8 per cent be-
tween January l., 194l, and May l.,
1912, as compared with Is per cent
increase in the cost of living index
during this period. Thus, they had
suffered loss of 80 per cent in their
peacetime standards. Therefore,
they were entitled to an hourly in
crease Of 81 cents in order to re-
establish their peacetime standards,
since the average hourly wage rate
In the steel industry is 81.
"Since the dispute was certified
to the board more than two and
one-half months prior to the Presi-
dents message to Congress Of April
~, outlining the national economic
policy, the steel workers were
caught by a change Of rules in
the middle Of the game In view
of this factor and the greater cost
of living change in steel towns as
compared with the national aver
age, the board decided that the
workers in. this case had an addi-
tional equity which entitled them to
a further increase of 2.3 cents an
hour.
There is no mathematical ex-
actness in the fraction of a cent
which is specified" he said in his
opinion. The exact fraction was
supplied in order to insure total
rate practical for payroll purposes
Called Token Adjustment"
The dissent, signed by George
Meany and Robert j. Watt (AFL)
and Thomas Kennedy and r. ].
Thomas (CIO) said: THE con-
clusion is inescapable that the
majority carried on its deliberations
with fixed intention not to grant
more than a token adjustment,
selecting those facts which would
fit that pattern and rejecting a
multitude of facts and cogent ar
guments which calls for a more SUBJ
stantial adjustment.
substituting rhetoric for analy-
sis, it has gone all-out for the in
f1ation thesis, a thesis compounded
of conjectures and prophecies, fears
and hysteria. 1t has, In effect,
accepted the contention, advanced,
among others, by Government
agencies which are not charged
with the duty OF adjusting wage
disputes, that there shall be no
substantial wage adjustments, nc
matter how meritorious the case
may be, and no matter If that in
crease can be made in manner
that is concededly not inflationary
I'm short, the board has acted, as
the chairman points out, on the as
sumption that the cost OF living will
now be stabilized. Obviously and in
contestably, now means-at the ex-
pense of the workers. To single out
the workers for such discriminatory
treatment is to risk serious blow
to their morale and thereby dam
gerously to undermin the war effort.
The four so-called little steel
companies directly affected were
Bethlehem, Republic, Inland and
YOUNGSTOWN Sheet and Tube. They
employ about $4,000 workers rep
resented by the C1O United Steel
Workers.
The maintenance Of membership