Evening star., 1942-10-17
Non-Ferrous Metal
Miners Get ST a Day
Increase in Wages
WLB Votes Conditional
Raise to Boost Output
Of VituI War Materials
By the Associated Press.

~ i'ie FasooSio tea leSS.
Stating that war industries face
critical shortage of non-ferrous
metals. the War Labor Board voted
yesterday to grant a conditional ST.
a-day pay increase to 10000 copper,
lead and zinc mine workers in Idaho
and Utah in move designed to
increase, manpower in the industry.
1nasmuch as the increase prob
ably would require an upward re-
visoin in prices of the metals, the
pay increase will have to be ap-
proved by James F. Byrnes, economic
stabilization director.
The increase would be ST a day
to workers whose continuity of work
and rate of production came up to
certian standards. Others would re-
ceive an increase of only so cents a
day.
Designed 10 Speed War Effcrt.
The boards action. adopted by a
vote Of 8 to with employer mem
bers dissenting, was based on find
ing that there exists a critical
shortage in the mining of non-
ferrous metals, particularly copper,
which has resulted in directly i'm
peding the production of essential
munitions and is interfering with
the war effort of the Nation"
Covered by the decision, the board
said, would be many miners who
have left for other work The miners
were represented by the Interna
tional Union of Mine, Mill and
Smelter Workers, CIO.
The proposed increase was made
retroactive to May Is in the case
of the Idaho mines and to July !
in the case of the Utah mines. This
retroactive pay would be granted
in the form of War bonds and
stamps. No retroactive pay would
be granted to any employe who has
left his job unless he return imme-
diately or has left to join the armed
services or because of causes beyond
his control.
Roger D. Lapham. spokesman for
the employer members, said the
proposed increase was "a palliative
held out to minority group-mem-
bers Of one uniOn-representing less
than Is per cent of the miners
within the industry. The board
knows full we'll how difficult it will
be to deny corresponding increases
to the $4,000 workers in non-ferrous
mines not covered by this decision.
Mr.. Lapham said policy of grant,
ing wage increases ''to prevent or re-
| duce the flow of manpoWer from one
industry to another will only lead to
chaos, economic or otherwise" He
urged adoption of national man.
power control legislation to handle
such problems.
The board said the miners in
creased wages were still below the
common and skilled labor rates pre-
vailing generally for comparable
work in the expanded labor mar.
ket that has resulted from war pro-
duction."
| 5-Man Board Setup.
At the same time, the board setur
a five-man War Labor Board non-
ferrous metal stabilization panel tc
recommend to the board specific
plans and policies for sterilization OF
labor relations throughout the in
dustry, to the end that a maximum
production Of non-ferrous metals for
the duration OF the war may be pro-
noted"
The hoard a1so votnd ipcreosoc nj
from 21a to 12la cents an hour fol
approximately 1000 mill and smelte1
workers of the American Smelling
and Refining Co. employed in plants
in California, Colorado, Illinois, New
Mexico and at Montgomery, NJ.