The potters herald. [volume] (East Liverpool, Ohio) 1899-1982, 1942-06-18
WAGE INCREASES

THE MOST important single factor IN winning
this war is the united will OF the people TO see IL
through successfully. There must be a feeling OF
personal concern and personal responsibility from
which comes determination to Go and TO endure
The American Federation OF Labor early
pledged unreserved cooperation. we realized lfee
opportunity for labor at stake. We sealed trlS
nledpe with q promise not to strike on war prOduc-
tion There have been no authorized strikes since.
Nothing more is humanity possible. we OF our own
accord agreed not to strike and by keeping tilat
agreement have kept our right to strike uhlnl-
paired. The right to strike IS laborS most luhda-
mental right its last resort. In spite or THIS
record our enemies have sought to deprive US per-
manently of the right to strike
Now we find ourselves attacked on another
front 1t is proposed to deny our right to contract
on the ground that wage increases may cause IN
flation Labor fears imitation and for that reason
urged a price control administration with power
to ration scarce articles and to license dealers as
a method of enforcement From the first we have
consistently maintained that incomes dld not
properly come under price control
Incomes are payment Tor human services.
Every free person has the right to contract the
terms upon which he works. The principle apples
whether the income received IS called wage
salary, fees, commission or Whatnot. lhe conpen-
saton given is the valuation of the services rem
dered.
At the present time war Industries are making
huge profits and the workers employed are turn
ing out production that exceeds the goals set by
the President. More persons are ellpOyeu dhu
many have increased earnings by overtime
In only four industries do workers earn enough
to maintain standards of health and decency with
out working overtime. Even this income-about
S25OO-docS not provide adequate medical care
and we know from draft records how many are
incapacitatcd by causes that could have been
remedicd Wages more than compensation for
work-important as that is They represent status
and participation in social progress.
Labor realizes the problem and the danger
from increased purchasing with shortage of con
sumers' goods and proposes to meet the problem
rs follows:
Maintain collective bargaining so that workers
shall receive a just share of what they help to
produce in accord with the companys ability to
pay
TO prevent wage increases from becoming an
inilationary force we propose:
Increases in rates for social security and eX-
panSion of benefits with extension of cOverage S,-
cal security funds invested in government
bonds and serve the double purpose Of financing
the war and providing against postwar emer-
genclcS.
Payment Of wage increases for the higher
brackets in war bonds But increases for workers
whose living standards are subnormal must be
available currently. These bonds should be spc-
cial non-intercst bearing issue.
These proposals would supplement the Ad-
miniStraton'S efforts to control initiation and pro
vide future buying when industries resume civilian
production without taking from labor its right tC
free contract In this war to defend human free
dom must not destroy those rights which are
the very keys to that freedom.