The potters herald. [volume] (East Liverpool, Ohio) 1899-1982, 1942-10-15
Overtime PdY Bon
Under Union Fire
Labor Groups Drive To Get
The Exemption Granted
AL Building Mechanics

Washington. - President ROOsevelt's
order of Sept. 8 abolishing premium
overtime for Saturday and Sunday
work falling within the forty-hour
week was reported today to be facing
a breakdown as a result of the insist
ence of some unions that they be in
cluded within the exemption given to
/ 100000 American Federation of La
Dor building trade mechanics by Secre-
tary Perkins.
Philip Murray, president of the Con
gress of Industrial Organizations, was
reported to have made Il protest to
Secretary Perkins, charging favoritism
to the a. +. L., while the G. /. O,s
United Radio, Electrical, Radio and
Machine Workers of America are I'M.
derstood to be taking steps to be in
cluded under the exemptions.
The War Labor Board may also be
brought into the situation as a result
of Il circular letter to {. |. o. atfiliates
sent out by Lee Pressman, G. 1. o.
general counsel.
The overtime ban by the President
affected collective bargaining agree
ments by several hundred national
unions, as well as some thousands Of
such contracts by local unions. If en-
ployerS and employees re-negotiate
these agreements and certify to Secre-
tary Perkins that they have satisfac-
torily adjusted their relations and wish
to keep up the weekend overtime pay,
the Secretary is permitted, under the
order amending the overtime ban, to
make such exceptions.
That this will be done was apparent
by the way in which some of the unions
received the news that Secretary Per-
kins had obtained an amendment of the
original order.
a letter sent out by the radio work
ers' union to all its national and local
officers states:
'If our companies desire to avoid
confusion, disruption and diSSatiSfact-
ton among our people and if they de-
sire to maintain production at the
highest possible level, the amendment
| to the Executive Order affords them an
by joining in with the respective local
unions in requesting that the existing
agreements voluntarily entered into by
the company and the local union, shall
be maintained.
'If they refuse to do this it should
then be clear that these companies
seek TO take selfish advantage of the
provisions of the Executive Order even
though an amendment to this EXecu-
tive Order permits reasonable manage
ment to act in I; manner that will be OF
great assistance to the war effort.
This point of view should be made
very clear by the local unions to the
companies. Before any company under
takes tn place the blame on the govern
ment for issuing the Executive Oorder
they must assume full responsibility
for their refusal to join with the union
under the amendment to the EXecu-
tive Order"
G.. o. Expresses Its Views
The indication that the overtime
might be brought before the War La
Dor Board was contained in the memo
randum sent out to atfiliates by the
c. l. Q. under the signature of its
general counsel, and which said in
part:
"PrOviSjOnS of. any outstanding col
lective bargaining agreements which
Ia, with 10 Evncnt y
Order cannot be observed as long as the
Executive Order applies. However, it is
1 important to note that where this Oc,
ours the union has the right to negoti.
ate the entire problem raised, and in
tn absence of an agreement between the
union and the employer the DISPUTE
could be certified TO the National Wal
Labor Board for disposition
An official of the United Automobile
Workers c. |. o. today declared that
his union was "out on Il limb in view
of its recent action to abolish overtime
pay for weekend work when it fel
within the 4O-hour week. He explained
that when President Murray of tho
c. l. O. agreed to such Il request by
President Roosevelt, the auto unioi
held "a special emergency conference
and acted upon the direct request o1
President Roosevelt.
This action caused the union tt
abandon overtime provisions for week
end premium pay contracts affecting
so per cent of its 100000 members
When the recent convention of the
auto union discovered that other unions
had used the argument in labor boarc
elections that they had not given III
premium pay for weekend work, the
auto union officials felt, according t.
their statements that they had beer
: Disseminated against in the mOvemen,
to abolish weekend overtime. They
! made Il protest 10 the President to that
effect, they assert, with the result thai
the President issued his general order
of Sept 9, subsequently amended.