Evening star., 1943-04-10
ayBiII Accord
Conferees
Seen Next Week
Senate, in Completing
Action, Grants $500
Hike in Low Brackets
BY ]. A. OLEARY..

TuNe 1T LOW DEoGKetS
BY J. A. OLEARY.
Final agreement probably will be
reached next week between House
and Senate conferees on the war
time increases to be paid Federal
bra District employees after April
30.
Both houses have approved con-
tinuation Of the 21.6 per cent tn
crease in per annurn pay for a 49,
hour week, on an overtime basis,
but the Senate amended the bill
before passing it yesterday to deal
mere literally with those In the
low-salary brackets.
Major Senate changes, awaiting
settlement In conference, are: A fiat
$500 In cases where the 216 per
cent overtime raise would be less
than $500 year.
A fiat $500 raise in place of the
present 10 per cent increase for
those whose work cannct be meas
ured by hours. principally in the
legislative and judicial establish
ments.
Eliminates 5000 Ceiling.
Elimination of the ban in exist
Ing law against any raises above
5000, which the House voted to
retain. The Senate provisions would
allow increases in salaries above
$4,000, but with the percentage fig
ured only on the first $4,000 of pay.
The House bill merely continued
the ZIG per cent increase for those
on an overtime basis, without any
lump sum minimum for the low
brackets. For those not subject
to overtime, the House allowed
nat Is per cent instead of the
present 10 per cent.
The House bill would; run until
June 80, 1945, with power reserved
IN Congress to terminate it earlier.
The Senate made June 80, 1914, the
termination date. on the theory Con-
gress could again extend it if the
war is still on.
The conferees also will have be-
fore them Senate committee
amendment to deny the benefits of
the bill to any Government worker
belonging to union that discrimi-
mates on grounds of race, color or
creed.
LANCER Amendment Defeated.
Senator LANCER, Republican, of
North Dakota was defeated on a
motion to extend this ban to wage
board mechanics in navy yards who
are paid under separate legislation.
Supporting the LANCER amend
ment, Senator Mead, Democrat, of
New York said complaints were
brought to the Civil Service Com
mittee that men have been denied
membership because of color In
union whose members are engaged
IN navy yard work. Lack of mem
bership, he said, prevents them from
advancing. Senator Brooks, Re-
publican, of Illinois also. supported
the amendment.
The LANCER proposal was opposed
by Senators Russell, Democrat, of
Georgia, and Byrd, Democrat, of
Virginia, who argued it meant max
Ing labor unions, as private organ
1zations, subject to Government con-
troll.
After the LANCER amendment was
declared lost Senator Russell moved
to strike out the original commit
tee ban, but this move failed on a
standing vote. This left the COM
m1ttee ban in the bill, but without
the additional language that would
have applied it to the Navy Yard
Wage Board workers.
Equivalent to Straight Time.
Senator Mead emphasized dur
Ing debate on the bill sthat con-
tinuation of the PIG per cent raise
for a 48-hour week for most
per annum employees amounts to
little more than straight pay for
overtime, since it is accompanied
by a 20 per cent longer work week.
Late Friday a move was started
to put Government personnel on
the regular time and half basis
for overtime, as required in private
industry, but it was abandoned yes
terday. This would have been. &C
complshed by using 260-day work
year instead of the present 360-day
year in computing the pay for work
over 40 hours. and would have
meant 80 per cent raise instead
of 2l.6 for 4S hours. Senator Mead
explained his original bill early in
February provided for that for
mula, but was rejected by a ma
jority of the Civil Service Commit
Tee