Evening star., 1943-05-23
D. {. Job 5tabi|izing
Program Gets of
10 Bad Start ''.'
: Laundry Workers Quit
'Essentior Tasks Without
: Reporting to USES
TEXT OF PLAN now effective here
to stabilize employment. Page ca.
By MIRIAM OTTENBERG,

AGAA oF IAAN IlOW cl1cC6AFe HcTe
a to stabilize employment. Page ca
; BY MIRIAM GUTENBERG.
With one locally needed ac-
tivity" already drastically cur
tailed In its service because OF
the uncontrolled exodus of It's
workers, the Washington Labor
Management Committee pledged
itself yesterday to see that its
plan to stabilize employment
here is not defeated by admin
istrative deficiencies"
Laundries and dry cleaning estab-
fshments, listed as locally needed by
the committee, contend they are los
ing their workers to other employers
who are hiring without requiring
statements of availability.
Statements Required.
These statements are required
under the Washington gtabilizat ton
plan effective yesterday before en-
ployers can take on workers who
have been previously employed in
essential activities or locally needed
activities. 1t is through them that
the War Manpower Commission is
seeking to control job shopping and
labor turnover.
Asked about the laundry situation,
VINO Area Director RAINY B.
Deschner said frankly yesterday
that without additional staff We
will be unable to assist employers
by seeing to it that all employers
are observing the plan"
He said that additional personnel
was needed not only to make spot
checks" of employers to check on
their compliance but also to go into
the laundry business to find out
what the problems are, why the
workers are leaving and where they
are going.
when workers leave an employer
now, we can't find out where they
60 unless they come to the United
States Employment Service for
work" he said. When they find
the USES is asking about statements
Of availability, they stop coming and
start shopping around on their own"
He made it clear that the plan
cannot succeed here unless the ad-
ministrative machinery is set up to
carry 1t out.
The committee said it had sent a
letter to VINO Regional Director
Leo Werts requesting that sufficient
staff be made available to administer
the stabilization plan.
1T is the responsibility of the
committee" Chairman James B.
Burns said. ito see that the sta
bilization plan is carried out in all
respects. That carries with it the
responsibility of seeing that no
administrative deficiencies defeat
that intent"
In seeing that the plan operates,
members of the committee said. it
may be necessary to 90 into the
matter of staff as various indus
tries, particularly the locally needed
activities. register complaints.
Mr.. Werts said yesterday that
Washington had plenty of staff"
to administer its stabiliza ton plan.
He said USES employees could drop
other jobs.
To carry out the plan, the USES
Is charged with the following jobs:
Where employers in essential ac-
tivities refuse to give workers state
ments of availability to change to
other jobs and the workers request
the statements from USES, that
Office must investigate the cases
and make decisions, pending appeals
by either employer or employe.
They must make spot checks" to
see that employers are complying
with the plan.
They must examine and approve
or disapprove all plans by employers
to recruit workers outside the area
with certain exceptions.
They must assist employers in re-
cruiting outside the area where la
Dor needs cannot be met locally.
They must pass on the cases of in
migrants who do not have state
ments of availability from their
home communities.
Also the responsibility of USES
are finding workers in Washington.
persuading them to move from less
essential to more essential jobs,
making war training facilities avail
able and finding the students" to
60 into the training classes, admin
istering the 48-hour week, finding
jobs for men over SO years of age
returning from the Army, certifying
housing requests, keeping labor
market data up to date. passing on
draft replacement schedules and
carrying out the other chores as
signed to 1t by the War Manpower
Commission.
Crippled by internal problems. the
USES is now in the process of re-
organization under K. Vernon Ban
ia, who has just been brought in
as director.
Grave concern over the ability of
the USES to administer a stabliza-
ton plan was blamed on several
occasions by Mr.. Deschner for the
delays in putting a stabilization
program in effect here. Adoption
Of such program was ordered by
VINO Chief McNutt early in Feb
ruary for critical labor shortage
areas. including Washington.
The Labor Management Com
mittee, at its weekly meeting yes
terday, also said it believed Mr..
Werts' instructions to have the
stabilization plan administered in
the nearby counties by Maryland
and Virginia area directors would
make administration Awkward y
but the members did not think it
would disrupt operation of the
plan. Committee members said they
had been informed that the triple
administration was made necessary