Evening star., 1943-09-07
mo, 3 OF a Series. J
BY MIRIAM GUTENBERG.

BY MIRIAM OTTENBEKG.
A sailor, discharged because of
tuberculosis, reported for work on
his old job. He was told he couldn't
be taken back.
His mother had just enough to
support herself, not enough to pay
doctors bills. The youth tried to
get other jobs. failed
After two months of that his
mother wrote Mrs. Roosevelt. She
wasn't complaining. She just want
ed to know If there wasn't some
agency set up to help boys like her
son.
Mrs. Roosevelt sent the letter to
Selective Services Unemployment
Division. Arrangements were imme-
diately made to get the boy into
Veterans Administration hospital,
but something more far-reaching
for other servicemen was accom-
plished.
None to Be Turned Away.
The Unemployment Division made
an arrangement with that plant and
many others. The plants agreed
never to turn away their returning
servicemen who weren't physically
fit to hold down their old jobs. The
men were to be held at the plant
till Red Cross worker-later re-
employment committeeman-could
be summoned Sick, discouraged
men in uniform were not to be
turned out into the street without
knowing where TO 60 next.
That's a sample of how protec-
tions for servicemen are growing
out of the experiences Of men re-
turning now to civilian life.
Congress promised the servicemen
they would get their jobs back, but
it's not quite that simple. 1t would
take a whole book of laws to cover
every case, but gradually the loop
holes in the law are being spotted
and plugged.
Sometimes just talk with the
employer is enough. Sometimes a
union is involved. There are ques-
tions of seniority, pay. transfers to
other cities, the kind Of work a
man returns to, his physical con-
dition.
One Case Reached Court.
Only once has a case gotten as
far as court-at Government ex-
pense-and that was never tried.
When the employer found out that
the law really did have teeth In It,
he reinstated the soldier with $40
back pay.
In one case a strike, called be-
cause of the return of a soldier to
his former job, was settled by the
men themselves. who agreed to the
reinstatement when the case was
laid before them on It's merits.
Here are some of the cases that,
having been decided, will smooth
the path for other returning men
in uniform:
An employer had filled the mans
old job with another employe. He
offered the veteran another job at
lower wages. The Unemployment
Division stepped in-the veteran
went back on his old job at his old
salary.
An employer told a returning
serviceman he had no job for him
where he had formerly worked, but
he could give him a job in another
town. The Unemployment Division
ruled that unless the man was
agreeable to the change, the en-
ployer couldn't transfer him. How
ever, if the veteran had no home
in the town where he had formerly
worked and no ties, he might be ad-
yised to take the other job.
Two Jobs, Three Men.
A veteran returned to a Job
operating on a 24-hour basis. He
had worked the day shift. When
he came back, the man who had
replaced him on the day shift volun-
tarily returned to his old shift, but
the shifts were consolidated into
two and man on the night shift
claimed he had seniority over the
veteran. There were two Jobs,
three men. That is still an open
case" The Unemployment Divi-
sion will insist the veteran be taken
back. The labor representative on
e1AN 4>ocASAtoi S2CdAl lilS IlOuSG SOIIl-
mittee, a volunteer group repre-
senting all interests in the COM
munity, will be asked to straighten
it out with the union.
Several plants have insisted on
seeing the discharged veterans med
ical reports. The Re-employment
Division called in the company rep
resentatives explained that the
service physical examinations were
much stricter than those given by
the plants.
do you think it's fair to submit
veterans to more thorough exam
ination than your other employes?"
the company representatives were
asked. Well, they hadn't thought
about it that way. The practice
would be stopped.
Some companies, as result of
cases that have already arisen, have
agreed to take back old employees,
VINO obviously weren't fit to stay on
the job, until hospital arrangements
could be made.
Here are some of the other poll
cies that will help servicemen to
get their old jobs back:
TH1