Evening star., 1943-02-05
VINO Orders Setup
To Ration Labor Here
And in 81 Other Areas
McNutt and Foy Soy
Plan Won't Call for
Job Freezing in D. c.

Machinery for rationing the
Nations civilian war labor force
and to eliminate "pirating," dis
elimination and the rising rate
Of absenteeism in war plants in
80 critical areas, including the
District, was ordered set up to-
day by the War Manpower Com
mission.
While its Management Labor
Committees policy statement indi-
Gated the freezing" of millions of
workers to their jobs, John Foy,
acting VINO regional director for
the District, Maryland, Virginia,
West Virginia and North Carolina,
denied the order will freeze workers
to their jobs here"
"A District of Columbia director"
he explained, will have to be ap-
pointed, and I have recommended
Raynee Deschner for this Office.
Mr.. Deschners home is in st. Louis
Next, we will have to set up
management-laoor manpower COM
mittee. working closely with the
area director, and my Office will have
to draft a program in the event it is
determined full hiring control is
needed here.
McNutt Comments on Order.
"The executive departments of the
Federal Government are not in
cluded in the order have received
from the War Manpower Commits
sion. Hirings for the Washington
Navy Yard, unless otherwise decreed
by agreement reached between my
Office and the Management-Labor
Committee, will continue to be
handled jointly by the United States
Employment Service and the Civil
Service Commission"
Chairman Paul V. McNutt also
denied that the management-labor
statement would freeze" workers
to their jobs in the District or other
areas.
The order speaks for itself" he
declared. I'm SO far as it will not
interfere with the effective prosecu-
ton of the war, employers will have
the right to discharge incompetent
workers and an employe has the
right to select suitable employment"
The manpoWer chief also pointed
out the machinery could not start
operating here Or elsewhere until
programs have been approved by
locally appointed managementlabo
committees.
Essential plants of eight or more
employees and manufacturing
establishments of Is or more work.
ers would be affected, according to
the policy statement.
Powers Are Broad.
The regional manpower directors,
delegated with broad powers to make
the machinery effective, are warned
in the statement that no program
to be set up by them shall con-
tain any provisions which violate
any Federal or State law affecting
labor relations. wages, hours or con-
ditions of employment
With respect to an employers
hiring practice" the policy provides
that insofar as it will not inter
fere with the effective prosecution
of the war" he shall not be "obliged
to retain in his employ a worker
who is incompetent to perform
the work to which he has been as
signed or other suitable work Of
fered him." or who fails to con-
form to reasonable shop rules or
standards of conduct
The standards of conduct" may
include excessive absenteenism,
which is reported to be prevailing in
some war industries and which came
under sharp attack by Capt. Eddie
Rickenbacker this week.
The hiring practice policy further
provides that workers shall be re-
ferred to jobs which will utilize their
skills most effectively in the war
effort"
Other Provisions.
Other provisions are set out as
follows:
"U Priority shall be accorded to
employers engaged in essential ac-
tivities, in the order of the urgency
OF their activities, to meet labor
needs that cannot be met by eff
cient utilization of labor already
employed.
"(2) A worker engaged or most re-
Gently engaged in an essential ac-
'see MANPOWER, Page A-lsJ