Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1943-02-10
Reuther Bares
Auto Workers
Wage Move
Nations Reaction
To Presidents New
Order Is Mixed
By the Associated Press.

By the Associated Press.
An official of the CIO United
Automobile Workers today adj
vanced a demand for "guaran-
teed weekly wage rates." as mixed
reaction was expressed to Pres
ident Roosevelt's order fixing a
minimum work week Of 48 hours
on the home front.
The Presidents order provided
that workers who are covered by the
Fair Labor Standards Act should
get time-and-a-h half for work in ex-
cess Of 40 hours.
Walter p. Reuther, vice president
of the CLIO United Automobile
Workers, said at Detroit his union
would formally ask for guaranteed
weekly wage rates. The most effec-
tive guarantee" of success for the
program to increase production
would be ito order payment to all
workers of guaranteed weekly wage
IN keeping with the standard, fixed
by the President" he said.
Detroit Approval Is General.
Generally labor and MANAGEMENT
in the highly jndustrialized Detroit
area expressed approval Of the order.
Spokesman for the Ford, General
Motors and Chrysler companies
said most OF their workers already
were on 48-hour or longer work
week. but Go ofiicials have re-
Gently contended workers in such
plants in many instances were work.
ing less than 40 hours.
In Akron, Ohio, rubber tire center,
John w. Thomas, president OF the
Board of the Firestone d Rubber
Co., said the Presidents order was
a step In the right direction" but
Harley Treen, president of a CLIO
local at the Firestone plant, said
he feared many workers win be
made idle" by the frightening OF
hours.
The Akron Industrial Union Coun-
Gil, central organization for CLIO
aMliates, was preparing an alter
nate manpower proposal when the
Presidents order was issued, as 1t
contends there Is 4 surplus ratl1er
than shortage OF labor In the area.
Leaders Delay CsAameAt.
President Philip Murray OF the
CIO said he had no immediate
comment, and one was immedi-
ately available from President John
L. Lewis Of the United Mine Work
ers or President william Green Of
the American Federation OF Labor.
Omcials Of the National Associa-
ton Of Manufacturers said they
had not completed study of the.
order.
E. J. O'Connor, executive vice
president OF the Associated Indus
tries of Oklahoma, said at Okla
homa City that unless provision is
made for payment Of the increased
production labor costs, then firms
with war contracts figured without
overtime and those whose prices are
controlled by OPA will go broke"
Omcials Of big industries In the
Macon, Ga, area said the order
would not affect them, as they al
ready were on a work basis Of 48
or more hours week, and Frank
Brooks, president of the Retail
Merchants Bureau, said the order
was probably just what we need,
G. w. McCommon, president Of
the Atlantic Cotton Mills at Macon,
however. expressed concern, and
said his employees generally were
reluctant to work over 40 hours 4
week. He said he had offered a 81
bonus to get the workers to stay
on the job. but that failed. He
added, Il wish the Government
would tell us how" to keep them
working.
Virginian Gives Views.
John Hopkins Hall, Virginia COM
missioner OF labor, said the effect
of the order would be principally
psychological in clearing up a mis-
apprehension that the 40-hour
week meant just that and that
many persons believed that work
was definitely limited to 10 hours" .
In Baltimore, Harry w. Walker,
secretary of the Independent Retail
Grocers' Association, asserted that
Tor small retailers this means COM
plete ruin for many. Paying over
time wages after 40 hours will add
80 per cent to payrolls of retail
grocers. We won't be able to stand
that. In ordinary times we would
pass the increases on to consumers.
but the Office Of Price Administers
ton won't let us do 1t now"
What does that mean? It means
ruin for small operators. Our labor
costs already are up 7 to IA per cent
over what they were q year or 50
ago.
In@.@.&:@.-na l-.