The potters herald. [volume] (East Liverpool, Ohio) 1899-1982, 1943-04-08
Building Industry Body Re.
ceives Some Rises As
High As 6090
"POST-REVIEW" PLANNED
Wage Adjustment Board
Headed By Assistant
Secretary Of Labor


Board for the Building and Construc
ton Industry, headed by Daniel j.
Tracy, Assistant Secretary of Labor,
is awarding wage increases in some
cases above the 10 per cent Little
Steel formula and the War Labor
Board has been approving such in
creases since early this year.
In some cases these increases have
been as much as 80 per cent for
labOrers, while rates for skilled
mechanics in the upper brackets have
gone up 1914 per cent to GO per cent
as compared with rates on Jan. /,
1941.
The Wage Adjustment Board has
turned down more wage-increase re-
quests than it has granted.
The wage increases voted by the
Wage Adjustment Board, comprising
representatives of the Army, Navy,
Maritime Commission, Labor Depart
ment. and building trade unions of the
American Federation of Labor have,
in some cases, been above the figures
Stl ny lIt Is AL.
Under the Executive Order of Oct 3,
1912, the War Labor Board is re-
quired to pass upon all wage increases
of the nature specified in the proceed
ings of the Wage Adjustment Board.
''POst-Review" BY The WLB
Instead of passing upon these in
creases before, they are granted, the
War Labor Board receives the data
from the Wage Adjustment Board
after the increases have been put inlo
effect. This post Streview" procedure
has irkcd some of the WLB members,
who feel that their board is virtually
Il rubber stamp for the Wage Adj
justment Board since it is impractic-
able to take away Il wage increase
once it has been granted.
The contention of those representing
the armed services on the Wage Ad-
iustment Board is that the adjust
mentS are put into effect as soon rs
voted in order to correct abnormal
conditions or for the purpose of saw
ing or conserving manpowcr in the
interests of the war. Other reasons
assigned for the wage increases are
adjustment Of inequalities and malad-
justmentS, and removal of inequitieS
as provided in the WLB formula and
under the Executive Order of Oct >,
| 1912, etfectuating the Anti-Inflation
| Act.
Eight cases showed wage-rate in
creases of l5.4 per cent to 60 per cent
of the wages effective on Jan. |, 194l
the beginning point of the Little
Steel formula, which allows for an
increase of 10 per cent in line with the
rise in living costs during the January
| l941-May, 1942, period
The WAB allowed an increase from
S1.625 to Sl.9O an hour, or 2G.6 per
cent, in the bricklayerS' rate at plant
at MOneSSen, Pa, on the ground that
the increased volume of construction
in the area had made great demands
on the labor supply in the locality
neceSSitating the importation of skilled
workmen from the surrounding areas
in which higher rates prevail; that
| NdSt IdltS prev uIlllie III tllt urea N'lt
inadequate to insure sufficient supplies
of workmcn for the project"
On Navy contract in Brevard
County, Fla, the WAB granted to un-
| skilled laborerS Il wage increase of 80
| to 30 cents, or Gi.6 per cent, for the
Little Steel period. in this case the
contractor had failed 10 obtain work
ers through the United States Employ
mcnt Service
Mason tenders and mortar mixers
on the job were paid sixty cents an
hour, an increase of 30 per cent from
the 40-cent rate being paid on Jan. l.
/ 1871.
TO GLACIERS at the Oklahoma City
Aircraft assembly plant who received
90 cents an hour on Jan. !, 1911, 81. 81
an hour was awarded, an increase of
oS.3 per cent
Asbestos workers at the Marine Air
Base, Cherry Point, n. c., whose rate