Evening star., 1943-01-13
WLB 10 Decentra|ize,
Sci Up Il Regional
Offices 10 Speed Cases
Area Boards Powers
Will Be FinoI on Wuoe
Agreements and Disputes
Sy the Associated Press.

By the Associated Press
The War Labor Board, it was
learned today, has decided on a
drastic reorganization of pro-
cedure calling for the creation
OF regional boards with power to
rule finally in labor disputes and
voluntary wage and salary agree
mentS.
The regional boards will be set
up in the 10 cities in which the WI,B
now has regional offices, with two
others located in Detroit and Seattle
Two more may be established later.
Details Of the plan probably will be
announced in week, and the boards
Will start functioning as quickly as
the necessary personnel can be OBJ
tanned and the machinery organized.
A growing backlog of cases and
complaints of delay which some
times manifest themselves in
"quickie" work stoppages, led the
board to decide on this virtual all
out decentralization and delegation
Of authority.
Previous Plan Inadequate.
Previously the WLB had planned
to establish 30 or more permanent
panels throughout the country and
to give certain review powers to
the existing regional advisory
boards. but found that plan was
not far-reaching enough to keep
abreast OF the heavy case load.
Instead, the advisory boards will
be reconstructed into regional War
Labor Boards. The regional boards
will be almost exact counterparts of
the WLB in Washington. They will
have IL members each-four repre-
senting industry, four labor and four
public members. 1t is possible, how
ever, that only half that number
Will serve on a full-time basis at
hrst. The present regional director
IN each case will become one of the
public members as well as chairman.
Each board will have its own staff
Of mediators, panel assistants, ref
srees, and research and review
analysts. Their work will be more
closey tied than ever to the activi-
ties Of the United States Cancellation
Service.
Hopes to Speed Cases.
BY this method the WLB hopes
TO speed up greatly the disposition
OF disputes and to reduce to a mere
trickle the volume of cases coming
to Washington. In effect, the WLB
will constitute itself supreme
court" In its field. deciding those
cases which affect basic policy.
Cases may be appealed to Washing
ton in certain circumstances. and
the WLB will retain its right to
call up a case and review 1t on its
own motion.
The cities in which these boards
will be established are Boston, New
York, Philadelphia. Atlanta, Cleve-
land, Chicago, Kansas City, Denver,
Dallas, Detroit, Seattle and San
Francisco.
Meanwhile, the WLB announced
the establishment of shipbuilding
commission, to settle labor disputes
and pass on requests for wage and
salary increases among the Nations
100000 shipbuilding workers.
The commission will consist Of
seven members-a chairman, two
members representing management
and two representing labor, to be
selected by the War Labor Board;
one member to be appointed by Sec
retary of the Navy Knox, and one
to be named by the Maritime Com
mission.
Continues Committee.
Under the boards order. the Ship
building Sterilization Committee,
created by the War Production
Board last August, will continue to
perform its functions, except that
no new wage rate fixed by the zone
standards agreement shall become
effective until approved by the War
Labor Board"
The first Shipbuilding Stabiliza-