The Waterbury Democrat., 1943-02-01

Peter Edison OF these SCaplll-
zation committees in every tight la
Dor market In the country.
Today there are around 20 oper-
ating, the Baltimore plan having
been extended with variations to
meet local conditions in impor-
tant war production centers like
Buffalo, Akron, Detroit, Louisville,
Mobile, San Diego. Some have
Jared better than others. The Louis
vile operation Is held UP as a
model. A lot depends on what kind
Of a start the local committee gets
of to.
The Detroit manpower stabiliza-
ton plan was almost wrecked the
first day of its existence. A commit
tee of labor representatives and
leading employers was set up and a
statement Of policy agreed upon.
In announcing the Inauguration Of
the plan, however, the impression
was given that 100000 workers in
the Detroit area had been frozen
in their present jobs and no one
would be allowed to change employ
ment for the duration. That just
added to the confusion.
RUMPUS WAS RAISED
The word went round that Man.
power Commissioner Paul v. Nc
Mutt was cracking down on Detroit.
Employers and employees alike be-
gan to lombard the Detroit office of
the area manpower sterilization
committee and some even tele-
phoned Washington to know what
was up. In Indianapolis, where an
other area sterilization committee
had already been named and was
about to begin operations, members
Of the committee read about the
dictatorial goings-on in Detroit.
They wanted none Of that in India
napolis so they hastily called a
meeting and resigned in a bunch.
Worried, Washington headquar-
tiers of the Manpower Commission
had the full text Of the Detroit
agreement telephoned to the capital
to see what went on. Much to their
surprise and pleasure, they found 1t
was practically the same as theh
Baltimore agreement. Relieved, the
manpower boys persuaded the In
dianapolis people that this wasn't
the revolution after all and to come
on back and play. In Detroit q
campaign Of handholding and edu-
cation had to be conducted.
Because Of the Detroit rnixup,
War Manpower Commission would
like to have everyone-employer and
employee alike get a clear picture
of what a labor manageme
power sterilization committee can
do.
IT'S ALL VOLUNTARY
The whole business is strictly
voluntary. There Is as yet no law
or executive order which drafts la
Dor or even freezes labor. Until
such law Is passed, the only way
in which labor pirating, job jump
ing and kindred abuses can be
eliminated Is for the representatives
of labor and the employers to get
together and agree among them
serves not to do those things.
They can further agree that en-
ployers will Lire new employees only
through centralized agency such
as the U. 8. Employment Service
and will hire no one unless he Is a
new worker or unless he bears a
release from his former employer.
They can further agree that they
will pool their efforts to recruit new
workers, train new workers, employ
more women, use more Negro la
Dor. They can work out their own
regulations guaranteeing workmen
seniority on their old Jobs If they
switch to war jobs or maintaining
union membership in old unions If
they switch to other crafts on their
new jobs.
But the emphasis in all this is not
on freezing" workmen to whatever
job they may have today. The
idea is to switch workmen wher-
ever possible from non-war to war
jobs.
k&--ssa.a.sss