The Waterbury Democrat., 1944-10-02

to nIer Ln U they are finding 1t more and more difficult to hold their unions In line. The wage issue has been around since last November, and ot recent union conventions the lead. CTS had a hard time keeping the rank and file from voting to aban- doE the no-strike pledge. Three times the repeal of that pledge bare ly escaped passage at the Auto Workers convention, and 1t is still to be decided by referendum ot the more than e million members in this biggest union in the world, The Rubber Workers convention also had close call because some Of their biggest locals wanted to repeal the pledge, By some standards, the United Mine Workers have already broken the pledge through their count anancing of strikes of superVis- ofy employees, And so it goes,
 "POWERHOUSE" BACKS MOVE
 Unions now involved In demands to break the Little Steel Formula include the entire A, r, of L., and In the c. I. O., the Steel-workers, the Electrical, Aluminium, Glass, Auto, Clearinghouse and Shipyard workers. It is far and away the most potent labor pressure group ever to marshal It's forces behind . single demand-"defrostlng of froz' en wages" as its called by Editor Len DeCauX of the c. I, O, News,
 In this particular, the adininistra- ton finds itself on hot spot, Less than six months ago, marking the first anniversary of the Presidents s famous hold the line order or April 8, l94S, Director of Economic StahiliSutlon Fred M, Vinson' Price Administrator chester Dowles, War Food Administrator Marvin Jones and War Labor Board Chairman William H. Davis issued Q report to the President, brNgging about now well the line had been held.
 'The level of basic factory wage rates has been raised less than one and one-half cents on hour said the report, Wages have been sta" bili2ed.
 We must not jeopardlae these gains by any change ot policy or re. taxation of effort In the critical months ahead" the report receom- mCnded towards the end, "The need for continued restraint and eontin" ued cooperation with every phase of the stabilization program ia eve dent. Obviously, too, we should cling to the policies and machinery which have served us SO effectively thus far"
 Those are noble sentiments, but again the prophets of doom are pre-. dieting that If the Little Steel Formula is now to Do broken, Some- body Is going to have to eat 'enl' NEW WAGE CHANGES
 Chairman Davis of WLB has In. dleated that the Board might come changes in wage loliey different up with recommendations Tor from the changes demanded by the labor unions, Tho inference in this important statement iS that the board might b0 thinking more about preventing wage reductions after the war, when the economic objective Will be to maintain purchasing pow or and consumption,
 It Is Q question how satisfactory any such new formula-bonding tho Little Steel Formula without break. inc it--Would be to the labor lead. CTS, In previous evaSionS of the Lite tic Steel Formula, the coal miners got portal portal pay, the non- operating railroad brotherhoodS got overtime, but these two groups got only minor adjustments In basic pay rates. What the present drive against the Little Steel Formula iS ali about is to get increases in basic pay rates on work weeks of 70 hours or less Best indication of this trend cnme from the miners convention in Cincinnati, when it was announced what they would ask for . dollar q day Increase in basic pay, with adoption of the seven.hour day and flye.day week In place of tho nino- hour day and siX.day week in force Rt present,