The Waterbury Democrat., 1944-02-01

dlO 1C C11lplOy- ment in war industries is being constantly abused, with the net re- suit that the Quit-ratS and labor turnover in war plants are exces- sive and 8 drag on the efficiency of war plant production. Quit-rate are now per cent month, the total labor turnover being per cent a month, highest on record since World War I.
 The principle of the statement of Availability operation was made fairly simple. Before any workman could transfer from on war job to another, he was supposed to have a statement of Availability" from his old employer, otherwise the new employer was not supposed to hire him. The "Statament of Availabil- ity" thus became kind of honor able discharge. Employers voluntar- fly agreed to abide by this rule to prevent pirating of workers. Any employe not holding a Statement of Availability was supposed to be ineligible for rehiring for 30 days That was supposed to make en- ployes stay on the jobs at which they were employed, and not go shopping around.
 STATEMENT" GRANTED TO NEW WORKERS
 Provision was made for the U. S. Employment Service offices to grant Statements of Availability" to new workers entering the labor force for the first time, or to workers who wanted to transfer from non- essen tial to essential industries. Elm ployers in the non- essential indus tries were not supposed to hire new workers unless they had State ments of Availability" issued by the Employment Service This gave the Employment Service office chance check on each job applicant to make sure that he was steered to- wards plant that would make use Of his highest skill.
 The Employment service was SUD- posed to issue a Statement of Availability" for only five reasons.
 l. To transfer a worker from a lower to higher skill.
 2. To get part time worker employed full time.
 3. To give new employment to a worker who had been laid of.
 4. To give worker employed at sub-standard wages GAO cents an hour or less) employment at a higher figure.
 3. To facilitate employment on 8 new job for some compelling per sonal reason, such as permitting him to take a job close to his home if he was now forced to commute 15 miles and couldn't get tires for his car.
 REGULATIONS IGNORED
 That was the heory. In practice, the plan hasn't worked out at all, It IS now charged. Employers have issued Statements of Availability" to almost anyone of their workers who applied, because no boss likes to have dissatisfied workman hanging around. Employers in non- essential industries have paid little or no attention to the regulations. Employment Service offices, when appealed to, may have tried to per Suade workers to stay wherever they were then employed, but in the end have in many cases yielded to pressure because they had no way to enforce orders. In extreme cases, workmen applying for Statements of Availability and not getting them have resorted to calling the boss nasty name, pick ing fight with him, turning in bad days work, or playing absen tee. That usually brought a firing but, rather than lose a workmans services for the 30-day penalty per iod, employment offices have been forced to issue new Statements of Availability and send the man to the first open job
 PenaltleS were provided under executive order for employers who failed to live up to the terms of these voluntary controls, through indirect sanctions such as U. s. Employment service refusal to send them new workers. That, it is be- lleved, has seldom if ever been used, so it, too, is an ineffective control.