Montana labor news., 1944-08-31
DINCELL
.RECONVERSION BILL
GOES TO COMMITTEE

WAsHINGToN-(FP)-Solidly backed
by the AFL and the Railroad Brother
hoods, Representative John D. Dingell
! Cd -Mich) introduced a reconversion
and unemployment compensation bill
August % that will get the full support
of all organized labor. It is before the
ways and means committee of the House.
Known as H. R. 5227, the Dingel bill
contains all of the amendments to the
Senate approved George bill IS. 2O50)
that We're recommended recently by AFL
President william Green.
Green, in letter to all members Of
the House August a. said THE AFL
urges adoption of the bill in order to
provide consumers with buying power
while industries are reconverting
during a period of increased unemploy-
ment.
"The AFL bill provides the necessary
machinery to head us into a recovery
and make possible full employment the
only goal that can compensate soldiers
and sailors for the war we are now
waging."
Under the terms of the bill national
scale of unemployment compensation is
provided, whereas the George bill con
tinues the present system of each state
and territory setting up its own mini
NUNS.
For iobless civilian workers, the bill
calls for payments Of not over $40 a
week for individuals with no dependents
and up to a maximum of SIS week
for those with dependents The scale is
based on rs per cent of the weekly wage
of the individual, but payment cannot
be less than So or more than $40 or $25.
In the case of war veterans, the sin
gle persons would get $40, plus $5 for
one dependent, or $40 for two, or sl5
more for three or more dependents.
Under the present state system, pay
ments have been made as low as So a
week and not continued longer than l6
weeks, while the Dingell bill sets a maxi
mum duration of benefits Of 50 weeks
within any two-year period.
The Dingen bill sets forth its object
as facilitating maximum war production
during the war and the expedition Of
the transition from war to peace TO
achieve full employment rising stand
ards of living and effective utilization
of the nations resources"
It sets up an office of war mobilization
and reconversion, headed by director
named by the President with the ap-
proval of the Senate. The OWMR in
cludes the office of contract settlement,
surplus property administration and re-
training and unemployment admins
tration.
The director of OWNfR will work out
reconversion plans, assist other agen-
cies. unity with work of rehabilitation
and consult and cooperate with state
and local governments, industry, labor
agriculture and other groups.
In the field of retraining and re-em-
nlovment. it calls for maximum employ
ment in the transition from war to
peace production and sets up an admin
istration to cover recruiting, training,
transfer and placement of returning
sevicemen and workers in war and civil
ian production It continues the U. S.
Employment Service for two years after
the war and authorizes it to pay the
cost of transporting workers and eX-
servicemen and their dependents and
household goods from their last resi-
dence to new jobs or to their bona flde
residence prior to their migration to
war jobs.
Safeguards are included for workers
protecting union wage scales, and pro-
hibiting action to force them to JON
a company union or resign from or re-
frain from joining bona fide labor
union.
Under the bill the federal government
sets up a fund to underwrite state un-
employment compensation payment ac-
counts with loans providing the states
agree to the federal uniform unemploy-
ment compensation system