The union times., 1944-08-05
Workers Income
 Lags Far Behind National Income
Danger Of Post War Col lapse Emphasized In
 U. s. Survey
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(Continued from Page One) American standard, the Federation pointed out. This has been con- cealed by the fact that most war workers have boosted their income by toiling long hours overtime.
 Actually, only per cent of Amer ican workers today have straight time wage rates high enough to give their families health and efficiency living standard after the war, at to- days price level, when industry re- turns to the 40-hour week" the A. F of L. survey disclosed.
 ssThis will vitally affect the ser vice men who are now fighting to preserve freedom. For unless the present wage policy is changed, they will come home to find no jobs at incomes which will support their families at a decent living level.
 "This will, indeed, be strange wei come home to our heroes to ind that, while they were away, the op- portunity to earn an American stand ard of living has been denied them by the administrations Little Steel wage freeze"
 Actually, conditions may be even worse than pictured by the A. F. Of L. If price controls are dropped after the war, the cost of living may zoom to unprecedented levels, as it did fol- lowing the first World War, and the workers may thus be ground down to even lower living standards than forecast by the Federation.
 What makes the discrimination against workers all the more glaring, the Federation said, is the fact that others have prohted handsomely out of the war.
 Between 1939 and 1943, cor pOrations have boosted their pro- fits, before taxes, by 329 per cent and, after ta1es, by lOl per cent, while workers earnings with over time and all, have advanced only 58 per cent, before tases, the A. F. of L. pointed out.
 If steeply-increased income taxes, war bond savings and higher living costs are taken into account, that 58 per cent for workers would shrivel almost to zero, the Federation as serted
 Small business men and farm own CTS have also done far better than workers-the former rolling up a 94 per cent increase in income for the 1o39-43 period and the latter a 204 per cent, the Federation added.
 Now workers will be heading into the postwar period with a Shortage of buying power" which, unless, rem edied, will make continued full pro- duction and full employment impos- sible," the A. F. of L. emphasized
 That the Federation is not exag- gerating was revealed in a report written by the Federal Reserve Sys- tem's top economist, Alvin Hansen. He decIared bIuntly the freeze in aOOrkers' buying po,Oer threatens the stability Of the nation after the sU0r.
 Steadily, since the 192Os workers productivity has been rising, reaching a remarkable level during this war, Hansen said. If earnings of workers do not keep abreast of such produc- tivity, there is bound to be a crash, he predicted
 "Increases in man-hour produc- tivity are continuing at an una- bated paee," he declared. ''Unless our income continues to rise with every increase in productivity, un- employment on a vast scale will quickly develop, even though we start off at the end of the war with a full employment income"