Imperial Valley press., 1944-12-13

| Effect OF the NaIlOildl wal LdpoA
Boards recent decision in the So
called Big Steel wage adjustment
! case is to leave the CIO unions in a
decidedly advantageous positlo II
over the AFL.
While the CIO Steelworkers did
not Get their demand for a IT.
ccnts-an-hour wage increase, they
at least had scme of their demands
granted and they got an equivalent
of perhaps 8 cents an hour IN
awards of increased pay Tor second
and third shifts, elimination of cer-
tain inequalities in pay rates, liber-
allied vacation and holiday Sched-
ules and severance pay. All these
awards came as result OF Speclllc
demands made by the Steelwork-
crs.
Perhaps half a million workers
are directly affected by these grants,
but the important thing tc the ClO
is that in the Big Steel case, prece-
dent was set for making similar
grants to other CIO unions which
have specific demands in cases be-
fore the WLB.
The AFL, however. which had
merely made blanket demand for
breaking the Little Steel formula as
means of getting higher wage
rates, got nothing out OF the Big
Steel decision except, perhaps,
vague sort of assurance that if the
AFL unions should make specific
demands in line with Big Steel
awards, the cases would be con-
sidered and in due time granted.
The result of this apparent but
certainly unintended favoritism to
the CIO is that pressure to break
the Little Steel formula is bound to
be increased by the AFL leadership.
DETERMINED TO BREAK
LITTLE STEEL
Even the CLIO Steelworkers, while
gratefully cepting everything
handed to them in the Big Steel
case award, are not going to let the
issue rest. At a policy meeting IN
Pittsburgh it was decided to press
on for breaking the Little Steel
formula.
Firct step takes the form of de-
mand on the War Labor Board to
complete its report on this issue,
fer submission to the President. A
preliminary draft of the report has
been made by the public members
for submission to labor and industry
members, but this draft is under
stood to have many gaps which
must be filled in before it is ready
for the White House.
Sentiment among CIO leaders was
strongly against trying to force a
decision on breaking the Little Steel
formula, prior to the election. Real
izing that the President was on the
spot, to be damned if he did recon-
mend breaking the Little Steel for
mula and damned if he didn't, the
CIO leadership laid off. Now, how
ever, it is prepared to lay on. There
is nc implied strike threat If favor
able action ic not forthcoming, but
pressure for increasing wage rates Is
building up on two prin n pa
grounds: first, that the report of the
cost-of living investigat-
ing committee, admitting that living
costs have ri:en beyond wage in
second, that upward adjust
ment of basic wage rates is neces-
sary TO stabilize income at present
levels and so provide purchasing
power to maintain full employment
when the war is over.
COLD TO We DAY RAISES
To suggestions that no immediate
batic wage rate increases be granted
now. but that provision be made for
increasing wage rates on the day
the war ends in Europe, the C1O
leadership is decidedly cold. These
suggestions have been credited to
the Office of Economic Sterilization
braintrusters, but labor leaders
point out that any idea Of trying to
increase wages en- the day that The