The Daily Alaska empire. [volume] (Juneau, Alaska) 1926-1964, 1945-11-13

I SEATTLE. Nov 13.-"Alaskan
wage rates in July 1914 were sub
stantially higher than the rates of
workers in identical occupations in
the West Coast states, the highest
wage area in the United States prop
err" according to Mr.. w. A. Bledsoe,
Regional Director of the Bureau of
Labor Statistics of the U. S. Depart
ment of Labor This finding is bas-
ID on a survey made at the request
ai the War Labor Board under the
supervision of Mr.. j. w. c. Harper,
Wage Analyst in charge of the Bur
eaus Seattle office, of 220 establish
ments employing more than a third
of the workers In Fairbanks, Juneau,
Ketchikan, and Anchorage, Alaska.
Reports indicate little change in
wage rates since the summer of 1914.
The cost of living is also consid-
erably higher in Alaska than in the
States, according to a survey made
at the same time by the Bureau Of
Labor Statistics. Complete results Of
this study will be released shortly.
Difference in Wages
Illustrating the difference between
West Coast states and Alaskan
wages, the Bureaus report pointed
cut that in July 1914 straight-time
average hourly earnings of butchers
in three Alaskan cities ranged from
Sl.40 to $3.50, while in the Everett
Bellingham area Of Washington,
workers in the same occupation re-
oeiYed S107 an hour For women
grocery clerks, hourly earnings in
Alaska varied FROM 81 cents TO
S105; in the Everett area the cor
responding wage was 81 cents.
A comparison of occupations in
year-round hotels revealed similar
sharp differences in rates Of pay
Men general clerks in the Seattle
Tacoma area in July earned 80 cents
an hour and 70 cents an hour in
the Portland Vancouver district. The
level of earnings for this occupation
in Alaska varied from 80 cents in
Anchorage to S1l3 in Fairbanks.
Highest Paid
The Bureaus survey disclosed that
among the highest paid occupations
in Alaska were automotive mechan-
les ($173 an hour in Fairbanks) i,
registered pharmacists (S1.85 an
hour in Anchorage and short order
be IN, is.tN re.1
Among the four Alaskan cities, wage
rates were found to be highest in.
Fairbanks and lowest in Juneau; An
chorage occupied second and Ketch-
kan third place.
Between July 1912 and July 1914
wage rates increased substantially
for most occupations in the four
Alaskan cities surveyed. More and
larger increases took place prior to
October 1912 than after that date
Some of these advances were due
to a general rise in the level of wage
rates while others resulted from
increases awarded to individuals on
merit basis.
Normal WCrkUeek
The Bureaus survey revealed that
the normal workweek for workers in
more than two-thirds of the 220
reporting Alaskan establishments
was As hours. However, few en-
Ployees of retail stores and service
establishments worked as many as
As hours a week, the standard work
in banks and warehouses was 40
hours or less, and in newspaper
printing the workweek ranged from
40 to 48 hours In general, the nor
NAL workweek tended to be slight
ly longer in Anchorage and Fair
banks than in Ketchikan and Ju-
neau.
/ OF the 220 establishment survey
ed, ii paid straight time rates for
overtime, 80 reported no provision
for overtime payment, and granted
compensatory time off. Approximate
| ly SIS percent of the firms paid
premium time for overtime The
payment of shift differentials was
found to be relatively uncommon
in the four Alaskan cities.
Union ContrdctS
More than half of the 220 estab-
lishments operated under union con-
tract. OF the lis unionized plants,
! 81 had contracts with A. F. OF L.
unions, two with c. 1. o. affiliates
and Is had agreements with both
A. F. of L. and C. l. o. locals cover
ing different groups of employees.
More than IS percent of the firms
surveyed in Anchorage were union
lied; for Ketchikan, Juneau and
Fairbanks, the percentages were 81,
SO and 10, respectively. Workers in
all restaurants surveyed, and in most
retail stores except hardware were
organized Auto repair shops, banks,
newspapers, coal mines and hotels
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