Evening star., 1945-08-24

patrol. Capt. Daily was the yo
and enlisted men so honored
District Council of the United Fed
eral Workers of America (CIO) an
nounced that his union will have a
bill ready for Congress by September
S calling, roughly, for 20 per cent
increase in base pay for Federal
employees.
Workers on a 48-hour week will
take % per cent pay cut, while
those on a 44-hour week will take
Is per cent. Their take -home pay,
he estimates, will be from S to 6 per
cent less than what it was before
they got cost-of-l living increase.
The 44-hour week was adopted
when the new increased wage rates
for Government workers became
effective in July, providing an aver
age raise of about 1873 per cent
in basic pay, plus overtime. The
total raise thus amounted to about
rs per cent increase in the aver
age workers pay.
The reduction will mean a loss
in take-home pay amounting to
$2.49 per week for the lowest paid
Government workers, whose annual
pay rate is 1864.
The biggest loss, oddly, will be suf-
fered by the worker receiving q base
rate of $2,980 a year, whose over
time for working Saturday morning
amounted to $3.50. The overtime
schedule was fixed by act of Con-
gress, ranging from $2.49 to $3.50
for the worker receiving just under
$1,000. Workers receiving over
$1,000 got less money for working
Saturday morning, with sliding
scale of rates from $3.50 to $6.O4 the
amount paid to all Government ex-
ecutives receiving $6,440 year up
to $4,000.
The average Government girl
could not meet emergencies on
her previous take-home pay, Mr..
Beitscher charged, and many of
them had to work part time in serv-
ice jobs to meet extra expenses. Now
that the war is ended, that income
will be drying up.
The cost of living, he noted,
threatens to rise rather than drop
in the reconversion era He said they
will need the new increase to be as
well of as they were when the war
began.
Purchasing Power. .
Federal employees furnish from go
to rs per cent of the purchasing
power in Washington, he added,
"and Is per cent reduction could
knock this city on its heels. If the
Government doesn't take the lead
in maintaining purchasing power,
how can it expect industry to do it?"
Foster Pratt, secretary treasurer
Of the Government Employees Coun-
Gil (AFL), representing 19 interna-
tional unions, said the council will
meet Wednesday to prepare a pro-
gram to maintain the living stand
ards of its members threatened by
the pay reduction.
A Navy Department personnel
officer said he did not question the
fact that the reduction in hours
would mean hardship for girls in
the lowest brackets, especially since
they will have more leisure time in
which to spend money.
He declared, however, that Gov
ernment salaries in the lower scales,
while not excessive, are higher than
they are in private industry.
While many Government agencies
went on the 44-hour week July 4,
many War and Navy Department
offices will have their first half
holiday this Saturday. 1t will be
another week before the 44-hour
week is reflected in pay checks.
Officials do not know yet how the
new order for a 40-hour week by
September 9, unless it interferes
with essential activity, will affect
them.
War Department girls are looking
forward to extra leisure time, but
they haven't felt the blow of smaller
checks yet, spokesman reported.
Drop in Bond Sales Seen.
OPA workers "are very much dis
turbed" at the idea of losing over
time pay. an employment counselor
reported. The first effect expected
there and at the War Production
Board is a drop in bond sales.
To date the war agencies have
experienced none of the exodus ex-
pected after vi day. In the Navy
Department, separations were less
than they were for August, 1914.
The Civil Service Commission re-
ported that the effect of We and
VI days on voluntary separations
so far have been unnoticeable.
Off1cials believe reports of war
workers losing their jobs in other
parts of the country have kept
Government girls from going home,
where they might not be able to
get jobs.
Government girls already dropped
by war agencies have had no trou-
BILE so far in finding new jobs. The
War Production Board reported it is
receiving calls daily from other
agencies and private industry for
girls it no longer needs. OPA ex-
poets to transfer all girls suspended
in the next few months. Recon-
version pricing will call for more
workers. The War Department said
lit will be necessary to continue
bringing girls into Washington for
several months.
The only employees personnel ofYi-
cials are worrying about at the mo-
ment- are those with highly spe-
cialized skills who cannot be easily
transferred. z.
(AIxns~L ~.l MsE~ NJ