Evening star., 1945-06-03
Wages
Continued From First Page.

from 48 to a 40 hour week. An
other would raise straight time
rates to the average hourly rate for
48 hours, including the time-and-a-
half pay for the extra hours. This
would mean an increase of about 8
per cent in the base rate.
Both of these ideas, however,
would discriminate against the
worker who has been held to the
40-hour week and would cause un-
rest among workers continuing on
overtime schedules, since the base
rate is the most important to labor.
Regardless of the method finally
adopted as the most equitable and
least inflationary, most officials are
definitely of the opinion that relief
from wage rate controls must be
granted labor if the return to peace
time production is to be smooth.
Statement Expected in Weeks.
The War Labor Board is holding
almost daily sessions on reconver-
sion policy and it is expected that
statement on wages will be issued
in about two weeks. Chairman
George W. Taylor is said to feel
that the board must act quickly to
avoid serious trouble in the transi-
tion period. While labor's attitude
toward the wage issue is not militant
now, storm clouds are gathering
Sterilization StrategiStS are hope
full that the line on prices can be
held while the wage freeze is eased
They admit this will be difficult. A
WLB official said the OPA recently
complicated the boards job by in
PRODUCTION of the product pricing"
idea. This policy, in effect, allows
an industry wide price increase on
any one product if more than 25
per cent of the makers of the one
product can prove they are losing
money on it.
He said this idea would be fair
enough for a one-product industry.
but was lnflationary in such an in
dustry as steel, which makes hun
dreds of individual products, many
OF them at high profit
Geneva Raise Problem.
The policy under most serious con-
sideration at WLB would continue
the present overall ban on general
basic wage increases, but would
broaden the exceptions on an in
dustry and area basis.
Easing of wage controls would be
handled on an individual industry
basis, with the first relief given to
those industries where wages have
been held at unduly low levels and
generally have not kept pace with
the 80 per cent rise in living costs.
An industry of this type is meat
packing, where the workers have
performed through the war about
the same operations they handled
in peacetime and have not been
afforded the opportunities of NUM-
tions workers for upgrading to
higher-paying jobs.
Abandonment of the bracket
system" under which the wage
level for comparable work in an
area is the controlling factor in set
IIIlB wages, is dIlOl0er lQea O0Oer
consideration for holding up work
ers' earnings. The wage level in
the industry would be substituted
for the area plan. This would wipe
out geographical wage differentials
in the same industry.
55-Cent Wage Level.
While consideration is being given
the lifting of the boards minimum
wage from the current 55-cents-an-
hour level, some WLB officials be-
lieve this should be taken care of
by Congress. A bill now pending
would lift the statutory minimum
from 40 to IS cents. In event the
minimum is raised. differentials
for higher skilled jobs in the in
dustry would be maintained by rails
ing those rates comparably.
Lifting of controls on voluntary
wage adjuStmentS-Whe the en-
ployer desires to raise pay, but is
prevented by stabilization policy,
also is being discussed. 1t appears
unlikely, however, that this step
will be taken in formulating policy
for q ono front u,or