The Waterbury Democrat., 1945-09-20

The CIO SnOp union IS crlClChl Of the strike, and at the end of the first week 21,l32 CIO members were idle only because even a fac- tory cannot keep running without men and women in the office.
 Nevertheless, many here believe that in its way this strike is as sig nificant as was the first sitdown strike. Because all over the coun- try the white collar worker, by gen. eral concession the forgotten man of the war boom, has been com nlaining that he was stretched be- tween rising living costs and sta- tionary salary. He has felt that his needs were ignored because he was trusted not to upset the apple cart" while shop men-through long hours, overtime premiums and union-won raises-were prospering.
 If the Westinghouse salaried workers in Baltimore, Cleveland, East Pittsburgh, East Springfield, Lima, Nuttall, Sharon, Derry and Buffalo can win raises or contract concessions, then a general move ament among salaried workers may be added to other factors disturbing reconversion, ohserv- CTS believe.
 ASK INCREASE
 Westinghouse says that to grant the demands of the Association of would constitute net l6 to IS per cent raise in their base pay, which already has risen 30 per cent since l940: would cost from 10 to l3 million dollars 0 year; would force an increase in the selling price of the companys products.
 The War Labor Board says that what the AWSE seeks Is not an Incentive pay system but a gen. eral salary increase. The VILE appears to agree with the com. pany's contention that there is no practicable way to measure the productivity of an office worker, a shipping clerk, an engineer, so ns to give him Q bonus for ex- seeding reasonable expectations.
 In the light of these conten- tions, without taking sides in any question whether the salaried workers are entitled to raises, 1t Is Interesting to establish a back ground.
 Production workers at Westing. house have had an incentive Sys- tenn for 3S years. Prior to the war they averaged an extra 26 per- cent by exceeding quota output. At the peak of war produc. ton they boosted these incentive azacrementS to 50 per cent of base
 in ie4s, under threat of Q strike, the company granted incentive pay to non.production hourly. wage earners - maintenance and service people. The white collar union asked for the same arrange 1aent.
 Because 1t is difficult to measure Ghe productivity of a sweeper, 6 watchman, repair1nan, the non- production shopmen's incentive pay was begged by formula be- hind the Incentive pay of pro- auctlon workers. But the white collar employees, after long nego- tiation, were denied exactly the same arrangement. When the VILE announced its decision of- eicially the salaried employees struck.
 Cynics say that if reasonable straight raise were offered, the salarled workers would 90 back to work. It is difficult to guess about that. But many close ob- servers are convinced that, even more than on immediate raise that might well be lose in the future, the white collar workers want to be put onto contract parity with their overalled fellows -- to stop playing second fiddle and being passed over just because they are considered too loyal. too conServa- tive and perhaps too timid to en. force their demands.
 WATCH CLOSELY
 The AWsE was organized orig Gnally on just such an issue, ct Q