Evening star., 1945-02-21
Wages
Continued From First Page

OF so cents an hour was raised to S.
cents in the cotton and rayon tex
tile field. In addition the board
approved general scent pay raise
for workers above the minimum, to
preserve job differentials.
Industry members of WLB dis
sented on all points of the textile
case and on most issues favorable
to the packing house workers.
Involved directly in the packing
house decision were $4,000 workers
of the Swift, Armour, Wilson,
Cudahy and John Morrell COM
panies and in the textile case $4,000
employees of mills in the South, New
England. New York and Pennsyl-
vania. In both instances the deci-
sion will affect pay of other workers
in the industries.
Meat Workers Hail Ruling.
The board ordered meat packers
to establish uniform wage schedules
for the first time in. the industry
It also ruled that the companies
furnish work clothes, tools, repair of
tools and pay for the time workers
spend in changing from work
clothes. 1t was believed the last
concession may be used as basis for
pay demands in some other indus
tries.
CIO packing house workers, rep
resenting 125,000 of the employees
involved directly in the case, hailed
the boards decision as IAN extern
sive victory" Union officers, who
had paced the boards corridors for
days awaiting a ruling, served notice
that we intend to get what the
board says we are entitled to, Vinson
or no Vinson."
The CIO union had threatened to
call for strike vote if the boards
decision was not forthcoming i'm
mediately. There also was great
pressure in the textile case, when
Emil Rieve, president of the CIO
Textile Workers, yesterday relieved
his 100000 members from adherence
to the no-strike pledge-a threat to
GA 1tiudoSiJ Nltdl y
cloth and tire cords.
Decision Meaningless"
In New York Mr.. Rieve called the
decision meaningless" and said re-
lease of the union members from
their no-strike pledge still stands"
In statement issued while the
national executive council of the
union held a closed meeting, Mr..
Rieve called the WLB directive a
paper order" which he said would
mot raise the wages of a single
cotton-rayon worker"
He added that the wage case lis
still where it was two months ago
In Mr.. Wilson's vest pocket"
Mr.. Rieve said he regretted that
the Labor Boards authority ''is in
ferior to Mr.. Wilson'S"
Decision Delayed Two Months.
In the textile case, WLB declared
that low wages now paid in the
industry prevent the industry from
meeting its wartime production
schedules"
Decisions in both the packing
house and textile cases had been
held up for nearly two months be-
cause of differences over wage pol
icy between the board and Mr.. Vim
son. The stabilization director has
insisted that OPA findings ON
whether a price increase was nee
essary would be the determining
factor governing fringe" wage ad-
justments. Both the packers and
textile owners have said they must
have price increases if wages are
raised.
The textile decision, besides rails
ing the minimum wage level set up
wage "guideposts" for key occupa-
tions in each of the geographical
areas involved. The wage structure
could be reviewed by special panel
in each section.
More Pay Needed.
A five-cent premium for work on
the >third shift was set up in
Southern mills, vacations were STAN
dardized in II Southern mills where
that point was an issue.
WLB Chairman William H. Davis
said the minimum levels were lifted
partly to meet military production
demands and that surveys showed
the need for even greater increases.
He added that the board must use
its best judgement as to the extent
to which substandards of living :
can be corrected without creating
unstable economic conditions :"
In the meat packing cases, in
which the AFL-Meat Cutters and
Butcher Workmen and an inde-
pendent union of Swift employees
also were involved. the board direct
ed that commission be set up to-
standardize wage schedules and
classifications.
SecaIrifv iuvaafyaauf-yUer & vinSe