The union times., 1945-10-13
On TheScene
 Washington
By Travis K. Hedrick
New Wage Formula?

New wage Formula!
 The Truman administration is prepared to offer American labor 15% % increase in basic wages on 40 hour week to replace the 48 hour week which included time and one half above 40 hours.
 This formulation became public when Sec. of Labor Lewis Schwellen- bach made the offer to the Oil Work CTS Intl. Union in its strike against operators in the middle west, Texas and California.
 What this actually amounts to is just half-fifty percent-Of the demands of American labor to keep present take home pay.
 Admitting that wage concessions will be granted by employers, and that they will be willing to meet the l5% figure, there remains the other half of the increase that is subject to arbitration under Schwellenbach's own proposition.
 Schwellenbach, who stresses "me- diation and conciliation," offers to take this up through arbitration.
 IS IT ENOUGH?
 Assuming that labor is strong enough and organized enough to hold firm through the proceedings, there is a mathematical chance of getting an increase above 1870. Just what that will be is impossible to deter mine. Under the law of cycles and circles, labor may expect half of its real demand or 7H%o additional. This would mean 221a%O above the basic wage rate, but still 71a% lower than the original demand of round 30@o to maintain wartime takehome pay.
 Just what Schwellenbach offers can be demonstrated III the following case.
 Assume you make $l an hour. On a 48 hour operation you were making total of $52. Under the return to 40 hours, it would be just $40. Then SchwelIenbach steps in with his Is % increase and the $40 becomes $40 or just $6 less than you were making at 48 hours and still SC below the original 3O8o increase demanded by the union, or $52.
 The oil companies in the present strike situation offered exactly what Schwellenbach proposes. The govern ment, in other words, is carrying the ball for management plus the offer to arbitrate. If labor gets another $3 out of arbitration, which is the most it can expect under the usual setup, it will be $3 shy of the demand 1t made.
 CANNETT'S BACK AGAIN
 Frank Bennett, publisher of num- Der of New York newspapers and organizer of series of semi-fascist political organizations, has done it again.
 Cannett's Committee for Con- stitutional Government has re- leased an attack on Breton Woods, the full employment bill, the csc minimum wage bill, wage in- creases in general, standardization of unemployment compensation up to $25 for 26 weeks, extension of social security, public medical care and continuance of price con. trOl.
 Although all of these measures have been indorsed in public hearings by all of organized labor, the Gannett group has issued a release attacking them as pure CIO program. JOUR FRIEND! IT"
 Under the name of Dr. Milford I King of New York University, the Committee for Constitutional Gov ernment has issued a release to all members of Congress stating these proposals "can result only in ruinous imitation, eventual state socialism, and destruction of labor unions" "
 It is alarming to have Cannett's stOOges express fear for the flu ture of labor unions. King ex. presses the big business viewpoint by advising the voters that Cit is time for the common man to strike for freedom against the special privileged groups that may cast him into the depths of infiatiOn poverty and coIlectivism while posting as his benefactOrs."
 Another Gannett outfit, entitled