Evening star., 1946-10-07
Highest Priority
|nHiriing Urged
For Disabled Oils
15-Point Program
Offered as Guide
For Employers

wounds in the war should receiv
highest priority for getting a jo
from his old or any new employer
the Retraining and Re-employmen
Administrators COMMITTEE o
Nine" recommended today to tn
Nations personnel managers.
No law thus far grants PHYSICAL.
handicapped veterans the highes
priority for placement in jobs II
private employment, but Govern
ment employees do hold by law thi
superseniority for post-service en-
ployment.
The recommendation was one o
Is announced by Maj. Gen. Grave
B. Erskine, the administrator, a.
the result of three months of stud,
and controversy by the committee
Members of the committee were
drawn from the ranks of manage.
ment, labor unions and veterans or
ganizations.
The Is principles already have
been Fundamentally" Endorsed by
Secretary of Labor Schwellenbach
Gen. Erskine told his press confer
ence. He said the Secretary ex-
pressed the hope that they would be
"of real assistance to management
and labor" in all of their dealings.
Committee Members.
Members of the committee are
Robert ]. Watt and Boris Shiskin
of the American Federation Of
Labor, Ted F. Silvey, Congress OF
Industrial Organizations; A. E
Lyon, Railway Labor Executives AS
sociation; C. S. Ching, Business Ad-
visory Council to the Secretary OF
Commerce; Ray S. Livingston, Ma
tional Association of Manufacturers
7. w. Howard, United States Cham
ber of Commerce; Ralph H. LAYERS
American Legion; Millard w. Rice,
Disabled American Veterans, and
Omar B. Ketchum, Veterans OF
Foreign Wars.
Other recommendations of the
committee are:
Statutory employment rights "as
q minimum" for veterans.
Promotion and establishment o1
in-plant training for re-employec
veterans.
Seniority credit equal to the time
spent in the armed services fol-
newly hired veterans who have
served probationary periods.
Preference, to veterans in recruit
ments in excess of lay-off commit
ments after consideration is given
collective bargaining and other for
NAL agreements.
There were some differences OF
opinion among committee mem
bers," Gen. Erskine said, "but the
principles represent the best COM
mon denominator of thought that
could be produced by representa-
tives of such diversely interested
groups.
1.-THE recommendations do not
have the force of law, but are to be
construed as official Government
opinion on veterans relations with
his company and his union. The
principles are intended to guide en-
ployers, employees, labor unions,
veterans organizations and all inz
dividuals and agencies in any way
concerned with the subject of en-
ployment.
1.-THE ultimate goal is that they
may be of assistance to all elements
of business, including the employer
who is seeking fair and just
method of procedure in his employ
ment operations, as well as the en-
ploye who is endeavoring to become
useful factor in our national econ
omy."
Seven Principles Apply to All.
The first seven recommended
principles apply to all, while the
remaining eight are applicable only
to veterans. The text of the Is
point recommendation follows:
I'D All workers should be en-
ployed on jobs commensurate with
their skills and capacities. War
time skills, training and expert
ence of veterans and workers
should always be evaluated IN con-
nection with all job opportunities
"(2) Qualification for the job and
performance on the job should be
kew standards for selection and
retention of workers. Sex, race,
creed, color or physical impairment
should mot be factors in the selec-
ton or retention of workers or In
the amount of compensation paid
"(3) Entrance into training OF 8
sufficient number of trainees shoulc
be promoted in order that the num-
ber of journeymen in the appren.
ticeable trades and the number OF
other skilled workers will, within 6
period of five years or less, be al
least sufficient to meet current IN
dustrial demands. Qualified physi-
cally handicapped individuals should
be included in apprentice training
programs.
Aid For Handicapped.
40 All positions should be eval
uated from the standpoint OF mini
mum physical requirements in order
that the physically handicapped may
be fully utilized. In addition, ap.
propriate mechanical devices should
be installed and special training
should be conducted to assist handi-
capped workers in adjusting and ad-
vancing in their jobs.
"(5) A program of business guild
ance should be undertaken at COM
munity level in cooperation with
Federal, State and local agencies fol
the benefit of all persons who are in
terested in promoting small busi'
nesses. :.
"(6) The employer and labol
group concerned should assume
prime responsibility for the proper
placement of each employe who can.
not continue with his usual or regu.
lar work, because of injury or dis
ease suffered while on the job.
"(7) All unemployed, both veter.
ans and others who participated IL
the war effort, should actively par.
ticipate in the search for suitable
employment and thereby becom.
contributing factors in the nationa
peacetime economy.
"(8) All veterans having re-em
ployment rights under Federal stat
utes should be accorded those stat