Evening star., 1946-02-19

matte approval, for price re-
lief purposes, of all wage in
creases lawfully made" be-
fore the new wage-price pol
icy was announced.
Recommendations for a pay
increase of 18 cents an hour for
more than half a million ship
yard and farm equipment work.
ers were submitted to the Wage
Sterilization Board today-the
first of an expected flood of
cases under the Governments S
new wage-price policy.
The Shipbuilding Wage Stabiliza-
ton Conference last night over
ruled, by majority vote, industry
representatives and voted the 49,
cent increase for about $50 900 mem
bers of AFL and CIO unions. Gov
ernment and union members of the
conference approved the increase
which would be retroactive to last
December 4.
A Federal fact-finding board sug-
gested a wage increase of the same
size for 10000 striking CIO Farm
Equipment Workers of the Inter-
national Harvester Co., Chicago.
Ten per cent of the increase would
be retroactive to October /. while
all of the raise would be effective
when operations are resumed at II
struck plants. The strike began
January 81.
Other Developments.
There were these other develop
ments in labor:
l. Wage talks affecting 175,00O
workers in the rubber industry will
begin here this afternoon with Labor
Department conciliators\ sitting in
on proceedings. The CIO United
Rubber Workers are demanding a
wage increase of 80 cents an hour
and a 30-hour week. Four ma ior
companies are involved: United
States Rubber, Goodrich, Goodyear
aiiI i IL CotOIlc.
2. Judge John C. Collet, retiring
head of the Office of Sterilization
Administration. issued the order for
mally putting into effect the S5-per-
ton average price increase the Gov
ernment gave the steel industry In
oroer to settle the strike. Judge
Collet said the increase was in line
with new policy and covers all car
bon and alloy steel products.
3. Charles E. Wilson, president OF
strike-bound General Electric Co.
discussed the effect of the new wage
price policy on operations of his
company with Chester Bowles, who
was designated by President Truman
to administer the program. Other
officials said the policy would enable
GE to obtain higher prices and settle
wage demands of its 100000 pro-
duction workers.
Lewis Calls NV Meeting.
4. John L. Lewis has called q
meeting here tomorrow of the the 3,
district presidents of the Unitee
Mine Workers to discuss problems
arising from reafflrmation with thu
AFL. There are indications thai
Mr.. Lewis soon will make new wage
demands on the coal industry, but
this will not be taken up at the
meeting, a union spokesman said.
5. Edgar L. Warren, director Of
the Labor Department Cancellation
Service, reported that his agency
settled l74 strikes and lockouts las
month and helped settle 358 dis.
putes in which strikes were threat.
ened. He added that his concilia,
tors ended 553 other disputes befor,
the differences reached the strike.
vote stage.
The Wage Sterilization Board, es
tablished to liquidate final operation
OF the War Labor Board, takes or
new life as result of the new wage.
price policy which forces virtually al
applications for higher pay to com,
before it. Board officials believ,
they can handle the increased worl
ioou Will duueu peISOl1el. IL Il
expected to hand down a decision
soon on a fact-finding boards rec.
ommendation of a 16-cents-an- -houl
wage increase for workers in tn,
meat packing industry.
Originally Asked 171a Cents.
The 18-cent wage raise recon.
mended by the Shipbuilding Confer.
ence was proposed by the Govern.
ment procurement agencies whose
contracts make up the bulk of ship,
yard work. CIO Marine and Ship
building Workers originally hat
asked for a 17la cent boost, plus /;
80 per cent increase to compensat,
for loss of overtime pay. The AFT
l