The union times., 1946-03-09
Hits Provision Denying Raises Before Approval
Federal Government Could Challenge Collectively
 Bargained Agreements

WASHINGTON, D. .C.-The American Federation of Labor challenged the administra. tiOn's new wage-price policy as offering inducements to workers to strike rather than seek justified wage increases through peaceful collective bargaining.
 The main target of the AFL ate tack is the requirement contained in the Presidents executive order for obtaining prior government ap- prOval of wage rate increases-eUen those UOLuhtGriIy agreed upon by, labor and management = before they can go into effect.
 No such requirement was imposed on striking steelwOrkers of the CIO in the settlement made in that case.
 WSB HAS SMALL STAFF
 The government agency designated by the President to pass upon pro- posed wage boosts is the National Wage Stabilization Board which has a tiny staff unequipped to handle a vast flow of cases expeditiously. The expected delays may cause serious in- dustrial unrest and lead workers to believe that the only way to get action promptly is by striking.
 Robert J. Watt, AFL member of the National Wage SfabiIization Board, has pressed vigorously for amendment or clarificatiOn of the wage-price policy to permit autO- matic approval of wage increases not exceeding 18 or 20 cents an hour.
 However, Chester BowleS, the new economic stabilization director, has taken the position that the government will not recognize any set pattern for wage increases and will consider each case on its merits.
 Apparently, the administration fears that any blanket approval of wage adjustments in cases where employers intend to ask for higher price ceilings to cover added labor costs would blow the lid off price control.
 Because of this situation, Senator Bridges of New Hampshire charged in an open letter to Bowles that the government has shown "favoritism' to the CIO. However, other CIO un- ions than the SteelWorkerS will find themselves in the same boat with the AFL and will be forced to get NWSB approval of wage changes under the new program.
 CIO Cracks Price Line
 Another explosive development in the wage situation came with the dis closure by the AFL Monthly Survey of Business that Communist -dominat- ed CIO unions have cracked the price line and deprived ali American work CTS of real gains in living standards. The survey said:
 ''The President has retreated from his policy of Aug. Ia. Right after VI Day, when he freed cOI- lective bargaining, his sole restric- tiOn was that wage increases should not break price ceilings.
 "The federation heartily endorsed this policy and our unions won out standing wage gains through collective bargaining. None of our gains caused any increases in prices. Even during the strike period we kept right on peacefully negotiating agreements for substantial wage increases. To date we have won wage increases averag- ing from 10 to 20 cents an hour and up for about } million workers. Early in February when total of l 100000 workers were on strike, only 60,0O0 of these strikers were AFL members.
 Simultaneous Strikes
 Unions outside the AFL, however, had other methods. Simultaneous strikes in basic industries, with un- compromising demands, were designed
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