The potters herald. [volume] (East Liverpool, Ohio) 1899-1982, 1947-11-13
MINIMUM WAGE PLEAS
HEARD BY 4 HOSTILE
CONGRESS COMMITTEE


Washington (LPA)-Union and
industry officials fought it out be-
fore the House Labor Subcommit-
tee holding hearings on the Fair
Labor Standards Act last week,
though the committees schedule
carefully separated, often by sew
eral days, the testimony of unions
and management in the same in
dustries.
Each management representative
from lumber, retailers, the ice
industry, "small businessmen" coal
dealers, fisheries, hotels, and whole
sale fresh fruit and vegetable dis
tributors-demanded' exemption of
his employees from the overtime and
minimum wage provisions. Pinned
down by committee questioning,
each in turn admitted that he'd
prefer no law at all, leaving reg
ulation of wages and hours solely
to "competition" and collective bar
gaining.
The subcommittee, which is ex-
tremely hostile to the Fair Labor
Standards Act, and has as it's coun-
sci Irving McCann, who steered the
Hartley bill hearings earlier this
year, also listened to union testi-
mony, urging strengthening and ex-
tension of the Act.
Speaking on behalf of President
Harvey w. Brown of the Int'l AS
sociation of Machinists-unaffiliat-
ed, Grand Lodge Representative
George Nelson proposed: increas-
ing the hourly minimum from 4Oc
to 75c; covering workers employed
in fisheries and in handling agri-
cultural products as well as those
by motor and air trans
port; bringing all firms engaged in
industry affecting" interstate
commerce within the law; requir-
ing payment of over time for hours
worked in excess of eight a day, as
well us the present 40 hours a week
rule. Browns testimony also pro-
posed extending from two years to
five years the period under which
employees who have been illegally
deprived of minimum wages due
under the law can seek repayment.
= Vice-president Martin Kyne of
the Retail, Wholesale & Depart
ment Store Union urged extension
IF the protection of the Fair Labor
Act to include all retail
workers "as first step toward ac-
1ieving an American standard Of
living for millions of workers pre-
sently employed at sub-standard
Kyne and the RWDSU counsel,
Arthur X. Garfinkel, repeatedly
flashed with Chairman Samuel Nc
Jonnell (R., Pa.) and Rep. Wint
smith (R., Kans.) when justifying
heir support Of this broad cover
lge Of the law. Kyne and the union
counsel tried to make it clear to the
congressman that they believed it
| reasonable function of the federal
government to protect workers
rom substandard wages. McCon-
lell and Smith expressed puzzle
nent at such broad construction
If the powers of the federal gov
which they refer to as the
American Republic"
The union cited figures show
ng that, while sales had scared
2% between 1889 and 1915, stores
ad raised their payrolls only |
$50. Dividends paid out by cor
in the retail and whole |
ale field in 1916 topped dividends /
aid out by all corporations in each |
f the other industrial fields, ris-
ng 46fo between 1915 and 1896"
,yne asserted.
The union proposed the same de-
milton of a "chain store" as dis
met from a small business which
yas used by OPA, as a possible
lethod of increasing coverage of
etail workers without hurting
hat the Congressman referred to
s "Pa and Ma" stores run by a
emily.
One whole day of the subcom-
'ittee's time last week was devot-
] to a series of complaints about
ow the law was administered by
'embers of the Small Business
'en's Assn Similar complaints -
'ost of which under questioning
ere rooted in objections to the
rovisions of the law as passed by
not in interpretations by !,
'age & Hour Administration en-
registered by other
dustry witnesses, and will be
ken up further during the last
eek of hearings when the federal
yencies involved will have an op-
)rtunity to discuss them.