Evening star., 1947-01-05
Employers Hamperine
Portal Pay Settlement,
|CI0 Lawyer Charges

=
Lee Pressman, the CLOS ke,
lawyer in multi-billion dollar suit
for back pay on portal-to-porta
basis, accused employer groups
last night of trying to hamper fail
settlement.
Mr.. Pressmar1 did not name tn,
groups in issuing statement al
claims in the cases passed tht
So, ,25O 600, 900 mark. He said:
'It is plain that employer groups
in this country are seeking to gene,
rate an atmosphere in which it vii
be impossible for the. District Cour
(trying the test case) to give ade'
quate consideration to the soune
principles enunciating by tn,
Supreme Court and to the merits O
the workers claims"
Key Case in Detroit.
The key case is in District Cour
at Detroit under Federal Judg,
Frank A. Picard. 1t involves EN-
ployes of the Mt. Clemens Potter.
Co. who sued for back pay undel
the wage and hour act for tim,
spent getting to their work post
and preparing for their jobs.
The Supreme Court approved tn,
general idea last June but left tt
Judge Picard to determine the exac
amount due and he is concerned
with that problem now. Attorne,
General Clark has intervened on tn,
part Of the Government to hell
clear up the point.
Mr.. PreSSman said the CIO alst
would seek to intervene before Judg,
Picard 'in order that the principle.
established by the (Supreme Court
decision may be presented to the
District Court as fully and fairly a.
possible"
Unions Hasten Suits.
Since the Supreme Court actor
many unions, largely CIO affiliates
fastened to get similar suits flee
before Congress could limit employer
liability in the session which begar
Friday. The National Association o1
Manufacturers and the Unitec
States Chamber of Commerce made
it clear they would seek relief ir
Congress.
The Mt. Clemens case was par.
ticularly significant because it in
volved workers in a surface occupa.
ton where dangers of travelling were
not involved as they were in previ-
ously determined underground mine
work cases.
Mr.. Pressman, who was one of the
prime movers seven years ago in
seeking travel time for metal mine
workers, said that Judge Picarc
would determine whether the
amount of working time involved
in the case "is too trivial to form
the basis of employer liability"
"World Propaganda" Charged.
Contrary to the popular impres.
sion which has been deliberately
stimulated by wild propaganda" hi
statement continued, "the Supreme
Court did not impose fiat liabilit,
in connection with all classes o1
activity which it held to constitute
working time.
"The court explicitly ruled out
trivial and insignificant work
periods and held that it is only
when an employe is required tt
give up a substantial measure o.
his time and effort that compen.
sable work time is involved"
Mr.. PreSsman commented thai
there may be some groups OF
Americans who feel strongly thai
workers should be required to give
up substantial periods of leisure tc
their employers without compensa-
tion." 8& Il
He continued:
what these groups insist upor
is that American industry enjoy q
free subsidy of the efforts of Its
employees. It is this insistence
which forms the true foundation
of the present frenzied and ire
opO1loAbAC dttdCho upOil Illc 0upi GIlle
Court, upon the Fair Labor Stand
ards Act, and upon American labor.
Huge New Claims Filed.
At least $206, ,553, 1886 in new claims
were filed in the courts yesterday
bringing the total to more than
So, ,254 ,685 900.
The new suits ranged from $50,.
900 claim filed against the Utah
Copper Co. and Kennecott Copper
Corp. at Salt Lake City to $26, ,000, ,00C
against the Curtiss-W Wright Corp. al
Buffalo, N. Y.
Other new suits included:
Philadelphia-Ajax Metal Co. and
Superior Zinc Corp, $500,000.
Cleveland - Thompson Products
and Thompson Aircraft Corp, $21,-
960, 900; Goodyear Aircraft Corp. OF
Akron, 100000; Fisher Body OF
General Motors, $2,864, 1896; Eaton
Manufacturing Co., $691, 200, and
TrllScon Steel 81 4Cf1 O0c