Evening star., 1947-04-21
Teachers Pay
Inequity Hit as
Persecution
Union Aide Attacks
Differentiol Against
Attendance Officers
By John w. Thompson, Jr.

Of prosecuting" attendance officers
by failing to extend to them the full
benefits of the new teachers pay
bill.
J. C. Turner, of the Central Labor
Union, told a Senate House Com
mittee everybody except the at
tendance workers was included In
provisions Of extra pay for extra
training.
"For some reason school officials
are prosecuting these employees"
Mr.. Turner declared.
He charged that personal ami
mostly" was the real reason for this
determination" but did not give
any details.
Lets stop this sort of petty per-
secution,' he told the committee.
Extra Pay for Masters Degree.
A school official said later the bill
does cover attendance workers ex-
cept that extra pay is provided
others who obtain masters degree.
Joint committee hearings on the
measure ended today although
Chairman Cain still expects to re-
ceive statement from the District
Commissioners and from the Board
of Trade.
Paul Cooke OF Local az, AFL
American Federation of Teachers,
joined Mr.. Turner in asking in
clusion of attendance workers to
the full extent of the bill.
Single Salary Standard Praised.
Both also praised the so-called
single salary standard established in
the measure under which teachers
of all school levels receive equal pay
for equal professional training and
experience. Mr.. Turner, however
felt the bill still did not raise pay
enough and served notice that the
CLU would be back after the tax
question is settled to ask for al
minimum of $4,000 a year.
The present bill provides a $500
minimum.
Mr.. Cooke urged the joint COM
mfttee to study the possibility of
saving money through elimination
of the present dual school system.
Allowed 10 Days Sick Leave.
Mrs. Alice C. Sheldon, director of
the department of school attendance
and work permits, supported an
amendment presented earlier to the
committee under which attendance
officers would be granted leave pro-
visions similar to teachers.
At present, 1t was indicated, at
tendance officers are permitted only
10 days annual sick leave under an
act of 1945.
Mrs. Sheldon said this meant her
employees got no Easter or Christmas
vacations and had to take leave
without pay to get married or to
attend to personal problems such as
death in the family.
She said this condition has low
cred the morale and damaged the
efficiency of her group.
Had Sought Equity in Leaves.
Mrs. Sheldon said she had urged
her group to seek only leave equity
and to drop its efforts in behalf of
higher pay for the masters degree.
She said this was done.
Senator Cain requested school
officials to submit as soon as pos
sible a written statement on diff
ferences between the privileges
accorded teachers and attendance
workers with an explanation of
them.
Supt. of Schools Hobart M. Corn
ing told the committee he had no
desire to discredit the attendance
workers but said "this group has
been advanced more rapidly" than
any other group in the system.
The pending bill was heartily In
dorsed by Bernadette L. Dore,
legislative chairman of the Associa-
tion of Elementary School Princi-
pals and by Woolsey w. Hall of
the Federation of Civic Associa-
tions.
Sales Tax He'd Last Resort"
In addition to the single salary
standard, the pending bill provides
$3.50 across the board increase
above the temporary $3.50 increase
being received by the teachers this
year. Estimated cost to the city is
s2,708, 900 during the year beginning
July /, eventually reaching about
So, ,o0o, 600.
Somebody has got to pay these
bills declared Representative Bates,
Republican, of Massachusetts,, 'I've
heard very few suggestions on that
other than bigger Federal pay
ment."
Mr.. Hall said he approved a sales
tax as "a last resort" and Mr.. Cooke
likewise indicated his group might
accept the levy as a last ditch
measure. Mr.. Turner, who ap-
peared earlier in the tax hearing
held by the same joint committee
in oppotition to the sales tax, con-
tended the money could be raised
by more Federal payments and ad-
justments in the income tax. AS a
last resort, he said his organization
would support an increase in taxes
on investment property.