The potters herald. [volume] (East Liverpool, Ohio) 1899-1982, 1948-04-15
AFL Pushes Bill
To Restore Navy
Wage Rate Boards

Washington (LPA)-A bill to re
place an SG-year-old statute anC
provide labor participation in set.
ting Of navy yard rates was push
ed last week by the AFL in hear
ings before the Senate Civil Ser
vice Committee.
Testimony for the bill was lee
off by James A. Brownlow, gecre-
tary-treasurer Of the AFL's Meta
Trades Dept. The measure was
opposed by Under-Secretary w
John Kenney, representing the
Navy Dept. Said Kenney, "The
Act Of 1862 has successfully with
stood the test Of time" Brownlow
pointed out that at the time the
law was adopted our navy yards
were constructing and repairing
wooden sailing vessels. Asked by
Committee Director George D.
Riley whether he didn't think the
act should be adjusted to modern
conditions, Kenney replied, "The
men who wrote it showed great
foresight"
The proposed bill, S-2285, is
sponsored by Sen. Styles Bridges
(R,. N. H.. 1t provides that the
Secreatry Of the Navy shall set
up a Departmental Navy Wage Re
view Board. Thruout its testimony
the AFL emphasized the fact that
the Review Board is not some
thing new which the labor organi-
zations are asking to have set up
for the first time. The board exist
ed from 1920 until 1947 when, ac-
cording to Brownlow, at was sum
marily and arbitrarily abolished by
the Navy Dept without any
warning, without any discussion
with the labor organizations"
Kenney based his defense Of the
Navy's action in dispensing with
the board, on which AFL and CIO
were represented, on grounds of eff
ficiency. Wage surveys can be made
faster, he said, when employee
groups don't have to be consulted.
Another problem with a joint la
bor-Navy board is that it would
"unquestionably result in com
plants from industry" His third
complaint is that it would result in
vigorous demands being made for
the navy to match what are known
as building trades rates or job shop
rates"
"The actual operation of such
board" said the Navy representa-
tive, "would take on the aspect of
wage negotiations or collective bar
gaining for the employees involved
. collective bargaining has no
proper application to government
Brownlow pointed out
the value of labor participation in
other government agencies such as
Government Printing Office, Trea-
sury Dept, Bonneville Power Ad-
Tennessee Valley Au-
thority, Panama Canal, and others.
What the Navy Dept is actual
ly saying today" he commented, "is
that the local navy yard command
ers and the Navy Dept in Wash
ington shall be the sole judges of
the facts and figures" The pro-
posal boils down to the simple pro-
position that "the men in the navy
yards want say-a real say and
actual participation-in the process
Of collecting, passing upon and dis
,ussing the so-called comparable
wage data.
at is not a question of the Navy
Dept or any other government |
agency being unfair to labor. What |
S involved is the contribution of |
abor representatives, the participa-
ion of employe representatives, to
present the employees point of view,
abor's understanding and expert
nee in a common problem, which
involves the very livelihood of the
lavy yard employees"
Sandwich spread is what some