Evening star., 1948-09-05
Ex-G|sExp|oited
Cheap Labor,
Report Charges
Apprentice Unit Urges
Move to Halt Misuse
Of Truinees Here

The District Apprenticeship Coun-
Gil yesterday warned the Commis-
sioners that some businesses here
are exploiting veterans and other
young men as Cheap labor" on the
pretext Of teaching them a trade.
The council, in its annual report
for the fiscal year which ended
June 80, asked the Commissioners
to crack down on the relatively few
employers indulging in the practice,
This could be accomplished by
having the city's inspection depart
ments which license the various
trades-such as plumbers, electri-
clans-more closely coordinate their
qualifying requirements for a license
with the minimum standards for
apprentices set up by the council,
the report declared.
Used on UnskilIed Jobs.
There are INSCRIPTIONS employ
ers in the city who are exploiting
boys and young men who are not
veterans as cheap labor by employ
Ing them ostensibly to learn an ap-
prentlceable occupation, but who
after several months find that they
have been used on unskilled or semi
sknled Jobs unrelated to the trade
they were supposed to learn" the
council said.
A number of plumbing firms, elec-
trlcal and stationary engineer es-
tahlishments have been training
alleged apprentices" in this man
ner, it added.
Veterans who are taking "on-the-
Joo-training' under the CT Bill of
Fights are getting the worst deal
the council declared. Many of the
flrms which refuse to meet minimum
standards recognized by the council
Tor training apprentices are taking
advantage OF the CT Bill for their
own selfish aims" it said.
Turn Out "Jack Leg" Mechanics.
Such employers are turning out
Jack leg mechanics and thwarting
me lntents and purposes of the
District Apprenticeship Law and un-
dermlnlng efforts to establish lepiti-
mate, standardized apprenticeship
programs, the council added.
The council again asked the Com
mlssloners to prevail upon the Dis
trlct Board of Education to discon-
tlnue certifying employers for
"other-on-the-job training" in fields
recognized for apprenticeship by the
council and the Federal Committee
on Apprenticeship. This is a con-
tlnuatlon of an old feud between the
council and the School Board.
Some 500 trades are recognized for
apprenticeship by the council out of
the 1900 types of occupations. The
council wants the School Board not
to certify these 500 for on-the- lob
training. The board feels this would
restrict the veteran too much and is
not the intent of the law.
Two New Field Workers Urged.
The council stated in its report
that the two years of training time
allowed under the CT bill is not
sufficient to train a man in many
OF the trades. Thus, the veteran
finds himself partly trained and in
competition with skilled Journey
men.
The council also recommended to
the Commissioners that two field
workers to assist the Director of
Apprenticeship be included in the
budget.
In another section Of the report,
the council reported the apprentice
ship picture in the building, print
ing and publishing trades was
highly gratifying" Enough reg
istered apprentices are in training
in these fields to fulfill current and
foreSeeable needs.
Only 16 Cooks in Training.
Critical shortages still exist in
others, however. There are only
Is apprentice cooks in training in
the city while the council estimates
there should be 300. Other fields
tagging behind" in apprenticeship
are the hotels, bakeries, tailoring
and auto repair establishments.
There should be in training some
1000 registered apprentices but
there are only about 1900 at pres
ent, the report said. This does rep
resent 115 per cent increase over
the previous year, however,
Milton R. Stevens is chairman
of the council and Gino j. Simi is
Director of Apprenticeship.