Milford chronicle., 1949-10-28
WGge-HOur Bill
Signed By President
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Mr.. Truman had asked Congress
not only to raise minimum pay to
Is cents an hour, but to broaden
coverage of the present law.
Congress met the Presidents re-
quest for a 75-cent minimum, but
1t narrowed the laws coverage in
stead of broadening it.
At present about 22,6OO,OOO work
ers are protected by the statute
The House voted to exclude about
1,OO5.OOO of those, and the Senate
only about 100000.
COVerage Narrowed
Sponsors of the bill have said il
probably will take years. including
court actions, to find just how many
workers have been removed from
protection.
The narrowing of coverage re-
suits mainly from a new definition
OF the word produce" in the law.
AT present the act applies to work.
ers, among others, who are "neces-
sary to" the production of goods
moving in interstate commerce.
The House changed that phrase
to indispensable to- and it figured
that would take around 1,OO5,0 900
workers out from under the wage
hour provisions.
In conference, a Senate-House
committee substituted directly es-
sential to" for Indispensable to-"
The committee members said the
change would mean fewer workers
excluded than the House voted.
Under the present law workers
can sue employers for back pay due
under the wage-hour provisions,
but the administrator of the law
cannot sue in behalf of employees.
Employees May Sue
The new measure gives the ad-
ministratOr the right to sue for en-
, plOyes, if they consent in writing.
The administrator, however, can
not sue for damages and attorney
fees as we'll as back wages. En-
plOyes, suing on their own, can
collect damages and fees in aGdi-
ton to back pay.
Suits cannot be brought if the
administrator waits more than two
years to start them. There still is
no time limit on suits by employees
themselves.
The new legislation broadens the
definition of commerce to cover out
going foreign commerce from any
state. Now only commerce between
the states is covered.
The purpose of the change is to
put employees of exporters on the
same footing as employees of im-
pOrters.
Another change deals with the
child labor provisions of the act. At
present parents cannot employ
children 16 to 18 on hazardous jobs.
but there is no prohibition against
putting children under 16 on such
jobs. The bill plugs that loophOle
by barring hazardous parental en-
ployment of children under 16.
List OF Exemptions
In addition to the undetermined
number of worker excluded from
coverage of the law, the new meas
ure1 specifically exempts:
1. Employees on small newspap-
ers, including dailies, with Cir
culation Of 1000 copies or less il
the county of publication and ad
joining counties. The circulation
figure at present is 5000 copies, al
in the county of publication.
2. NewsbOys who deliver papers
to the reader
8. Sawmill and logging opera
tions in the woods. Processing anC
other inside operations are not ex
empt
4. Small Western Union agen
cies doing less than $500 a montl
worth of business.
5. Telephone switchboard opera
tors in exchanges with less thar
$50 stations.
6. Employees of taxicab opera
tors.
7. Retail establishments whicl
manufacture the goods they sell