The Daily Alaska empire. [volume] (Juneau, Alaska) 1926-1964, 1950-11-30

1. iiiS claimants were referred
to positions as carpenters. Grade IL,
Step ! at Sl89 an hour, and refused
the referral However, the Dept. of
Air Force policy is to recruit all
employees at Step 1, but each Base
Commander is authorized to inhire
at Steps 2, $500 and 3 at $40 if
the employee possessed special quail
ifications.
2. Claimants had a consistent pat
tern Of employment within their
union and earn in the neighbor-
hood OF $1,000 per year at union
scale.
1t was brought out by Mr. Barry
that tradesmen, including carpen-
tiers at Laid Air Force Base during
the fiscal year 1850 earned $4,450,
plus 10 percent of an employees
pay - as annual leave compensa-
ton. Other benefits accruing to
Federal worker are: Is days sick
leave per annum, retirement and
disability benefits and very reason
able bachelor living quarters and
good food.
Other clarifying points covered
were: Cd No penalty is imposed
at the Air Base upon failure of an
employee to give a two-week notice
of separation; CD that Civil Service
benefits accrue the first day of
duty, that pay increases are per-
mitted after Is weeks of employ
ment and as Laid Air Force Base
is a permanent installation, a con-
slant year-round civilian compile
ment with regular pay checks
throughout the year is necessary in
surfing permanent employment.
Chairman Rivers discussed the
benefits of employment at the Air
Force installation during slack en-
ployment periods with the AAC Di-
rector, and suggested that it would
be advantageous if some Of the
problems of employment of resi-
dents of Fairbanks between union
employment and Federal employ
ment could be clarified. Mr.. Wilson
assured him that the Alaskan Air
Command is interested in full en-
ployment of local residents as is
feasibly possible, and assured the
Commission that the Air Force in
Alaska is ready and willing to dis
cuss problems of mutual interest at
any future date with the Commits
sion and with Labor.
Faced with similar difficulties in
finding employees as is the mill
tary, Paul Shelmerdine. personnel
director of the Alaska Railroad, sub
scribed to the testimony of Mr..
Wilson, asked that the case cited be
set aside SO as not to establish
precedent. and asked, also that
Alaska Railroad employment be
considered suitable"
Dull Ml WlloOil dliC Mi Oiltl-
merdine cited the advantages of en-
ployment with their organizations.
Stability" and continuous en-
ploynent" as well as civil service
benefits in the case of Air Force
employment and benefits as to leave,
medical assistance, commissary
privileges, ETC., as to the Alaska
Railroad Employment.
Erv Hill. ATFL president, and
Frank Marshall, International rep
resentative of the United Brother
hood of Carpenters, AFL, said that
their unions asked for prevailing
wages for all public works. Marshall
said that in the case referred to by
Wilson and Barry, the workman
refused employment on the basis
that accepting work at the base of
$189 an hour might jeopardize
permanent union employment.
Marshall also said that the
privileges of commissary. ETC.. al
lowed military workers was con-
sidered a discrimination against the
Alaskan families, and should not be
considered in rate of pay.
Both Wilson and Shelmerdine en-
phasized that there is mo penalty
to those who leave without notice."
though Ward Gilmore testified that
he had known of previous such
cases.
Also, Mr.. Wilson said again that
annual leave is basically part of
compensation, this to refute Mr.
Hills contention that annual leave
should not be considered as pay.