The potters herald. [volume] (East Liverpool, Ohio) 1899-1982, 1951-03-29

Workmen's Compensation Law
have been embodied in three bills
just introduced in the Senate. The
custom of labor and management
to "agree" on amendments to the
law prevailed in the drafting OF
these measures.
S. B. 249, introduced by Roscoe
Walcutt, majority leader of the
Senate, is the main bill.
This bill calls for increased max
imum weekly benefits; increased
death benefits; increased benefits
for incipent silicosis cases; inclus-
ion of beryiliosis as an occupation
al disease; includes civil defense
workers and volunteer firemen
under workmen's compensation pro-
visions; establishes state rehabil-
itation center at Ohio State Uni
lversity; increases funeral benefits
and tightens restrictions on ambul-
ance chasing.
S. b. 248, introduced by Stanley
| C. Mechem, would give $25 a week
to totally and permanently dis
abled persons. These are old work
mems compensation cases still pay
ing as little as $l2 to $2l week
the benefit scale in effect when
they were injured.
S. B. 252, introduced by Messrs.
Walcutt- Mechem, increases the sal
aries of the State Industrial Com
mission.
In negotiations for these "agreed
bills" the personnel of the Ohio
State Federation's committee was
as follows Phil Hannah, secretary
treasurer and Mike Lyden, pres
ident of the Ohio State Federation
of Labor; John w. Jockel, repre-
senting the Bricklayers; Robert
Burwinkle, secretary of the Ohio
State Building and Construction
Trades Council, and Howard Metz
enbaum, legal counsel of the State
Federation.
Your Legislative Agent is firm
ly convinced that these are ex-
tremely good bills-and that they
merit the support Of all local unions
and central bodies. Effective assist
ance can be rendered if you con-
tact your senators and represent
atives in an effort to have the Leg
islature enact these bills in their
present form.
"Check- Off" Bill Gets Hearing
Representatives of organ z e d
labor appeared before the Senate
Commerce and Labor Committee,
and urged the adoption of S. B..
10 which provides for the check
off Of union dues for public en-
ployes who sign authorization
cards.
Indications that the measure will
have rough going in committee
were born out by the antagonistic
attitude of Senators Pollock of
Canton and Ferguson Of Cambridge
who injected their personal anti
labor views during the hearing.
Your Legislative Agent, along
with the following labor repre-
sentatives spoke for the bill: John
Breidenbach, vice president of the
State Federation; Tom Morgan,
president, State, County and NUM-
cipal Employees Local Councils;
Sam Peril, business agent, Cleve
land Municipal Workers; Phil Mas
terson, business agent, Cleveland
Hod Carriers and Laborers, and
Edward Daily, international repre-
sentative for the State, County and
Municipal Employees.
Unemployment Compensation
Organized Labor's major legisla-
tive battle got under way this
week, when the Senate Commerce
and Labor Committee held the
initial meeting on S. b. 95, per-
tanning to Unemployment Compen-
sation.
After extensive research and
preparation, representatives of thel
Federation appeared before thel
committee and set forth their rea-
sons for sponsoring this legisla-
tion. The defects of the present
system were clearly pictured. It'll
was shown that the present bene-
fits were inadequate, in the face
of the highest living cost in theI
history of our country. Labor
spokesmen called the committees
to the many stringent
and unnecessary disqualifying fea-
lures of the present law and asked
for their elimination.
The aims and purposes embodied
in the proposals of S. b. 95 were
carefully and fully explained byl
Howard Metzenbaum, legal counsel
for the Federation.
Sponsors of the measure will bel
given a chance to finish their testi- |
mony at another hearing to be an