The potters herald. [volume] (East Liverpool, Ohio) 1899-1982, 1951-03-15
Legislative Report From The Ohio
State Federation Of Labor

| Now in it's third month, the Gen
eral Assembly sessions are begin
ming to drag, with many important
proposals by labor bottled up in
the House Reference Committee.
WOrkmen's Compensation
Negotiations between labor anC
management on an "agreed" Work
mems Compensation Bill is almost
complete. For many years it has
been the practice of the Ohio State
Federation of Labor, the Manu-
facturers' Association and other in
terested groups to meet in joint
conference for the purpose of con-
sidering proposed amendments to
the Workmen's Compensation Law.
After a thorough discussion of
proposed amendments the commit
tee would put into legislative bill
the things agreed upon.
The present JOINT committee has
just completed its conferences and
an agreed" bill will be presented
to the General Assembly in the
near future.
Here is a short analysis of the
amendments contained in the new
bill:
1. 1t would increase the weekly
maximum benefits from $50 to
1920.
2. 1t calls for an increase in
death benefits from $4,000 to $4,000.
3. Disability payments to start
the first week if the disability lasts
five weeks or more. At present the
first week of disability is never
paid.
4. 1t increases the guaranteed
allowance for simple silicosis cases
(those not totally disabled . but
changing jobs to avoid further ex
posure) from $40 to $3.50 week
for 80 weeks.
5. Allows occupational disease
sufferers six months to file claims.
The present law allows four
months.
6. Includes berylliosis as an oc-
cupational disease.
7. Increases funeral b en- f t s
from $500 to $400.
Management has agreed to help
work out a joint bill to win higher
benefits for old total permanent
cases, now tied to the maximum
scale in effect when they were in
jured. This calls for appropriation.
Management has also agreed tol
spend at least 100000 to set up a
rehabilitation center at Ohio State
University Hospital.
This is the most important bill
on the Federation's program. It'll
merits the support of all local
unions and central bodies.
Little Taft Hartley Bill Introduced
Sen. David Mex. Ferguson (whoI
introduces more anti-labor legis-I
lation than any other legislator)
has just introduced another bill to
hamstring labor. 1t is Senate Bill
213, using the old gag "the right to
work" it is aimed at picketing and
union contracts.
If passed, it would set labor
management relations back sol
years.
The Senate Taxation Committee
handed Ferguson a setback recent
Iy when they voted down his S. B.
R. 7 ("soak-the-poor" tax plan)
which told the Federal Congress
that Ohioans wanted income taxes
limited to 25 per cent.
Such action would cut taxes on
and high-salaried ex-
ecutives and shift the tax burden
70 increasing taxes for workers.
Senators Bartunek, Sheppard
and Celebrezze voted mo" and the
failed to get committee
Reconsideration of the
measure is possible as some of the
were absent.
Public Utilities Bill
H. B. 295-Which pro h i b t 81
strikes in public utilities and sub
,titutes compulsory arbitration ap-
pears to be dead as a result of thel
Supreme Court ruling on similar
law. The bill is still inI ;
he hands of subcommittee. Il
State Employee Legislation
There will be a hearing tuesday,
March 13 on S. B. ITO, the Fedora
ion backed measure to provide for j
heck-off of union dues by the state
n its political subdivisions.
The State, County and Municipal