Evening star., 1952-01-18

u l1OVe n m 2 II g sss$ Ssss$
ifenploye union -
Ito turn thumbs
!. down on the
lescalator plan
lis the powerful
4 AFL National Joseph Yeuas.
4 Federation of Post Office Clerks
!; The unions Executive Board, rep
resenting more than 10000
members. voted unanimously this
week to oppose any such plan.
Under the so-called escalatol
lplan, wages Of Federal employees
would go up when the cost o1
. living rose, and would decrease
!. when living costs went down.
Another variation of the plan 1,
to fix salaries of Federal white
collar and postal workers on the
same Wage Board basis as the
pay Of the Governments blue.
collar (skilled trades) workers.
This wage board plan has the
; backing of number Of prominent
!, Government personnel officials
including a few in the Civil Serv.
ice Commission.
This, too, is frowned on by most
, employe groups.
The sentiment against the es-
calator plan stems from the feel
ing that it would insure Fedora,
workers only the "barest mini
mum standard Of living" Like
wise, the wage board idea i
frowned on as being likely to cut
the salaries Of many Federal en-
|ployes, since the pay is based or
that Of workers in similar jobs in
private industry and in some COM
munities the salary rate is lower
than what the Federal Govern
ment pays.
| A few Of the skilled trades
lgroups are supporting a proposal
ito fix the pay Of Government sci
entlsts, technicians and engineers
on wage board basis, because In
most instances Federal pay il
these positions is below that OF
private industry. The National
Advisory Committee for Aeronau-
tics also favors the plan.
Meanwhile, employe groups
continue to stress present nav in
adequacies in Government.
In the latest issue of it's officia]
|pupl1cation. the National Fedora
|tion OF Federal Employees declare,
that federal salaries remain out
or line ...both with business. and
Industry generally In literally hun
adreds of vital categories and with
the rise in the cost of living, which
has not been halted"
The NFFE added, Failure to
meet the problem adequately is a
continuing handicap to the Gov
er1ment itself in attaining the
level OF efacient service required r.
these critical times. The le9isla-
|tion enacted In the first session
Cast year) was o step forward -.
but step which was q laggard one
|and fell short of what Is REQUIRED
Moreover. it involved inecuitie,
which also must be corrected in
the interest Of sound administra-
tion."
i VA-Employes in Veterans Ad.
m1nistration's special Insurance.
projects service are complaining
about irregularities in the recent
observation-disclosures program there
The unit has long been criticized
by many OF its employees for poor
working conditions and personnel
policies. Some Of the workers plan
to ask the Senate Civil Service
Committees special investigating
stan to look into the situation.
| 4 y
CHAMPIONSHIPS following en-
ployes Of the United States once
OF Education, Federal Security
Agency. were awarded Iength-of-
service certificates by Commits
sloner Of Education Earl James
McGrath:
For 30 years or longer-James
III Allen. Alfred c. Allen, David r
Blose. Andrew H. Gibbs, Walter J
Greenleaf. William H. Johns
George w. Johnson. Cyril F. Kline.
felter. Inez S. Birdsell, Julia F
Frere. Margaret j. S. Carr, Mary
IS. Clancy, Cynthia L. Dobson
Claire M. o'Neill, Iva G. Prisk
Marie E. Schutt, Mabel r. Thaw-
ley. Mary A. Walker, Mary M
Willhoite and Elizabeth N. Layton
From 20 to 80 years-Henry q.
Badger, Ambrose Caliver, James
r. Coxen. Charles e. Dawson,
Emery M. Foster, Walter H.
Gaumnitz, Nathan B. Giles, Les
ter B. Herlihy Carl A. Jessen,
Ward B. .sKeesecker, John H. Lloyd,
james c. O'Brien, Otto O. OLSON.
James II. Pearson, William T.
1Spanton, Herbert b. Swanson,
Edna P. Amidon, Maybelle j.
Blaeuer. Beulah I. Coon, Mildred
R. Crump. Mary Dabney Davis,
Ruth v. Elmborg, Maude Farr,
Bess Goodykoontz, Ruth E. Ma
honey, Cletus M. Robinson, Mar
garet F. Ryan. Paula j. Schlager,
Stella T. Sebern, Margaret G.
Shannon. Rose Marie Smith and
Louise Thomas. ....
| -
CAPITAL ROUNDUP-James
IGobbel is the new chairman of
General Services Administration s
efficiency awards committee. Other
members are Murray Kramer,
AL Busby, Mrs. Lucy Carter.
/ A NATURALA AID In