Evening star., 1955-05-28
'UnionizafioIl
.0fGovernrrlent
ScientistsUrged
Federation Hears
Plea for Organizing
$4,000 U. S. Aides

'So 'O' '0sat@'stS
$4,000 U. S. Aides
Joseph Amann, president of
the Engineers and Scientists Of
America. urged today that the
47,O00 engineers and scientists in
the Federal Government and ad-
ditional thousands in State and
municipal governments be Or
ganlzed for collective bargaining.
Their status can be improved
by law. he said, and urged a S.
per capita extra assessment for
organizing activities.
His group, which began a four
day convention yesterday at the
Hotel Statler, is a national feder-
alton of professional employees in
collective bargaining units in the
electronics, aircraft, electrical
machinery, scientific instruments
and related industries. It also
has some Government employees
in it's membership.
Mr.. Amann told the convention
Government engineers and
scientists are generally paid less
than those in industry. He said
their "leveling trends are even
more severe than those in in
dustry." Further, he declared,
they generally have no bargain
ing status or bargaining power
and consequently no voice in de-
terming the conditions under
which they must work.
They must depend, he said,
upon the good graces of some
legislative body to make such
improvements as they require.
Many of these persons, he de-
clared, have been reached and
indoctrinated by "the antioch
lective-bargaining technical So
cieties." Because of their lower
pay and generally poorer work.
ing conditions. they Constitute
dampening effect upon our &C
tivities and upon our bargaining
endeavors," Mr.. Amann con-
tended.
Resistance Encountered
"This condition, I believe,
could best be resolved by organ
izing them, by improving their
status under the various statutes
and through collective bargain
ing" Mr.. Amann asserted.
During the past two years, the
president told the convention
"our member units have been
experiencing an increasing re-
sistance and a growing reluct-
ance on the part of the manage
ments with whom they deal to
bargain in good faith during
their negotiations"
He said "it is necessary for
this convention to take the re-
quired time to discuss ways and
means of restoring good faith
bargaining on the part of all of
the parties"
Mr.. Amann took issue with a
recent statement of Atomic En-
ergy Commissioner w. F. Libby
regarding a serious and poten-
TALLY grave shortage of ade-
quately trained scientists and
engineers. Neither the Bureau
of Labor Statistics nor any other
Government agency has as yet
obtained reliable statistics which
would permit a careful analysis
of specific areas of shortages, he
said. He said his group has ap-
peared before the Senate Appro-
priations Committee to urge
funds for the bureau to make a
study of this matter and related
questions.
Salary Ratio Cited
Industry has not increased
salaries in the engineering and
scientific fields since 1889, Mr..
Amann maintained, in the same
ratio of both skilled and un-
skilled craft workers.
Commenting on the report
that Russia turns out $4,000 en-
glneers annually, Mr.. Amann
said the source of this informa-
ton is unclear.
He suggested that If Americas
intelligence system is so effec-
tive that it can get accurate and
intimate knowledge of the num-
bers and quality of Russian tech
nicians, it should do some work
at home.
He contended mo one in this
country knows how many en-
gineers and scientists we have" "
He challenged the accuracy Of
those who claim the United
States has a shortage and de-
clared I'VE know there is a
great deal of naturalization of
engineers and scientists"
/ Senator Morse, Democrat, Of
Oregon, was to speak at a lunch
con and Guy Farmer. chairman
of the National Labor Relations
Board, at an afternoon session
| today.