Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1957-03-01

Ralph Cordiner. president of
General Electric, the group has
proposed substantial pay boosts
for military personnel as well
as stable pay raises for all
classified civilian employees in
Grades z and above. The raises
for civilian workers would aver
age about Is per cent and range
from $500 to $4,000.
Any such pay increases for
defense agencies civilian work.
Iers would have to be extended
to other Federal employees in
Grades 7 and above. The Cor
diner group proposed pay boosts
not only for engineers and SCI
IentiSts, but for management,
professional and all other CLASH
fled employees in Grades 7 and
up. There are about $4,000
such employees in Government.
The Cordiner group did not
deal with the pay situation re-
garding classified employees in
Grades 6 and below. There are
about 650.000 of these employees.
But undoubtedly if pay raises
were given employees in Grade Z
and above. the increases also
would have to be voted for those
in the lower grades.
And the $4,000 postal workers
likewise would have to be given
pay raises. In fact. Congress
almost always votes increases
first for the politically powerful
postal employe groups before
acting on other Federal salary
increases.
COST ACCOMPLISHMENTS
ton officials are cool to the
Cordiner group proposals be-
cause they feel it would set of a
general demand for military and
civilian employe pay raise legis-
lation that would cost at least
SIS billion.
In a time when President
Eisenhower has urged labor gen.
orally to forego pay raises as
part Of his anti-infiat ionary
program. the White Houses
attitude on the Cordiner report
can easily be imagined. What
Secretary Wilson will do with
the Cordiner proposals is a mat
ter OF conjecture, but many
administration officials predict 1t
will never get the White House
stamp of approval.
PROGRESS MADE-However.
the Cordiner Committees rec
concentrations are expected to
have a welcome effect eventually
as far as Federal pay raises are
concerned.
Government employee unions
as well as sponsors of Federal
pay raise legislation in Congress
are expected to give heavy en-
phasis to the Gordiner groups
findings that Federal salaries
lag behind industry. It should
provide effective ammunition
eventually in the pay raise drive
and have considerable influence
on Congress.
Also Government employ e
leaders are quick to point out
that. despite President Eisen-
hower's request to industry and
labor to forego raises, there is
"a continuing round of such pay
increases. Therefore, they feel,
Federal employees also are en-
titled to pay raises to maintain
decent living standards.
CHARITY DRIVE-James NJ.
Davidson. president of the Dis
trict Department Of the Ameri-
can Federation of Government
Employees. has asked the White
House to appoint Federal en-
ploye representatives on a COM
mittee to advise on the Charity
Fund raising drives in Govern
ment agencies.
Mr.. Davidson said such a COM
mittee had been promised and
that failure to establish it has
resulted in abuses in the fund
raising campaign. such as sgen-
cies ignoring the White House
request that employee contribu-
tons be kept secret If the in
dividual so desires it.