Evening star., 1960-08-19
WAGE
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WAGE
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among hackers of the Kennedy
bill that the House Rules Com
mlttee may try to prevent the
legislation from going to con-
ference. And Republican lead
ers limited that President Eli
senhower would veto any bill
following the pattern of Sen
ator Kennedy's measure.
Senator Kennedy barely saved
the key provision of his bill
when the Senate voted, 50-48,
to kill an amendment that
would have barred minimum
wage coverage of retail and
service workers employed by
one-State enterprises. He had
to make important concessions
to defeat this amendment,
which would have limited fu-
ture expansion of coverage.,
The Senate bill would raise
the minimum wage for 23.7
million workers who now are
covered to $1.15 next January
l, to $1.20 a year later and to
SIPS on January /, 1868. Year
old statistics indicate that 3.6
million OF these workers, who
now earn less than the pro-
posed minimums, would receive
wage increases averaging is
cents an hour. and that pay
rolls would increase by nearly
$1.1 billion.
4 Million Newly Covered
The 4 million workers who
would be covered for the first
time would be granted a wage
floor OF 81 an hour next jan
uary !, with annual step-ups to
$1.25 by January l, 1864. Their
standard work week would be
reduced gradually to 40 hours.
No good estimates are available
on the actual wage impact for
this group.
Some workers now earning
more than the minimum prob
ably would get raises to main
tain differentials.
On the basis of rough pre-
liminary estimates, experts said
the bill would extend coverage
to these workers who now are
excluded: 2.5 million in retail
and service enterprises with
gross annual sales of 81 mil
lion or more; 10000 in laun-
dries; 100000 in local transit;
100000 seamen; 41,000 tele-
phone operators, $4,000 en-
ployes of fish processing
enterprises. and l million in
dividual employees of enter
prises which now are covered
only for some of their workers.
In a few cases, coverage
would apply only to the wage
floor and not to overtime.
The House bill would cover
IA million employees of retail
chains with five or more out
lets in two or more States,
giving them a 81 minimum
without overtime. Workers now
covered would have a $1.15
minimum.
COverage Extended
The Senate fight was mostly
over a provision of Senator
Kennedy's bill extending COW
erage to enterprises with gross
annual sales of ST. million or
more that affect" commerce,
whether or not they have
branches in more than one
State. Existing law covers only
enterprises with outlets in more
than one State, and exempts
retailers almost completely.
BY changing the concept of
interstate commerce to en-
compass one-State businesses,
the Kennedy bill would estab-
lish a precedent for great ex-
pansion of coverage in the fu-
ture. Congress merely would
have to reduce the sales cut
off below 81 million.
The crucial vote of 50-48 yes
terday was or an amendment
by Senator Monroney, Demo-
crat of Oklahoma, to cover re-
tailers only when they have
branches in more than one
State. He estimated his pro-
posal would reduce total new
coverage to 3.8 million workers.
Senator Monroney would not
have changed the $l.25 wage
floor.
8 Republicans for Tabling
Eight Republicans helped AZ
Democrats to table and thus
kill the Monroney amendment.
while Is Republicans and %
Democrats voted against Sena-
tor Kennedy and in favor of
the amendment.
Fifteen Republicans and Al
Democrats voted to pass the
bill, and 18 Republicans and
l6 Democrats-mostly South
ernerS-opposed passage.
Senator Kennedy admitted
to the Senate that the Mon
roney amendment obviously
has some strong support. He
said he would reduce coverage
under his bill from million to
about As million workers if the
Senate defeated the Monroney
amendment. If the Monroney
amendment prevailed, he said,
this concession would be with
drawn.
Appealing for a couple of