efr WHITE COLLAR. Official Publication of the Office Employes International Union No. 228 January, 1965 17 C. r I7 LBJ Against Shorter Workweek Gaining Steadily "Right-to-Work" EMPLOYES ON WORKWEEKS "Gradually and steadily" American workers are moving towards President Johnson told labor's LESS THAN 40 HOURS a shorter workweek. leaders today that he stands by By Industry (1962-1964) The AFL-CIO Dept. of Research reports that 8 million persoo the 1964 Democratic Party presently are on a basic workweek of under 40 hours, while many time reduced through longer vaca- platform pledge to abolish the MANUFACTURING others have had their working Taft -Hartley Act section per- tions, more holidays or paid ments of the depression era, but mitting state right-to-work laws. PUBLIC lunch periods. UTILITIES most are of recent vintage. President George The department's findings AFL-CIO "The reduction of hours un- Meany disclosed the stand to WHOLESALE make up the Collective Bar- TRADE der collective bargaining in the and gaining Report feature of the newsmen after a two-hour 1960s," the Federationist an- with the Pres- December issue of the Ameri- 15-minute session RETAIL TRADE alyses, "is not taking place dra- George can Federationist, the AFL- ident. Press Secretary matically and suddenly. Rather also confirmed it. CIO magazine. Reedy FINANCE the reductions are taking place was the question Geographically the North- Left open in small steps in individual con- press for east has led they way, with 62 whether Johnson will SERVICES tracts." controversial 14B percent of office employes in repeal of the As an example, the article Taft-Hartley section, which per- the region and 11 percent of cites a Chemicals Workers' con- states to ban union shop ALL plant workers on a workweek of mits tract providing a 10-minute-a- labor contracts, or merely give less than 40 hours. day reduction in working time it token support in the coming PERCENT 0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 Some short workweeks date during each year of a three- session of Congress. Meany and OFFICE 1111 PLANT back to "work-sharing" experi- 1= year agreement. Reedy agreed that no "commit- EMPLOYES EMPLOYES Nearly all printing trades ments" were asked during the SOURCE: U.S. Department of Labor workers-98 percent of huddle and no legislative strat- Clerical Jobs them- are working less than 40 hours, egy was discussed. with about one-fourth at 35 Feelings Made Known For Women Wins Cleveland Health hours. In nearly all cases, the But, Meany emphasized to One-Day Strike Are Changing reduction was first to 38.75 newsmen, "We certainly let him At Abercrombie-Fitch Foundation Signed hours and then to 37.5 hours. know how we felt about that The girl looking for her first Large percentages of workers very unfair law." A "goldfish bowl mediation Int'l. Rep. J. M. Sleeth has job or the housewife returning in the brewing, tobacco, rubber, Other topics brought up at proved to be the arena of vic- received recognition for the of- to the labor force can get a steer fur, baking and telephone indus- today's meeting included unem- tory for some 260 sales, clerical fice and clerical workers at the in the right direction from a new tries have a basic workweek of ployment, poverty, excise taxes and service personnel of Aber- Community Health Foundation study, "Clerical Occupations for less than 40 hours. and automation. crombie and Fitch who con- in Cleveland, Ohio. Women-Today and Tomor- ducted a one day strike in pro- The Foundation is a non- row," just made public by the In addition to the sabbatical test of reduced commissions re- profit organization providing Women's Bureau of the Labor vacations introduced in the steel, Doctors Reconsidering sulting from the establishment comprehensive medical care on Dept. aluminum and can industries, S-S Hospital Care of an outpost gift shop. the group plan. The clerical field, it declares, longer vacations and more holi- A change is taking place in The new department called The Foundation is new in the is undergoing "the most signifi- days continue to show up in the way many of the nation's the Log Cabin Shop caters ex- Cleveland area and it is ex- cant change since the invention union contracts for a "hidden" physicians are looking at hospi- clusively to women and shows pected that this expanding unit of the first office machines" due reduction in working hours. So tal care for the elderly under gift items sold elsewhere in the will add in excess of 100 mem- in part to "automation and other have such fringe items as addi- socical security, according to establishment. Salespeople in bers to the ranks of the OEIU technological trends." The na- tional relief time. Dir. Nelson Cruikshank of the the shop, which opened Thurs- as the plan grows. tion gives employment to 10 mil- Hotel Week Cut AFL-CIO Dept. of Social Se- day, November 19, were to be This newly organized group lion clerks, it says, of whom 7 More than 40 percent of curity. paid $70 per week plus a com- will be in Local 17 and negotia- million are women. By 1975 hotel workers are on a schedule The shift is not reflected in mission of 2 per cent. tions will commence shortly in the total is expected to reach 14 of less than 40 hours a week. the stand of the American Med- Local 153 members receive order to consummate an OEIU million. New York City's Hotel Trades (Continued on page 2) (Continued on page 2) collective bargaining agreement. The study discusses job op- Council won a 35-hour week portunities, duties, educational (down from 40 hours with no and skill requirements and earn- pay cut) as of last June. Meeting in Denver ings in 21 occupations, includ- OEIU Local 153 represents ing seven in which two-thirds of more than 2,300 clericals em- the jobs are held by women- ployed by N. Y. C. hotels. secretary, stenographer, book- The Dept. of Research analy- keeper, typist, cashier, telephone sis predicts that continual im- operator. provement in the reduction of In the decade between 1950 hours of work without cutting and 1960, the median age of weekly pay promises to become the woman clerical worker rose the pattern for the 60's second from 30 to 36 years, the study half. shows. However, it continues, Accompanying the drive for women over 45, and "even some shorter hours through collective over 30," still find it more dif- bargaining is, of course, labor's ficult to get jobs than younger push for establishment of a basic women although employers 35-hour week for all workers "have rated older workers high under the Fair Labor Standards in reliability, emotional stability Act. and loyalty to the job." The OEIU, a leader in the Any of our readers wishing drive for a shorter work week, to obtain a copy of the study has established a 35-hour week should write to Women's Bu- or less in over 8 5 % of its local reau, U. S. Dept. of Labor, union collective bargaining A Western Educational Conference was held recently in Denver, Colorado. Washington 25, D. C. agreements. Page Two WHITE COLLAR January, 1965 WHITE COLLAR AUTOMATION Official Organ of Doctors Reconsider Medicare QUESTIONNAIRE OFFICE EMPLOYES INTERNATIONAL UNION affiliated with the AFL-CIO (Continued from page 1) In order to gather specific data on the effects of auto- House of Del- HOWARD COUGHLIN ical Association's mation in companies under President Room 610 egates, he asserted, but can be contract with the OEIU, the St. One-Day Strike seen "in the profession itself." Research Department has 265 West 14th mailed to each Local Union J. HOWARD HICKS "More and more physicians New York 11, N. Y. Aids Local 153 a simple questionnaire. It is Secretary-Treasurer are realizing that the Kerr-Mills most important that this (Continued from page 1) program is inadequate," Cruik- questionnaire be completed POSTMASTERS, ATTENTION. Change of address Form 3579 should be shank said on Washington View- and returned as soon as pos- addressed to Office Employes International Union, 1012 14th St., Washington 5, commissions on a monthly and D. C. Published monthly at 810 Rhode Island Ave., N.E., Washington 18, D. C. point, radio program produced sible. Second class postage paid at Washington, D. C. year end basis ranging from 6 The results of this study to 11 per cent. by the Westinghouse Broadcast- may be of vital interest to By agreement of the parties, ing Co.'s Washington News Bu- your Local Union in future an arbitration session was sched- reau. contract negotiations as one uled Thursday morning and in "Considerable feeling" was of its prime purposes is to expressed at the recent meeting measure classifications elim- a remarkable show of union inated and job loss due to of the House of delegates at elP solidarity 95 striking Local 153 the introduction of elec- Reproduction by the Labor Press of any or all material herein contained is not only members of A & F attended the Miami Beach, he said, "that the tronic data processing. permitted, but wholly desirable in the interest of workers' education. meeting. Former Congressman AMA had to get off its position Ludwig Teller originally selected that Kerr-Mills was adequate in Subscription Price $1 a Year as aribtrator offered his serv- its present form." Organizing in ices as mediator in that he be- "There were resolutions pre- Western Conference lieved he could avail his abilities sented from some of their so- Clerical and technical em- best in that capacity.