employed in seamless hosiery mills in the various areas were working on second shifts. From 5 to 11 percent of the full-fashioned and 3 to 6 percent of the seamless hosiery workers were employed on third shift operations. Extra pay was provided for a majority of the second shift workers in only one full-fashioned and two seamless hosiery areas. Premium pay for third shift work was more prevalent.

Paid holidays, typically 5 days annually, were provided by full-fashioned hosiery mills employing most of the workers in Philadelphia and Reading, and about one of every nine workers in Winston-Salem-High Point. In the seamless hosiery branch, only one area reported any paid holidays for plant workers-about a fifth of the workers in Reading were in mills which granted 5 days.

Paid vacations of 1 week after a year's service were the usual practice in all five full-fashioned hosiery areas studied; in men's seamless hosiery mills in Reading and Winston-Salem-High Point; and in children's seamless hosiery plants in Chattanooga. A majority of the workers in seamless hosiery mills in the other areas studied were in plants which reported no provisions for paid vacations. Vacations were typically increased to 2 weeks after 5 years' service in full-fashioned hosiery mills in Charlotte, Philadelphia, and Reading and in men's seamless hosiery mills in Winston-Salem-High Point.

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Insurance plans for which employers paid at least part of the cost were in effect in mills employing most full-fashioned hosiery workers in the areas studied. These plans included life insurance, hospitalization, and other health insurance. Such benefits were also available but to a much lesser extent in each seamless hosiery area. tirement pensions were also provided in fullfashioned hosiery mills which employed a majority of the workers in Philadelphia and Reading. In the men's seamless hosiery branch, about a fifth of the workers in Reading and a fourth in WinstonSalem-High Point were in plants which had retirement pension plans.

-FRED W. MOHR Division of Wage Statistics

1 Data collected by field representatives under direction of the Bureau's regional wage analysts. More detailed information on wages and related practices in each of the selected areas is available on request.

The study included establishments employing 21 or more workers. In plants of this size in the areas studied, approximately 30,500 workers were employed in full-fashioned hosiery mills, 13,000 in men's seamless hosiery and 3,500 in children's seamless hosiery mills.

Wood-Furniture Manufacturing:

Earnings in October 19501

AVERAGE EARNINGS of wood-furniture workers rose from 3 to 12 cents an hour between September 1949 and October 1950 in 8 of 10 important manufacturing centers. Nearly three-fourths of the area averages for workers in selected plant occupations showed increases of 5 percent or more.

Increased earnings are largely attributed to general wage adjustments. The amendment to the Fair Labor Standards Act which provided for a 75-cent minimum rate as of January 25, 1950, was a minor factor in the upward movement of earnings. In September 1949, from 6 to 13 percent of wood-furniture workers in the 3 southern areas studied earned less than 75 cents an hour; in the other areas, the proportion was less than 3 percent. Los Angeles was the only area in which all wood-furniture workers had hourly earnings in excess of 75 cents in the 1949 period.

A supplemental study in the southern areas revealed that average earnings of all workers in Morganton-Lenoir (N. C.) did not change between September 1949 and March 1950; in both Martinsville (Va.) and Winston-Salem-High Point (N. C.), the difference amounted to 1 cent an hour. Less than 15 percent of the area averages for the selected plant occupations increased more than 2 cents during this period. The March 1950 data, of course, point up the fact that the immediate effect of the 75-cent minimum on the earnings of wood-furniture workers in the specified areas was slight.

Hourly Earnings

Average earnings of men in October 1950 ranged from 95 cents an hour in Martinsville (Va.) to $1.42 in Los Angeles. (By area, from 82 to 97 percent of the plant workers in wood-furniture manufacturing were men.) Men had earnings levels exceeding $1.00 an hour in all areas except the 3 in the South. In Winston-Salem-High Point (N. C.), they averaged 97 cents, and in Morganton-Lenoir (N. C.), $1.00. Earnings of men did not differ by more than 5 cents an hour from the area averages of all workers combined.

Of men's selected occupations, sprayers ranked highest, earnings averaging at least $1.40 an hour

in 7 of the 10 areas. General-utility maintenance men and shaper operators (who set up their machines) were also among the top-paid groups. Average earnings of these workers ranged from $1.14 to $1.73 and from $1.10 to $1.70, respectively. Machine off-bearers were the lowest-paid men in all 10 areas studied and earned, on the average, from 83 cents to $1.19 an hour.

Women in Jasper-Tell City (Ind.), had average earnings of $1.43 an hour, the highest area level in October 1950 for either men or women. These workers were predominantly employed under incentive systems, and were engaged primarily on jobs requiring more than the average skill and experience of women furniture workers. The fact that very few were employed as machine offbearers, one of the lowest-paid jobs, is illustrative of this particular situation. In the other areas studied, women averaged from 79 cents in Martinsville to $1.38 in Los Angeles.

Comparisons of earnings of men and women can be made in 2 of the selected occupations studied in October 1950. Average earnings of women machine off-bearers varied from 83 cents to $1.24 an hour. These earnings were 2 cents and 11 cents

1

higher than those of men in 2 areas and from 3 to 13 cents lower in 4 areas. Women hand sanders, who averaged from 84 cents to $1.48 an hour, earned from 1 to 12 cents more than men in 4 of 9 areas. In the other 5 areas the earnings advantage of men ranged from 6 to over 20 cents.

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In Los Angeles, the leading area in 6 of the selected occupations, earnings levels were more than $1.40 an hour in 10 of the 13 plant occupations. Most jobs in Chicago, the second ranking area, were from 7 to over 15 cents an hour lower, the average, than those in Los Angeles. Of the 3 southern areas, occupational averages were generally highest in Morganton-Lenoir, most frequently by amounts within a 4 to 10 cent range. Earnings of plant workers in most occupations were roughly on the same level in Martinsville and Winston-Salem-High Point.

Related Wage Practices

A scheduled workweek of 40 hours prevailed in Chicago, Jasper-Tell City (Ind.), Los Angeles, and Martinsville (Va.). The most common work schedules in the other 6 areas were equally divided between 45 and 50 hours a week. From 12 to 15

percent of the men in Chicago, Jamestown (N. Y.), and Winston-Salem-High Point (N. C.) woodfurniture plants had workweeks longer than 50 hours. The hours of women plant workers were generally less than those of men in FitchburgGardner (Mass.); Jamestown; Rockford (Ill.); and Winston-Salem-High Point.

Paid holidays were provided plant workers by establishments having about half or more of the total wood-furniture employment in 7 of the 10 areas studied. None of the plant workers in Martinsville and less than 10 percent in the 2 North Carolina areas received specified holidays with pay. Six paid holidays a year were most typical for plant workers in Chicago and Grand Rapids and from 3 to 5 days in most of the other areas. More liberal benefits were received by office workers in all areas; a large majority were granted either 5 or 6 days annually.

Paid vacations of 1 week after a year's service were common in all the areas studied. Most of the wood-furniture workers in Jamestown, however, were eligible for the 1-week vacation after 6 months of service. Two-week vacations after 5 years' service prevailed in most areas. The length of vacation for plant workers in Jamestown and Martinsville remained at 1 week, irrespective of

service. In the 2 North Carolina areas, plants employing nearly one-third and one-fourth of the wood-furniture workers, respectively, did not provide for vacation benefits.

Life insurance, group hospitalization, and other health insurance plans, for which employers paid part or all of the costs, were in effect in all areas studied. The coverage varied by area, generally ranging from about two-thirds to all of the industry employment, and by type of insurance. Retirement pension plans had not been widely adopted by the wood-furniture industry. In October 1950, such plans were reported by establishments in only 2 areas, Jasper-Tell City and Los Angeles; these establishments employed about 5 percent and 15 percent of the wood-furniture workers in their respective areas.

-CHARLES RUBENSTEIN Division of Wage Statistics

1 Data were collected by field representatives under the direction of the Bureau's regional wage analysts. More detailed information on wages and related practices in each of the selected areas is available on request.

The study included establishments employing 21 or more workers and manufacturing wood household furniture (except upholstered); wood cabinets for radios, television receivers, and sewing machines; and wood office furniture. Approximately 41,000 workers were employed in establishments of this size in the 10 areas studied.

Wage Chronology No. 14: Ford Motor Co., 1941-50

THE FIRST Aagreement between the Ford Motor Co. and the International Union, United Automobile, Aircraft & Agricultural Implement Workers of America (UAW-CIO) dealing with wage rates and related wage practices in the automotive plants of the company was negotiated in June. 1941. The present chronology describes the major changes since that date. The provisions of the first agreement, as reported in this chronology, do not necessarily represent changes in prior conditions of employment.

The initial and subsequent agreements applied to all production and maintenance workers in the

company's numerous production and assembly plants and parts depots. The following were excluded: Superintendents, foremen, employees in the central staff and administrative offices, employees working exclusively for specified managerial offices, employees engaged in time studies and other industrial engineering work, plant protection and fire department employees, students in technical schools, professional employees and their assistants, farm employees, employees in marine operations, and cafeteria and dining-room employees.

The September 28, 1949, agreement, which was to continue in effect until April 1, 1952, was set aside on September 4, 1950, when a new agreement was signed. The present agreement, to continue without a reopening until June 1, 1955, covers approximately 112,000 workers.

June 20, 1941....

Oct. 1, 1942 2 (by Executive Order 9240, Sept. 9, 1942)

Sept. 23, 1945 (by letter of agreement dated Sept. 11, 1945)

June 20, 1941.

Oct. 1, 1942 (by Executive Order 9240, Sept. 9, 1942)

Sept. 23, 1945 (by letter of agreement dated Sept. 11, 1945).

Jan. 5, 1946

May 31, 1947..

Time and one-half for work in excess of 8 hours a day or 40 a week.

Time and one-half for Saturday work in excess of 40 hours. Double time for work on Sunday.

Changed to: Time and one-half for work over 40 hours and double time for 7th day in any 7-day week.

Changed back to: Time and one-half for Saturday work in excess of 40 hours. Double time for work on Sunday.

Holiday Pay

Double time for work on 6 specified holidays. No payment for holidays not worked.

Changed to: Time and one-half for work on holidays.

Changed back to double time.......

6 paid holidays established for which employees with seniority 3 receive 8 hours' straight-time pay. Double time (total) for holidays worked.

Employees on 7-day continuous operations working on Saturdays and Sundays received time and one-half only for time worked in excess of 8 hours a day and 40 a week. Applicable to all employees including those on 7-day continuous operations. Time lost due to voluntary absence for a full day not counted for purpose of computing 7th day of work. Time lost due to involuntary absence for a full day counted for purpose of computing 7th day of work provided employee reported for work. Employees on 7-day continuous operations working on Saturdays and Sundays received time and one-half only for time worked in excess of 8 hours a day and 40 a week.

Holidays were: New Year's Day, Memorial Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, Thanksgiving Day, and Christmas. Not applicable to employees on 7-day continuous operations.

Applicable to employees on 7-day continuous operations.

Not applicable to employees on 7-day continuous operations who received no premium holiday pay.

Employees on 7-day continuous operation paid time and one-half for work on holidays.

Applicable to employees on 7-day continuous operations.