Robert C. Goodwin, pointed out that the defenseprogram structure, as being planned, would be built on top of a high-level civilian economy and would tax the Nation's manpower resources.

Committees were appointed to consider and report, respectively, upon Industrial Safety and Health; Special Problems of Women and Young Workers; Labor Standards and Working Conditions; Training; Recruitment and Utilization. Summaries of their reports as adopted by the conference follow.

Industrial Safety and Health

In view of the emergency faced by the Nation, prevention of wastage of vital manpower through job accidents, always urgent, was given additional emphasis. Accident waste in 1949 in terms of actual working time lost amounted to 39 million man-days-the equivalent of idleness by 130,000 workers for a full year. The 15,000 deaths and 1,600 permanent total disabilities made a permanent reduction in the working force; and the nearly 80,000 permanent partial disabilities had a similar effect because of reduced efficiency of the victims (largely amputees).

As almost all work-connected injuries are preventable, the current problem was that of "carrying the know-how and practice of prevention" to the many establishments not yet "doing an effective safety job." The President's Conference on Industrial Safety found that in general establishments with a poor safety performance are too small to employ technicians as do the large establishments having low injury rates. It was suggested that States furnish the multitude of small employers with a service reasonably equivalent to that provided by the large employers' full-time safety personnel. Providing such a service would require, the conference stated, basic legislation to insure more adequate and uniform codes and standards; injury statistics; continuing State safety programs; direct plant safety service by State personnel.

Attention was called to the many variations between safety codes of the individual States, and to the Bureau of Labor Standards report that about a third of our States and Territories have no rule-making authority.

The conference recommended review of existing safety codes as to their adequacy in the light of the

national emergency, with assistance by the Bureau of Labor Standards technical services. Completion of the analysis of codes being made by that Bureau, in cooperation with the International Association of Governmental Labor Officials committee on machine guarding, was urged. This would make available for all States an objective comparison between State and American Standards Association safety codes.

Collection and analysis of injury data, the conference stated, should be planned to give plant size and type of operation, with other information. Conformance with the American Standards procedure for accident reporting was recommended.

Study by the Bureau of Labor Standards and the States to determine how many visits to establishments by an inspector would give a minimum of service was recommended. States were advised to renew efforts to secure an adequate number of technicians. To meet the industrial safety needs of an emergency period, the conference recommended that the U. S. Department of Labor, through its Bureau of Labor Standards, provide, upon request, competent safety technicians to assist State labor departments.

Special Problems of Women and Young Workers

In view of anticipated trends in employment of married women, the conference urged that the States which have set legislative standards for working women maintain and improve them. Also, those States which do not have such standards should establish them.

Minimum standards should include, the conference stated, a weekly rest day, a basic 40-hour week with a maximum 48-hour week, a night rest period of 11 hours including the period from midnight to 7 a. m., and adequate periods for meals. Suitable lunchroom, rest-room, and toilet facilities, good ventilation and lighting, and related needs, should be provided by employers to maintain health and efficiency.

The conference urged avoidance of sex discrimination in wages. It advocated strengthening of existing State equal-pay laws and renewing efforts to obtain enactment of adequate legislation, State and Federal. Equal-pay provisions in union contracts were also recommended.

Provision in the Federal Fair Labor Standards

Act for a $1 minimum wage and establishment of minimum-wage safeguards for workers who do not now have them were recommended. Combination of the merits of both the statutory-rate and the wage-board methods in new State minimumwage legislation was recommended.

Government defense contracts should prohibit discrimination against workers on account of race, sex, age, creed, or color, the conference stated. It also recommended adoption of legislation prohibiting discharge or other discrimination against any person because of filing a complaint against his employer or giving testimony or information of alleged violation of a State labor law.

Off-the-job safeguards for women workers will be needed, the conference stated. Defense-plant expansion in new areas will raise problems of housing and feeding the employees recruited. The conference urged that special attention be given to community programs for adequate housing, transportation, child care through the day, visiting nurses, and other measures. It suggested that the Women's Bureau study absenteeism among women workers with particular reference to their special home responsibilities and health factors.

To let boys and girls-the future workers and citizens of our Nation-rush into jobs to produce an ounce of service now at the cost of a pound of contribution to the future, would be a costly blunder, the conference stated. A 16-year minimum age for any employment during school hours and for employment in manufacturing and mechanical establishments at any time is more important than ever, it was stated. Such a standard is needed to give all children opportunity for a basic education and development of good citizenship and vocational competence.

In the States unable to stem the rush of immature youth into jobs, State labor commissioners and labor organizations should endeavor to secure adequate legislation.

State labor departments and labor and other citizen groups were urged to support the U. S. Department of Labor in enforcement of the new Fair Labor Standards Act provisions concerning agricultural work by children, and to aid States in enforcing their standards. Expansion of vocational guidance and placement services for young people through the public employment services was recommended.

The conference commended the President's appointment in June 1950 of a Commission on Migratory Labor. It urged Federal and State legislation to give effect to the Commission's recommendations so that migratory workers may receive the benefits and services of which they have been deprived.

Labor Standards and Working Conditions

To obtain maximum efficiency for "the long pull ahead," the conference stated, sound labor standards and good working conditions are essential. State labor departments and the U. S. Department of Labor, it believed, should cooperate in a program of development and promotion of standards for working conditions and protection from industrial injuries. Adherence to the following standards was recommended:

(a) A basic 8-hour day and 40-hour week, with time and a half for overtime and with premium pay for Sundays and holidays.

(b) At least one scheduled day of rest in seven. (c) A meal period of not less than 30 minutes, in the middle of the worker's shift; and appropriate rest periods.

(d) Increase of the minimum wage to $1; extension of coverage to employees not now protected by the law. Enactment by all States of minimumwage legislation (1) to cover all workers, with no exception; (2) to provide a flat statutory minimum hourly rate of at least 75 cents, with wageboard authority to set rates higher than the statutory minimum and, under proper safeguards, to modify rates for learners, apprentices, and handicapped workers; and (3) to provide for "time and a half for hours in excess of 8 a day and 40 a week." Amendment of State laws which cover only women and minors to include men and to incorporate the foregoing standards.

(e) Provision by law in every State for full wage payment by cash, check, or voucher, at least as often as semimonthly; for prompt payment of a worker separated from the payroll; for State labor department aid, when necessary, in the collection of wages due; penalties for employer violation of the law and additional liability in the amount of 10 percent of the unpaid wages.

Conservation of manpower through prevention of accidents, by cooperative endeavor of labor departments, Federal and State, labor groups, management, and other public and private organ

izations; use of labor-management safety committees; adaptation or strengthening of State laws in order that safety codes and rules may be made by labor departments; better cooperation between Federal and State departments of labor in administration of safety provisions of the Longshoremen and Harbor Workers' Act.

(g) Safeguarding our youth resources, being watchful against pressures to break down existing protective measures. The highest contribution youth could make to the defense program, the conference believed, would be to continue their education at least through high school.

Training

Current unemployment conditions were compared by the conference with those existing prior to World War II, when, it was stated, the reserve labor pool amounted to 10 million workers. Less than 2 million persons capable of taking jobs were estimated to be currently unemployed. This figure includes those moving from one job to another and those temporarily without employment.

Training plans, the conference believed, should be based on either an expected 10 or 15 year semiemergency period, or an all-out emergency.

Only about a fourth of the apprentices needed to maintain the normal skilled force were estimated to be currently employed. Therefore the conference recommended that the Federal Bureau of Apprenticeship, State apprenticeship agencies, international unions, and employer organizations be requested to give full opportunities to members of minority groups for apprenticeship training and upgrading, without discrimination. It also recommended publicizing the need for more apprenticeship, and expanding the staffs of the Bureau of Apprenticeship and the State apprenticeship agencies to care for the indicated increase in the program.

Should an all-out emergency occur, withdrawing from 10 to 15 million men from the work force for military service, other methods would be necessary. If the supply of skilled workers were insufficient, "an accelerated program for training persons in single-skill or multiple-skill jobs would have to be put into operation." It was emphasized, however, that "if a satisfactory complement of skilled workers can be trained, only a minimum

amount of training at less than the apprenticeship level will be needed."

Continued voluntary promotion of apprenticeship and other on-the-job training, thus avoiding resort to a national service act, was recommended.

Safety training, it was stated, should be emphasized in negotiations with management and labor on training programs. Furthermore, it should be included in all training plans.

Employers whose apprentices are drafted, the conference suggested, "should be urged to take on replacement apprentices at the lowest age bracket recognizing that applicable legal requirements Federal and State . . . should always be observed. The Selective Service System and local draft boards should authorize deferments for such new apprentices until such time as apprentices already inducted have served the required time and have returned to their work."

An agreement between the U. S. Department of Labor and the State labor departments, outlining procedures and methods for achieving necessary coordination in training activities, was recommended. Staff training facilities of the Bureau of Apprenticeship, the conference stated, should be made available, upon request, to State apprenticeship agencies that have field staffs and wish to cooperate in the defense manpower effort under General Order No. 48 of the Secretary of Labor.

Forces as related to community labor supply, with indication of timing and number of inductions; (c) information concerning contract and subcontract awards, so that in affected communities action may be initiated to meet the anticipated labor demand.

The conference recommended (a) cooperation by Federal and State governments to promote maximum use of the public employment service by workers and employers; (b) provision by Congress of adequate funds for establishment and maintenance of facilities and staff for execution of manpower programs; (c) legislation, State and Federal, concerning licensing and regulation of private employment agencies and labor contractors; (d) coordination of recruitment and placement activities of other groups with work of the employment service: (e) return of administration of the public employment offices to a Federal system; (f) if and when such federalization occurs, administration of the service by the Department of Labor.

Failure of defense production to provide needed material on schedule, because of loss of key personnel to the armed services, must be avoided when possible, the conference stated. It recommended, therefore, that the Selective Service system provide such occupational deferment as may be necessary, and that effective deferment policies be instituted. To insure adequate consideration of labor-supply factors in allocation of defense contracts and subcontracts, establishment of appropriate relations and procedures between the manpower and the procurement agencies and prime contractors was recommended.

To avoid unnecessary and undesirable movement of workers, the conference recommended avoidance by employers of labor pirating and indiscriminate advertising, and by newspapers and advertisers of publicity that would encourage harmful labor turn-over and migration.

The conference urged that employers be encouraged to plan their job structures "in such a way that jobs are diluted and divided to enable

individuals to be quickly trained and assimilated into the production forces" and also to "assure the fuller use of skills of those workers already employed."

It was recommended that in recruitment of women, efforts be directed first toward bringing

into the labor force those without important family responsibilities, including young single women, older age groups, and part-time workers. No recruitment should be made of youth that is contrary to Federal or State laws.

The Department of Labor, State governments, and other "public and private agencies and organizations interested," it was stated, should immediately combine efforts to train sufficient placement officers, especially qualified to place handicapped persons in suitable employment.

Valuable skills of older people not currently employed provide a resource, the conference stated, and to attract such workers back into the labor market, publicity should be given to the need for those skills. Persons on retirement lists have skills which should be used in the training of others. Study and action should be initiated, it was said, to preserve retirement rights of such workers upon their return to employment.

Since maximum mobility of the labor force is essential, the conference recommended adjustment of private pension programs in order that workers may not lose such rights by transfer to other employment.

Establishment of appropriate labor-management committees, for assistance to the manpower mobilization agencies at Federal, State, and local levels, was recommended.

Resolutions

Eighteen resolutions were adopted by the conference. Among the objectives sought were additional safety measures for railroad workers; establishment of additional agencies and services for the handicapped; elimination of barriers to the employment of older workers; and continuance of social-security benefits to workers called into the armed services. One resolution recommended national legislation to provide "protection, medical care, and indemnity to the workmen of this country and their dependents" in case of injury and death caused by atomic attack upon industrial areas. Such attacks might be extensive enough, it was pointed out, to exceed the resources of established insurance systems to meet their financial obligations.

Drugs, Medicines, and Cosmetics: Plant Workers' Earnings, May 1950

PLANT WORKERS in selected branches of the drug and medicine industry had straight-time average hourly earnings of $1.26 in May 1950. During the same period, plant workers in establishments manufacturing perfumes, cosmetics and other toilet preparations averaged $1.06 an hour.2

Drugs and Medicine

Among the three branches of the drug and medicine industry covered, the largest group of workers were engaged in the manufacture of pharmaceuticals for the medical professions. Earnings in this branch, with more than half of the plants and about three-fifths of the workers in the industry, were $1.29 an hour-20 cents higher than for workers in plants manufacturing pharmaceuticals for the public. The highest wage level ($1.40) was found in the medicinal chemical branch of the industry, which accounted for only

about 10 percent of the industry's plants and less than 17 percent of its workers. Only about 8 percent of the medicinal chemical workers earned less than $1.00 per hour while in plants manufacturing pharmaceuticals for the public over a third of the plant workers earned less than this

amount.

Earnings varied not only by industry branch but also by region. The highest regional wage level ($1.30) for all branches of the drug and medicine industry was found in the Great Lakes region; earnings in the Southeast averaged 86 cents per hour. Over 70 percent of the plant workers in the Southeast States were earning less than $1.00 an hour as compared with about 12 percent in the Great Lakes region.

The Middle Atlantic region was heavily represented in all of the branches covered by the study. Almost half of the workers in the drug and medicine industry were located in these States and averaged $1.28 per hour. Nearly two-thirds of the workers, averaging $1.42 an hour, in the medicinal chemicals branch were located in this region.