UNEMPLOYMENT INSURANCE

HEARINGS

BEFORE THE

4

JUN 24
-2054

COMMITTEE ON WAYS AND MEANS

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

EIGHTY-THIRD CONGRESS

SECOND SESSION

ON

H. R. 6537, 6539, 7054, 8857, and 8585

48088

Printed for the use of the Committee on Ways and Means,

UNITED STATES
GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE

WASHINGTON: 1954

HBP &

54

2

CONTENTS

H. R. 6537. A bill to amend the Social Security Act to provide unemploy-

ment insurance for Federal civilian employees, and for other purposes

(Mr. Forand)

H. R. 6539. A bill to amend the Social Security Act to provide unemploy-

ment insurance for Federal civilian employees, and for other purposes

(Mr. Mason).

H. R. 7054. A bill to amend the Social Security Act to provide unemploy-

ment insurance for Federal civilian employees, and for other purposes

(Mr. Dingell) –

H. R. 8585. A bill to assist in alleviating the effects of unemployment

resulting from Federal tariff or trade policy by establishing a temporary

program of supplementary grants for States which provide for liberaliza-

tion of their unemployment compensation payments to persons

unemployed because of Federal tariff or trade policy (Mr. Baker).
H. R. 8857. A bill to extend and improve the unemployment compensa-
tion program (Mr. Reed of New York).

Statement of-

Biemiller, Andrew J., national legislative committee, American

Federation of Labor.

66

Page

1

5

8

11

1

158

Bolling, Hon. Richard, a Representative in Congress from the

State of Missouri.

282

Booth, Philip, Chief, Division of Program Policy and Legislation,

Unemployment Insurance Service, Bureau of Employment Security,

Department of Labor__

Brown, Newell, chairman, legislative committee, Interstate Confer-

ence of Employment Security Agencies___

Buchanan, Hon. Vera, a Representative in Congress from the State

of Pennsylvania__ _

Campbell, James A., president, American Federation of Government

Employees

169

Carey, James B., secretary-treasurer, Congress of Industrial Organi-
zations.

218

Cliffe, Frank, vice president, H. J. Heinz Co., Pittsburgh, Pa., repre-

senting United States Chamber of Commerce__

124

Cruikshank, Nelson, director, social insurance activities, American

Federation of Labor..

158

Dempsey, Hon. John J., a Representative in Congress from the State

of New Mexico_.

283

Dirr, Peter G., chairman, social-security committee, Commerce and

Industry Association of New York, Inc..

190

Ducoff, Louis J., Assistant Chief, Farm Population and Rural Life
Branch, Agricultural Marketing Service, Department of Agriculture

Edelman, John W., representing the Textile Workers Union of

America

103

261

Ellickson, Mrs. Katherine P., research and education department,
Congress of Industrial Organizations..

218

Emmons, Blyth, representing National Small Businessmen's Asso-

ciation

211

Falk, Ernest, manager, Northwest Horticultural Council, Yakima,

Wash..

120

Findley, A. R., representing National Retail Dry Goods Association__

Fraser, Samuel, executive vice president, the International Apple

Association.

185

215

Frates, George H., representing National Association of Retail Drug-

gists...

Statement of-Continued

Page

Garmatz, Hon. Edward A., a Representative in Congress from the

State of Maryland___

285

Granahan, Hon. William T., a Representative in Congress from the

State of Pennsylvania__

287

Hain, Elwood, representing United Gas, Coke, Chemical Workers of

America, CIO

150

Hallbeck, E. C., legislative representative, National Federation of

Post Office Clerks

184

Howell, Hon. Charles R., a Representative in Congress from the State
of New Jersey-..

288

Jacobs, W. H., secretary, Rail Steel Bar Association_

188

Kee, Hon. Elizabeth, a Representative in Congress from the State of
West Virginia....

284

Kennedy, Thomas, vice president, United Mine Workers of America__

Keys, James E., executive director, National Society of Public

Accountants..

145

193

Kile, Elton, president, National Associated Businessmen

181

Lane, Hon. Thomas J., a Representative in Congress from the State

of Massachusetts-

Larson, Hon. Arthur, Under Secretary of Labor..

Lesinski, Hon. John, a Representative in Congress from the State of

Michigan...

Lopez, Leonard, representing International Association of Machinists_

MacDuffee, T. C., general president, Master Barbers and Beauticians

of America

McCurry, John C., representing Conference of State Manufacturers

Associations.

Macy, John W., Jr., Executive Director, Civil Service Commission__

Maddock, Charles S., representing the Council of State Chambers of

Commerce_-

Magee, Elizabeth S., general secretary, National Consumers League__

Marshall, John, president, Local No. 401, United Gas, Coke, Chemical

Workers of America, CIO.-

Mollohan, Hon. Robert H., a Representative in Congress from th

State of West Virginia.

Munro, Howard E., legislative representative, Central Labor Union,
and Metal Trades Council of Panama Canal Zone_-_.

Murray, Merrill G., assistant to the Director, Bureau of Employment
Security, Department of Labor__

21, 79

National Association of Manufacturers_

186

Packard, Arthur J., president, Packard Hotels Co., Mount Vernon,
Ohio.

191

Pelly, Hon. Thomas M., a Representative in Congress from the Stace
of Washington..

145

Perkins, Hon. Carl D., a Representative in Congress from the State

of Kentucky.

294

Prisock, Robert, executive director, Mississippi Employment Security
Commission

189

Rohrlich, George F., Chief, Division of Actuarial and Financial Serv-
ices, Bureau of Employment Security, Department of Labor ---- 21, 79

Rooney, Hon. John J., a Representative in Congress from the State

of New York.

295

Ryan, William H., representing International Association of Ma-
chinists.

174

Schmidt, Dr. Emerson P., director of research, United States Cham-
ber of Commerce_.

124

Steward, Luther C., president, National Federation of Federal Em-
ployees

103

Sullivan, Hon. Leonor K. (Mrs. John B.), a Representative in Con-
gress from the State of Missouri..

143

Turnbull, Don M., executive secretary, American Poultry and Hatch-
ery Federation__

197

Walters, Thomas G., operations director, Government Employees
Council, AFL...

177

Weaver, C. I., president, Ohio Chamber of Commerce_

184

Statement of-Continued

Wells, Oris V., Administrator of Agricultural Marketing Service,

Department of Agriculture..

Williamson, John C., secretary-counsel, Realtors' Washington Com-
mittee, National Association of Real Estate Boards_

Wilson, Homer, president, Local No. 407, United Gas, Coke, Chemical

Workers of America, CIO____

Young, Hon. Philip, Chairman, Civil Service Commission

Additional data submitted to the committee by-

Civil Service Commission:

Letter of May 10, 1954, from Philip Young, Chairman_

Letter of June 8, 1954, from Philip Young, Chairman_

Congress of Industrial Organizations:

Page

103

194

150

115

22

Excerpt dealing with unemployment insurance from the report

of the resolutions committee adopted by the 20th annual con-

ference on labor legislation___

246

Excerpts from the Economic Report of the President..

234

Excerpts from the statement of the Joint Committee on the Eco-
nomic Report_ - -

235

Experience rating, statement in answer to question by Congress-
man Curtis of Missouri.

275

Exhibit No. 1-Unemployment insurance_

277

Exhibit No. 2-Excerpt from CIO analysis of the proposed
Senate bill 1239, introduced by State Senator Teahen in
the Michigan Legislature, 1954-

278

How the Minority Rules in the States, article from Economic
Outlook, CIO, August 1953---

248

Lester, Prof. Richard, statement prepared by, in support of reso-

lution on benefit ceilings, adopted by Federal Advisory Council

on Employment Security, January 26, 1954__

Table 1.-Maximum weekly benefit amount and ratio to

average weekly wages of covered workers, 1939 and 1953-

Table 2.-Proportion of weeks compensated and claimants

eligible for the maximum weekly benefit amount, calendar

years 1939 and 1952; and 12-month period ending Septem-

ber 30, 1953_ _

Letter from Secretary of Labor James P. Mitchell-

229

233

234

235

Official CIO policy-unemployment insurance and the employ-
ment service..

228

Statement of public members of the Committee on Intergovern-
mental Relations of the Federal Advisory Council..

Summary tables on maximum weekly benefit and duration pro-

visions_

258

236

Table 1.-Distribution of number of States and covered

employment (1952) by basic maximum weekly benefit

amount, December 1939, 1945, and 1953. . .

Table 2.-Maximum weekly benefit amount and ratio to

average weekly wages of covered workers, 1939 and 1953_

Table 3.-Proportion of weeks compensated and claimants

eligible for the maximum weekly benefit amount, calendar

years 1939 and 1952; and 12-month period ending Septem-

ber 30, 1953_ _ .

Table 4.-States arrayed by percentage of insured claimants

eligible for maximum weekly benefit, 12-month period

ending September 30, 1953-

Table 5.-Maximum weekly benefit amount, 1939 and 1953,

and as estimated at alternative percentages of average

weekly wages in covered employment, 1952, by State..

Table 6.-Percentage increase in average weekly wages,

1939-52, and in maximum basic weekly benefit, December

1939-December 1953.

238

239

240

241

242

243

Table 7.-Summary of duration provisions, December 1949

and 1953__.

244

Table 8.-Number of claimants exhausting wage credits and

ratio to first payments, by State, calendar years 1949,

1950, 1953---

245

Table 9.-Computation of weekly benefit amount.

246