Minimum Wage Rates. Data for established minimum rates of pay were collected for groundmen in electric systems, for main installation and service laborers in gas systems, and for both of these occupations in the combination systems. Formal provisions for minimum entrance rates for groundmen were reported in 74 of the 79 electric systems and in 59 of the 63 combination systems visited. In both types of systems, the entrance rates for groundmen ranged from less than $1.10 to more than $2.10 an hour. Median rates for this job were $1.58 and $1.70, respectively. Less than a tenth of the electric and combination systems had established minimum rates of $1 to $1.30 in effect for groundmen.

2 Vacation payments such as percentage of annual earnings and flat-sum amounts were converted to an equivalent time basis. Periods of service were arbitrarily chosen and do not necessarily reflect the individual provisions for progressions. For example, the changes indicated at 15 years may include changes in provisions occurring between 10 and 15 years.

Minimum hiring rates for main installation and service laborers were established in 66 of the 84 gas systems and 52 of the 63 combination systems visited. These rates varied from less than $1.10 to as much as $2 an hour in both types of systems. Median rates for this job were $1.50 and $1.65, respectively. A third of the gas systems and a sixth of the combination systems reported minimum rates of $1 to $1.30 for main installation and service laborers.

Minimum rates of pay for experienced groundmen were part of the formal wage policy in 74 electric systems and 61 combination systems visited. Minimum job rates for main installation and service laborers were reported in 66 gas

1

systems and 54 combination systems. In almost seven-tenths of all systems with established job rates for groundmen, minimum entrance and job rates were identical. A majority of the remaining systems reported job rates which were 2 to 10 cents an hour above the established entrance rate for this job. In three-fifths of the systems with established job rates for main installation and service laborers, the same rate was reported for both the minimum entrance and minimum job rate. In a majority of the remaining systems, the differential ranged from 3 to 10 cents.

Scheduled Weekly Hours. A work schedule of 40 hours a week was in effect for physical workers in

the employer, and excludes legally required plans such as workmen's compensation and social security.

• Unduplicated total of workers receiving sick leave or sickness and accident insurance shown separately.

virtually all systems surveyed. In the Border States, however, about an eighth of the workers had weekly schedules of 42, 44, or 45 hours. Nine-tenths of the office workers also had 40-hour workweeks; most of the remainder worked 37% hours per week.

Shift Practices. Second-shift operations accounted for about 7 percent of the physicalworker employment nationally, with highest percentages in the New England (10.5 percent) and Mountain regions (9.3 percent) and lowest in the Pacific (4.5 percent) and in the Southeast (3.4 percent). About the same proportion of physical workers was employed on third or other shifts

nationally, with highest and lowest percentages in the same regions as above. Differentials over first-shift rates were paid to approximately threefourths of the late-shift workers; these were usually on a cents-per-hour basis, varying from less than 5 cents to between 12 and 13 cents on secondshift and up to 15 cents on third-shift operations.

Paid Holidays. All systems granted paid holidays, the number of days ranging from 5 to 12 annually. Regionally, the most common provisions were 11 days in the Middle Atlantic; 10 days in New England; 8 days in the Border, Mountain, and Pacific States; 7 days in the Great Lakes and Middle West; and 6 days in the Southeast and Southwest (table 5).

Paid Vacations. Vacation pay was provided for all physical and office workers with qualifying service. Almost a third of all physical workers and a majority in New England and Mountain regions were employed in systems which granted 1 week of vacation to workers with 6 months of service. Two-week vacations were available to three-fifths of both the physical and office workers after 1 year and to nearly all after 2 years' service. Three weeks were provided after 10 years of serv

ice for a fifth of the workers; this provision was especially common in the New England, Middle West, and Pacific regions. Nine-tenths of the workers were eligible for 3 weeks after 15 years of service; the proportion varied from three-fourths in the Southwest to all workers in the New England and Pacific regions. A majority of the workers were employed in systems which provided 4 weeks of vacation after 25 years of service.

Health, Insurance, and Pension Plans. Insurance plans for which employers paid at least part of the cost included life insurance for practically all physical and office workers, hospitalization and surgical insurance for more than four-fifths, and medical insurance for a majority. Sick leave— usually providing full pay without a waiting period was granted in systems employing about seven-eighths of the physical and office workers and sickness and accident insurance for a fourth. Retirement pensions, in addition to benefits available under Federal old-age, survivors, and disability insurance, were reported in systems employing almost all the workers.

-FRED W. Moнr

Division of Wages and Industrial Relations

Wage Chronology No. 25: International Shoe Co.

Supplement No. 2-1953-57

INTERNATIONAL SHOE Co. agreements with the United Shoe Workers of America (USWA) and the Boot and Shoe Workers (B & SW), in effect since the fall of 1952,1 expired in September and October of 1953, respectively.

These were replaced by 2-year agreements negotiated on October 31, 1953, which established semiannual cost-of-living wage escalator clauses for the 18,000 employees represented by these 2 unions but provided for no immediate change in pay. The agreements added a third week of vacation after 15 years of service and provided a company-paid hospital, medical, and surgical plan.

Negotiations for new contracts began in September 1955 and, when no agreement was reached, the unions struck on November 11, 1955. The strike was ended in early December on terms of an increase of almost 5 percent in the earnings of piece and time workers, retroactive to October 3, an additional advance of almost 3 percent in April 1956, and discontinuance of the cost-of-living escalator clauses. The agreements were for 2 years, with provision for a third year if an acceptable pension plan could be worked out.

In July 1957, the parties agreed upon the terms of a retirement plan, to be financed by company payments of 3 percent of its gross payroll, and extended the agreements to September 30, 1958. The following tables show the changes which were provided by these agreements.

1 For previous developments, see Monthly Labor Review, July 1952 (pp. 30-34) and April 1953 (pp. 402-403), or Wage Chronology Series 4, No. 25.

Provision

No wage change_-_

No wage change_

No wage change.
No wage change.

4.8 percent increase in earnings.

2.75 percent increase in earnings.

Applications, exceptions, and other related matters

Semiannual cost-of-living escalator clause established, with 1-percent adjustment of existing 4-percent extra wage payment (applied to gross weekly earnings) for each 1.15-point change in the Bureau of Labor Statistics' Consumer Price Index from its Aug. 15, 1953, level (1947-49-100). First adjustment due Apr. 5, 1954, based on the Feb. 15, 1954, index. No decrease in the index was to reduce extra wage payment below that currently paid.

Semiannual review of cost-of-living allowance. Semiannual review of cost-of-living allowance. Semiannual review of cost-of-living allowance. Increase resulted from raising extra wage payment from 4 to 9 percent. Consequently, piece-rate schedules were not revised. Cost-of-living escalator clause discontinued.

Minimum rate to be changed when mandatory under Fair Labor Standards Act to new minimum required by the act. Increase resulted from raising extra wage payment from 9 to 12 percent.

Oct. 1, 1957, USWA and B&SW (supplemental agreements of July 1957).

Pension Plan

Company paid retirement plan established to provide:

Normal retirement benefits of $1.25 a month for each year of credited service, up to 30, for employees at age 65 with at least 15 years' service; to be supplemented by Federal social security benefits.

Total and permanent disability benefits identical with normal retirement benefits for employees at age 50 or older with 15 years' service and at any age with 25 years' service. Vested rights: Employee terminated from active service on or after Oct. 1, 1957, after at least 15 years' continuous credited service to receive deferred benefits at age 65, based on credited service to date of termination.