Current statistics of labor interest in selected periods 1—Continued

Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics unless otherwise indicated. Abbreviations used: BC (Bureau of the Census); ICC (Interstate Commerce Commission); BAE (Bureau of Agricultural Economics); BFDC (Bureau of Foreign and Domestic Commerce); FR (Federal Reserve); BM (Bureau of Mines); FPC (Federal Power Commission). Most of the current figures are preliminary.

210-month average-March to December 1940-not comparable with later figures. Revisions are in

process.

Excludes employees on public emergency work, these being included in unemployed civilian labor force. Civilian employment in nonagricultural establishments differs from nonagricultural employment in civilian labor force mainly because of the inclusion in the latter of such groups as self-employed and domestic and casual workers.

4 Includes workers employed by construction contractors and Federal force-account workers (nonmaintenance construction workers employed directly by the Federal Government). Other force-account and nonmaintenance construction employment is included under manufacturing and other groups. February.

• January.

December 1945.

All cities not surveyed: Rent index of January based on 5 cities and that of February on 6 cities. • March 1946.

10 Includes current motor-vehicle prices. See note on p. 717 of this issue.

11 Fourth quarter.

12 Not available.

Controversies and Significant Developments,
March 1947

MARCH WITNESSED the termination of two prolonged and bitter work stoppages which had attracted considerable public attention. The first of these disputes involved the United Automobile Workers (CIO) and the J. I. Case Co., manufacturers of agricultural implements. It arose over issues of wages and union security and resulted in stoppages at four of the company's plants, beginning on December 26, 1945. Within 3 months, settlements were reached in two of the plants. The stoppage at Rockford, Ill., however, continued for almost a year; and it was not until March 9, 1947-more than 14 months after the strike began that union members at the Racine, Wis., plant voted by a ratio of 2 to 1 to return to their jobs despite their expressed dissatisfaction with the new contract terms. The agreement provided for wage increases averaging 25 cents per hour, but contained no provision for a closed shop or compulsory check-off which the union had originally demanded.

The 11-month strike against the Allis-Chalmers Manufacturing Co. plant in West Allis, Wis., which began April 30, 1946, was ended March 23, following a 3 to 1 vote by local members of the United Automobile Workers (CIO). Previously, there were separate settlements of stoppages, which lasted from 5 to 7 months, at six other Allis-Chalmers plants. Striking workers at the West Allis plant went back to their jobs without a union contract but with a wage increase of 182 cents an hour, which nonstrikers had been receiving since August 1946. The issues of a union shop and revised grievance procedures were still unsettled.

Settlement of the J. I. Case and Allis-Chalmers' strikes focused attention on other postwar work stoppages of long duration still in progress. Of these, the most significant is the strike of about 500 workers of the Toledo, Peoria and Western Railroad which began October 1, 1945. This controversy was further high-lighted with the fatal shooting of its president, George P. McNear, by unknown assail

ants on Monday evening, March 10, 1947. Thirteen months earlier two union pickets were shot to death and three were injured by T. P. & W. railroad guards. Thirteen railroad unions have insisted that the carrier accept "standard" wage and rule provisions; manage-ment has steadfastly maintained that such rules would not be adopted.

Work Stoppages in February 1947

THE LOW LEVEL of strike activity which has prevailed since early December continued throughout February and March. About the same number of stoppages (290) began in February as in the previous month. These labor-management disputes involved approximately 90,000 workers or slightly fewer wage earners than the stoppages which began in January. Including 170 stoppages which continued from preceding months, a total of 460 stoppages, involving 145,000 workers, were in effect at one time or another in February.

In contrast with a year ago when postwar controversies reached their peak, idleness in plants directly affected by shutdowns this February totaled 1,230,000 man-days, or about one-eighteenth of the time loss recorded in February 1946 during the steel, electrical, auto, and other large stoppages. In the first quarter of 1947, only one relatively large stoppage occurred-a 2-day dispute of approximately 14,000 Detroit auto workers-whereas, during the first 3 months of 1946 10 large stoppages began in which over a million and a quarter workers were involved.

Work stoppages in February 1947 with comparable figures for earlier periods 1

1 All known work stoppages, arising out of labor-management disputes, involving 6 or more workers and continuing as long as a full day or shift are included in reports of the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Figures on "workers involved" and "man-days idle" cover all workers made idle in establishments directly involved in a stoppage. They do not measure the indirect or secondary effects on other establishments or industries whose employees are made idle as a result of material or service shortages.

'Preliminary estimates.

Activities of the U. S. Conciliation Service

in February 1947

DURING FEBRUARY 1947 the United States Conciliation Service closed 924 dispute cases involving 376,975 employees- approximately 11 percent fewer than were closed in the previous month.

the

The decline in the number of work stoppages throughout Nation since November 1946 is reflected in the decline in the number of work stoppage assignments of the Service and consequently in the number of work stoppages terminated. Only 143 strike assignments were terminated in February 1947 as compared with 179 in the previous month, 222 in February 1946, and an average of 286 per month throughout the year 1946.

In February 1947 more than 62 percent of work stoppages closed and 68 percent of all disputes closed involved the issue of wages. Stoppages caused by unresolved grievances accounted for 17.5 percent of the total stoppages terminated as compared with a range of from 10 to 15 percent in the preceding 3 months.

Cases closed by the U. S. Conciliation Service in February 1947 by type of situation and type of disposition

1 This figure includes 3 arbitration cases in which settlements other than arbitration decisions were made.