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Urges Amendments to Labor Standards Act Fair
Washington, Feb. Z9.-Calling for changes in the Fair Labor Standards Act, the Special Conference of representatives of the lumber and timber products industries, to consider the application of this Act and the need for amendment, meeting in Washington under the auspices of the National Lumber 1\{anufacturers Association, urged amendments designed to produce a more equitable application of the law.
After careful study of proposals made by the regional associations affiliated with the National Lumber N{anufacturers Association, the Conference asked that efforts be made to write into the law amendments calling for: (1) "Freezing" of maximum hours at 44 in any week; (2) exemption of salaried clerical workers; (3) exemption of workers not directly engaged in production of goods; (4) exemption of employees while engaged in emergency work; (5) a SGhour work-week for logging; (5) the averaging of work-weeks ; (7) exemption of forest fire fighters; (8) permission to deduct reasonable charges for board and lodging; (9) abolishment of industry committees, and (10) outlawing of actions against employers not brought within six months of the time cause of'action accrued.
M. L. Fleishel, president of the National Lumber Manufacturers Association, acted as chairman of the Conference, which included: Oliver Bright and Philip Walker, Southern Pine Association; C. L. Isted, Western Pine Association; R. E. Broderick, Northeastern Lumbermen's Association; C. H. Clendening, Appalachian Hardwood Manufacturers, Inc.; Carl W. Bahr, California Redwood Association; C. Arthur Bruce, Southern Hardwood Producers I R. W. Maxwell, West Coast Lumbermen's Association, and Henry G. Bahr, T. R. Sheldon and Wilson Compton for the National Lumber Manufacturers Association.
The following amendments were approved:
Amend Section 7 of the Fair Labor Standards Act to restore and permanently "keeze" maximum hours at 44 in any week.
Amend the Act to exempt from the maximum hours provision office and clerical workers paid on a straight salary basis and given vacations with pay.
Iii
Amend the Act to exempt from the hours provision all foremen having the right to hire and fire, or recommend hiring and firing; and service, maintenance and other workers not directly engaged in the production of goods, such as: watchmen, millwrights, repair men, maintenance men, and power plant employees.
Iv
Amend the Act to exempt employees from the maximum hours provisions while engaged in work incident to, or made necessary by, emergencies, such as, but not limited to, floods, fire, train wrecks, tornadoes, etc. V
Amend Section 7 (c) of. the Fair Labor Standards Act to permit employment in logging and transporting of logs up to fifty-six hours in any work-week without the payment of overtime.
Vi
Amend Section 7 of the Fair Labor Standards Act to permit averaging of time over 3ny period of four consecutive work-weeks to make up time lost during any work-week for any cause.
Vii
Amend Section 13 (a) by adding at the end thereof the following: "or (11) any employee while employed in connection with preventing, controlling. or suppressing forest, brush, or grass fires.
VIII
Amend Section 3 (*) so that the minimum wages payable to employees under the Act may include a reasonable charge as determined by the Administrator for furnishing to such employees board, lodging, or other facilities when these are furnished to the employees in addition to a cash wage.
Amend the Act by striking out Sections 5, 8, and 10 and a portion of Sub-Section (a) (3) so as to eliminate all provisions now contained in the Act relating to industry com" mittees.
Amend the Act to provide that actions against employers would be outlawed unless brought within six months of the time the cause of action accrued.
The Conference discusses the Norton, Barden, and Ramspeck Bills now pending in Congress. It expressed opposition to the proposal that the Act be amended to give the Administrator power to issue rules and regulations which would have the effect of law.
The proposal in the Barden Bill to exempt sawmills employing Ffteen employees or less in the aggregate was likewise opposed as a severe discrimination.
Conferences were held with officials of the Wage and Hour Administration during which reference was made to the continued lack of prompt and uniform enforcement of the law in many sections of the industry.
In view of the expressed intention of the Administrator to review and revise existing interpretations and regulations where they are found unnecessarily restrictive, the Conference approved a proposal to seek relief from the present construction of the terms "reasonable cost" as applied to "board, lodging and other facilities', through an appeal to thb Administrator under Section 531.3 of the regulations.
If and when Congress takes up the matter of Amendments to this Statute, it is expected that consideration will be given to the above amendments, most of which have a general application to industries not limited to the lumber and timber products industries.
Attends Salt Lake Conventions
Lewis Godard, sales manager of Hobbs Wall Lumber Co. San Francisco, returned February 26 fuom Salt Lake City where he attended the annual conventions of the Western Retail Lumbermen's Assoociation and the Utah Lumber Dealers Association.
Remodels Office Building
Sonoma Mill & Lumber Co., Sonoma, Calif.., has recently remodeled its office building. Dale Farrell is owner ancl managef.
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