Notice to John Lewis

Bombed above, torpedoed below and with a mutiny between decks, the War Labor Board somehow doggedly sailed ahead on its fixed course last week.

The Board lurched successfully through the minefield of the week, voting to reject demands for a general wage increase for 220,000 workers in eight West Coast aircraft plants. But the margin of success was narrow (the vote was 7-to-5). Thus far the Board had not jettisoned its heavy cargo, the wage-raise yardstick (15% increases to cover the rise in living costs to May 1942), but all around the angry waters of inflation were lashed ever higher by labor's big winds.

The aircraft decision was the most critical thus far this year. In handling it, WLB was no more firm than unanimous. It granted half the workers in these plants an average increase of 7 1/2-c- an hour under a reclassified pay scale; to the 30,000 workers in Boeing's Seattle plant--who had walked out fortnight ago because WLB's decision was so long delayed--it threw a small sop in the form of a 4 1/2-c--an-hour increase under the Little Steel formula.

Dissents. The dissenting members jeered long & loud. Said the four labor members (who had held out for a general 10-c--an-hour raise): ". . . a piece of legerdemain which has no relation to any demonstrable facts. . . ."

But the dissenters' biggest gripes were reserved for Economic Czar James F. Byrnes. After the Board's vote was announced, Chairman Davis drew out of his pocket a letter from Jimmy Byrnes which said that, since the case had been discussed with him in advance and did not foreshadow any break in price ceilings, his further approval would be unnecessary. Labor Member George Meany (secretary-treasurer of the A.F. of L.) shouted sarcastically, "Heigh-ho, Jimmy," stalked angrily out of the room.

Toward The Rocks. The biggest reef ahead was John L. Lewis. This week his 500,000 bituminous miners began negotiations for their $2-a-day wage increase--which is far & away beyond the 15%-raise yardstick. The shaky aircraft decision was plain warning to John Lewis of what his miners may expect. Last week, Lewis said of WLB:

"I doubt whether the workers will want me to place their case before any court that has already rendered a decision. That is the case of . . . the War Labor Board."

What John L. Lewis didn't reckon with, was the force of public opinion. This time might be different.

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