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TABLE I.—Summary of proposed Federal legislation in H.R. 8282 and S. 1991

Provision

Federal grants to States whose benefit costs exeed 2 percent of total State wages in covered employment. Grants to equal % of benefit cost in excess of 2 percent.

Effective date

For 1966 and ensuing years.

Federal extended benefits (after 26 weeks of State July 1, 1966. benefits) to workers employed 2 or more of

3 prior years. Limited to 26 weeks each 3 years.

Do.

Raised Federal unemployment Tax by 0.15 to 0.55.
Extended coverage to—(1) employers of one or
more, (2) more employers of nonprofit orga-
nizations, (3) farm workers on farms using Jan. 1, 1967.
300 or more man-days of farm labor in a
quarter, (4) agricultural processing workers,
and (5) commission agents.

Raise taxable wage maximum from $3,000 to-
$5,600
$6,600

Benefit standards for States

(1) Qualifying requirement not to exceed 20
weeks of work (or 11⁄2 quarters of
wages).

(2) Weekly benefits at least half of average
wage-up to benefit maximum (or 1/26
quarters).

(3) Disqualifications, except for fraud, labor
dispute, and crimes, not to exceed 6
weeks postponement of benefits.

Jan. 1, 1967.
Jan. 1, 1971.

Benefit years beginning onJuly 1, 1967.

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OKLAHOMA STATE AFL-CIO-PROGRAM OF PROGRESS FOR OKLAHOMA AND YOU

1. PROPOSED CHANGES IN WORKMEN'S COMPENSATION

A. Raise the maximum temporary total from $40 per week to 66% of the injured worker's weekly wage.

B. Extend benefits of disability duration with unlimited medical expense from 500 weeks to 750 weeks.

C. Increase the $13,500 death limitation to $20,000 and add for widow and one dependent the amount of $5,000; $2,500 for second dependent; $2,500 for third dependent; four or more dependents, the total benefit would be $32,000. Extend the age limit for benefits to children to 21 years.

D. Number of weeks for which compensation is payable for certain scheduled injuries. Increase coverage for hernia from 14 to 20 weeks.

E. Permit worker freedom of choice of qualified physician.

F. Require rehabilitation division within the Industrial Court.

G. Provide full compensation for rehabilitation up to 52 weeks.

H. Make employer or carrier liable for attorney's fees when employee has to obtain legal counsel to collect benefits.

I. Require workmen's compensation coverage for all employees.

J. Require full pay reinstatement for employees discharged for filing a com pensation claim. Make employer liable to $1,000 for discrimination against employee for filing a claim.

K. Repeal House Bill No. 1063, whereby a $5 per case filing fee is required by the Industrial Court for filing an industrial claim.

L. Full coverage for occupational disease under workmen's compensation.

M. Waiting period shall be no more than three days with retroactive benefits to first days of injury.

2. INCREASE UNEMPLOYMENT INSURANCE

A. Raise the maximum benefit from $32 per week to 66% of the employee's average weekly wage with a maximum of 66% of the State average weekly wage. B. Add additional $2 per dependent up to four dependents.

C. Quality workers unemployed from labor disputes to draw benefits when production or operation is resumed.

D. Earn as much as $20.00 before unemployment benefits would be effected.

3. FAIR LABOR STANDARDS ACT

A. Provide for a state minimum wage of at least $1.25 per hour.

B. Establish maximum hours of work week and require overtime pay for overtime work.

C. Elimination of present existing exemptions under the minimum wage law. D. Repeal existing laws not compatible with Equal Opportunities Act.

E. Strive to raise appropriation to State Department of Labor to implement this program.

4. IMPROVED ELECTION LAWS

A. To get a bill passed for all working people to have time off to vote without loss of wages.

B. To get the time off in the A.M

C. A bill to require the approval of ballot title before a petition is circulated, D. A bill for registrars at large.

E. All election laws uniform in all counties.

5. TAFT-HARTLEY ACT

Taft-Hartley Act permits states to pass right-to-work legislation (14-B). Oklahoma State AFL-CIO is opposed to any form of action that will permit the State to enact a right-to-work law by a Statutory Act or Referendum Petition.

6. JUDICIAL SYSTEM

A. Court on the Judiciary.
B. Eliminate all JP Courts,

C. Eliminating fee system in all Courts where the amount of fine or fee determines the salary of the Judge.

D. We recommend all Judges being elected by a popular vote of the citizens of the State of Oklahoma.

7. A STATE LABOR RELATIONS ACT

A. A state Labor Relations Act to protect all workers not covered by the National Labor Relations Act. Guaranteeing them the right to organize and the right of representation by Union of their choosing; setting up procedure similar to those in the National Labor Relations Act as administered by the NLRB.

8. REVISE OKLAHOMA TAX LAWS

A. Close existing loopholes in Oklahoma tax structures.

B. Require corporations, utilities, oil and gas companies to pay their share of taxes.

C. Defeat any sales tax proposals, national, state or city.

D. Urge the enactment of Legislation placing a tax on natural gas at the wellhead as this is a natural resource of Oklahoma and 90% of the gas produced in the state leaves the borders to be consumed outside of its boundaries.

E. Pass Legislation permitting the State to use monies on unclaimed property after twenty years.

F. All shopping centers and business districts now who are exempted from paying ad valorem taxes on forth acres or more tracts pay their fair share of taxes.

9. IMPROVE SECONDARY AND ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS

A. Increase minimum salary for teachers.

B. Provide job security for teachers through tenure law.

C. Reduce size of classrooms to maximum twenty-five pupils per class.

D. Provide better equipment and more facilities.

E. Support a free text book program.

F. Support consolidation of schools where the present facilities and curriculum are out dated.

10. HIGHER EDUCATION

A. Work for the establishment of a dentistry school in Oklahoma.

B. Urge the Legislature to make available more four year colleges and universities.

C. Promote Legislation to make available the facilities for more two year colleges whereby low income families would have the opportunity of sending their children to college, permitting them to live at home and commute to school.

Senator DOUGLAS. Mr. Chairman, I would like to remark that representatives of organized labor have tried to expedite the hearings by making their personal appearances here as few as possible, and having only two or three men speak, with the remainder filing their state

ments.

The CHAIRMAN. Yes. May I say that I am pleased to hear all the witnesses who ask to be heard. Most of them were State administrators and management witnesses, but I think it is fair to point out that there are a great number of people represented who have decided to settle for one witness, Mr. Meany, to speak for their organization when, in fact, they represent great numbers of people.

Here is a letter from Lee W. Minton, international president of Glass Bottle Blowers Association, which I would ask to be printed in the record; another is Mr. Jerry Wurf, international president, American Federation of State, County & Municipal Employees, AFLCIO, which I will ask to be printed in the record; here is another letter from the United Transport Service Employees, Mr. George P. Sabattie, president, and incidentally a copy was sent to Senator Paul Douglas and Senator Everett Dirksen of Illinois and I will ask that that be printed in the record; here is a statement by Mr. Ed S. Miller. president of the Hotel and Restaurant Employees and Bartenders International Union, which is generally in support of S. 1991 introduced by Senator McCarthy and others.

I have read these letters and I would urge all members of the committee that they should do so.

Here is one from the Louisville Central Labor Council signed by Mr. Herbert L. Segal; and finally here is one from the Los Angeles County Federation of Labor, AFL-CIO, and this one is signed by Mr. W. J. Bassett.

(The letters referred to follow :)

Hon. RUSSELL B. LONG,

GLASS BOTTLE BLOWERS' ASSOCIATION
OF THE UNITED STATES AND CANADA,
July 22, 1966.

Chairman, Finance Committee, Senate Office Building, Washington, D.C. DEAR MR. CHAIRMAN: Members of the Glass Bottle Blowers Assn. (AFL-CIO) know from long, practical experience the need for a strong Unemployment Compensation reform bill, with federal minimum standards.

While blessed with an above-average level of job stability in our industries, we have seen in a number of instances when we have had plant shutdowns in various states the glaring weakness of the hodgepodge system of jobless insurance as administered in the several states.

I respectfully urge your Committee to give thoughtful and favorable consideration to the McCarthy Bill (S. 1991), which I believe you will agree would correct present inequities and pave the way for an enlightened unemployment compensation system to serve the nation in the years ahead.

It is vitally important that any bill enacted by the Congress establish uniform federal standards for weekly benefits and for the duration of payment of benefits, plus a minimum of 26 weeks of extended federal jobless payments.

On behalf of 70,000 members of our organization employed in 40 states, I urge the Senate Finance Committee to offer to the Senate sound, progressive legislation, along the lines of the McCarthy Bill, to assure meaningful, long-needed reform in our unemployment compensation system.

Sincerely yours,

LEE W. MINTON, International President.

AMERICAN FEDERATION OF STATE, COUNTY,
AND MUNICIPAL EMPLOYEES,
Washington, D.C., July 22, 1966.

Hon. RUSSELL B. LONG,

Chairman, Committee on Finance,
U.S. Senate, Washington, D.C.

MY DEAR SENATOR LONG: This letter pertains to the subject matter of the hearing currently being conducted by the Senate Finance Committee on S. 1991. On behalf of the 300,000 members of our organization located in almost 1,500 communities, I want to tell you of our position on this bill. My statement is a reflection of an endorsement of the bill made by the delegates to our recentlyconducted biennial convention which happens to have been held in Washington just two months ago. You may recall that we provided you and other members of the Congress with a copy of that resolution.

We are vitally interested in this particular piece of legislation, not only because it will provide some long-needed standards, but also because of two additional reasons: the first is that it will provide, for the first time, application of the unemployment compensation laws to some persons in our jurisdiction who have heretofore been deprived of such coverage employees in non-profit institutions. I speak especially for the low-paid non-academic college employee and the horribly exploited hospital worker. These poorly paid people are least of all able to do without unemployment compensation; it will be a marvelous boon for the Congress now to certify their being covered in the future.

Our additional interest goes to another aspect of the proposed legislation, that of raising the tax base. Many of our people are employed by the various unemployment compensation offices in the various states; their capacity to receive even minimum raises and they are needed-rests largely upon funds being made available for these purposes. Raising the tax base will help to alleviate their plight.

We urge favorable consideration of this legislation by your Committee. I should appreciate very much this letter being made a part of the record of the Committee's hearing on this matter. Sincerely yours,

JERRY WURF, International President.

Hon. RUSSELL B. LONG,

Chairman, Committee on Finance,

U.S. Senate,

Washington, D.C.

UNITED TRANSPORT SERVICE EMPLOYEES,
Chicago, Ill., July 22, 1966.

DEAR SIR: In order to protect the unemployed workers and their families throughout the United States, it is urgent and necessary to make reforms to establish minimum Federal standards in the Nation's unemployment compensation system.

With the rapid changes in automation and technology, and the moving of industries from one section of the country to another, it has created many new problems for the workers and their families.

Unemployment benefits are the main source of support when the family's breadwinner becomes unemployed. We have discovered that in most States unemployment benefits are totally inadequate and only last for a short period of time thus creating hardships on the unemployed worker and his family.

President Johnson has proposed to Congress several amendments to the law to restore the original principles of job insurance protection. These changes are embodied in H.R. 8282 introduced by Congressman Wilbur Mills, chairman of the Ways and Means Committee. In the Senate a companion bill S. 1991 was introduced by Senator Eugene McCarthy and 15 other Senators.

These bills have the full suport of the AFL-CIO and they would extend coverage to 5 million workers not now protected under the law, including small establishments with one or more employees in number and benefit institutions such as hospitals, universities, etc. With these additions, unemployment insurance would cover approximately 85% of all wage and salaried workers. Adjustments must be made to increase benefits for long-term unemployed workers in those States where unemployment compensation has run out before the unemployed workers can find employment.

It is vitally important that the Senate pass a good, strong unemployment compensation reform bill with Federal minimum standards.

Due to the present State laws the unemployed members of this organization suffer severely throughout the country and especially in the Southern States and those other States where the law provides inadequate unemployment compensation benefits.

I respectfully request that this letter be printed in the record of committee hearings.

Very truly yours,

GEORGE P. SABATTIE,

President.

STATEMENT OF ED S. MILLER, GENERAL PRESIDENT, HOTEL & RESTAURANT EMPLOYEES AND BARTENDERS INTERNATIONAL UNION

My name is Ed. S. Miller. I am a resident of Cincinnati, Ohio, where I have the honor of serving as General President of the Hotel and Restaurant Employees and Bartenders International Union, an organization now in its 75th year and representing almost 500,000 workers in the mass feeding and lodging industry. I wish to place in your record emphatic endorsement of S. 1991, a bill proposed by Senator McCarthy and a number of his colleagues with the object of bringing up to date this country's unemployment compensation law by enacting reforms which will permit it to fulfill the purposes that law was intended to achieve : namely, to provide an effective "cushion" to protect both the family and the national economy from the traumatic shock of lost wages during periods of unemployment.

You will understand our concern in this matter when I point out to you four characteristics of the mass feeding and housing industry-in which, by the way, we include not only hotels and restaurants, but a wide range of other establishments from logging camps and in-plant cafeterias to hospitals and other institutional kitchen and housekeeping operations-which cry out for the adoption of the proposed reforms. These include:

(1) The lowest average hourly wage rates listed each month by the Department of Labor's table of earnings for some 300 categories of employment.

(2) Hundreds of thousands of employees not now reached by existing law. such as those in tens of thousands of small enterprises with three or fewer employees, and the mounting numbers employed in such expanding branches of the industry as nonprofit hospitals and colleges.

(3) An extraordinarily high rate of business mortality in precisely those same small units which are characteristically marginal in their financing.

(4) A special vulnerability to the dramatic changes occurring through urban renewal's demolition of core area structures which once housed hotels and restaurants serving downtown patrons in dozens of cities.

A fourth source of concern is the plague of plant piracy occurring as state governments heat up their competition as raiders of the economies of their sister states. Those runaway plants, if they did not have employee cafeterias on the premises, usually afforded a major source of lunch, supper and often breakfast customers to small restaurants in their neighborhoods.

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