June 1, 1949 ACCION Page RICHARDSON CALLS FOR DECENT RETIREMENT BEFORE CONGRESS are EDITORIAL. CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1)
this year will leave the frozen ones as deeply embedded as ever in their block of ice.
The union has brought the critical situation of the frozen employees to the attention of the Following is the testimony given by Thomas Richardson, UPW Anti Discrimination Chairman Administration repeatedly and was in hopes that on May 6th before the House Civil Service Committee in favor of scrapping the vusolete Dissomething might be done for them. However, ability Relief System and including the silver employees under the Civil Service Retirement Act)
four raises of one kind or another have been My name is Thomas Richard principle of social security and 56 after hospitalized months made and they are still out in the cold.
sond and represent the United of relief. The cash relief pro for injury sustained on job.
It is not only with the frozen workers that Public Workers of America gram is founded and adminis Receive 925 per month; livwe are concerned. The rank and file of silver CIO. want to indicate at the tered on the basis that the Pa ing in Cativa, paying 10 outset our support for employees are undergoing acute economic distress nama Canal should have pity month rent; wife does launder9445. However, we would like on those who have grown in ing earning about 50 per because of their low wage scales and soaring living to point out to the Committee firm in its service and give wee. No children. Sometime costs. Although the press has been ballyhooing on the Panama Canal Zone who them a pittance to ease the bur don eat.
the fact that the cost of living has been declining, are not covered by this Bill. den of old age and poverty. This FITZ DAVIS, DR 3292.
it reserved it smallest type for the news that the These employees were formerly policy is contradictory to the Retired in April 1947 at age kr. own as the Silver emplo retirement which the Congress 62. Forty years employment index of living costs resumed its upward trend yees. As a group, they are com of the United States has es with Canal with 31 years in when it rose, in March over February.
prised of lanamanians, West tablished nationally. It is the Marine Div. Lost sight and Although wages rose by 57 from 1940 to Indian Negroes, and citizens cbligation, we contend, of the had to be retired. Receive 25 February, 1949, the cost of living increased by of the various Latin American United States Government to per month. Lives in Colon with 69. This means that the average silver countries. It was this group of provide the employees with a wife and three children (ages liveable retirement for old age 19, 16, 15. Oldest child sick worker is earning 42 per month less today in enployees that supplied the laboring force during the rigor security just as it does with and unable to work; other two purchasing power than he was in 1940. And, cercus days of construction of the all its other employees.
attend school. Rent is 15; tainly, the level of wages in 1940 was nothing to Panama Canal. Many of them Another serious objection of wife does laundering averaging shout about!
braved yellow fever, malaria, the Cash Disability System ari 10 to 15 per month.
When the Union requests a general wage inand rock slides in order to help ses from the plight of those em PRINCE FORDE, DR the United States construct one Lloyees who are terminated be 3441. Retired August 1947.
crease, two reasons are usually given for not cf the great wonders of the fore they are actually disabled Started in Canal 1906; worked granting one. There isn enough money, modern world. The so called by old age, If an aged employee on docks, MED and 18 years and (2. Wages of the non citizen employees Silver workers are now em is reduced in force or terminat in Dredging Div. Receives 20.
should not get out of line with the Caribbean ployed on the Panama Canal ed for some other reason be Lives alone in Colon and pays Wage scale.
Zone in practically every occu fore becoming disabled he is rent. Daughter does his It becomes somewhat difficult to accept the in the United Sstates. Their efpation that can be found here ineligible for relief. Since only laundry and feeds him. Son can those employees who are found rot help objection of no money when a careful study of ciency and loyalty to their to be unfit for further duty CHIEFTON CONSTANTINE, the budget recommendations of the Panama Ca employer, the United States can be placed on cash relief, DR 3658. Retired Oct. 1948 at nal submitted to the House Appropriations Com Government, have been attest a number of workers after put age 68; gets 25. Lives with mittee this year shows that apparently no request ed to by several Governors of tirg in fifteen, twenty, or even wife and grandson age 6; wife was made for funds to give a general wage in have been a force for efficiency thrown out without any prothe Panama Canal Zone. They thirty years of service is a domestic working days per week earning 00 weekly.
crease to the silver employees. It is recognized and good in the construction, tection or relief whatsoever. Lives in Colon and pays 12 that the budget requests must first be approved operation, and maintenance of Lecause of the employment si for one room. Worker 25 years by the Bureau of the Budget before it is submit the Panama Canal.
tuation in the Canal Zone, these in Building Division as roofer.
ted to Congress.
Untold Misery on 25 Monthly cast off workers become de JOSEPH SWEENLY, DR When a Silver worker is stitute with no one to turn to 705. Retired in 1947 at 14; This contrasts starkly with the budget reno longer able to work because for income or support. This un protested and had grant raised quest of the Panama Canal made last year. At of old age or disability, he is fortunate situation results di to 19. Claims he worked on that time a definite request was made for funds paid disability relief under the rectly from the Cash Disability docks from 1917 to 1944 and to grant a basic wage increase. General Mehaf Act of July 8, 1937. At pre System and can be corrected by prior to that time on Gatun fey made the following statement to the House sent, this disability relief can including the employee under locks. Lives in Porto Escondiamount to no more than 25 the Civil Service Retirement do (land lease from CZ for Appropriations Committee last year: per month. Congress should Act.
which pays per year. Lives feel that this increase is necessary for our know that the living costs on Army and Navy with wife. Has truck garden so called silver employees. As think you men the Panama Canal Zone are With Not Canal?
which supplies some food for tioned a moment ago, the average pay of the sil cnly slightly less than they are Although the Panama Canal family and little for sale. No children.
ver employees is very low. It is in the neigh here. In addition, the retired clings to the outmoded Cash Silver worker is often forced Disability System, the Army, WALTER HOYTE, DR 322; borhood of 70 per month. The increases in their to leave the Panama Canal Navy, and Air Force, who em received 20 unt. 1946 when pay since before the war have been relatively Zone and live in the Republic ploy 8, 000 native workers, give giant was raised to 25. Resmall. The cost of living, of course, has gone up of Panama, where the cost of these employees full protection tired in Dec. 1947. Worker on tremendously, and feel, from a very careful exa living is much higher. Untold and security under the Civil Docks from 1906 to 1937 as mination of this problem, that it is axtremely dif misery has been the result of Service Retirement Act. It sub foreman. Retired at age 57.
such inadequate provisions for seems strange indeed that dif Has no use of right arm. Lives ficult for our silver employees to live on the pay retiring Silver workers. Such ferent departments of the United with wife and daughter who which they are now getting and that some modest conditions certainly do not en States Government take such has children. Wife is ill.
increase is necessary to prevent actual suffering. hance the prestige the positio Father children upports The words of General Mehaffey, despite the states in that section of the inportant question of employ them but not regularly. Lives world.
ment. What makes the matter 44 increase granted last year, apply just as strongin Colon, one room, month.
In the first place, the Cash 21. ore confusing is that there is Has other children who are ly today.
Relief Act was passed in 1937 considerable shifting among the unable to assist him.
The Union has long opposed the local rate when the 00 per month fi employees of the Panama Ca JOHN THOMAS, DR or Caribbean wage scale policy adopted by the gure was originally establish nal and the employees of the 3634; retired in June 1948 at administration with respect to rates of pay for ed. Since that time the cost of Armed Forces. The transfer of 25 age 66. Worked 39 years ssilver employees. The fact that workers in living has risen by at least an employee from agency to for Bldg. Div. Rents in Colon 75. Thus, the disabled emother countries may have the some or lower living ployee is actually worse off agency unnecessarily compli at 13 mo. Lives with wife and cates administrative matters be step daughters. The latter standards than we do is small comfort to us. The today than he was in 1937 when cause of the conflict of the cash work and pay for food, ice, application of this principle means that our living the program first went into ef disability program on the one e ectrie, etc. but no rent. Wife standards are forever chained to the fortunes or fect.
hand and the retirement sysnow hospitalized.
misfortunes of workers in neighboring countries.
Retirement Instead of Charity tem on the other.
JAMES GRIFFITH, DR 634 The whole concept of re Cases of Suffering at 25 in 1945. Now 73 years Suppose that as a result of a depression in these lief for a retired employee is am including in my testi of age. Worked 38 years for countries or through the failure to organize, these wrong. After an employee has inonysome examples of the Traffic Dept. of PRR as flagworkers are reduced in pay. Does that mean spent thirty or forty years in kind of misery suffered by the man. Received eye injury on that the silver employees are also to have their the service the United Silver workers under the pre job in 1916. Lives in Colon States Government, he has wages cut because of conditions over which they sent disability relief system: with friend and shares rent of every right to expect a decent SOLOMON RAMSEY, DR have no control.
and honorably retirement in 780. Worked on the docks from Gentlemen, such human sufWe live and work in an American military re stead of the charity concept 1911; retired in 1936 at age fering comes as a direct reservation, we buy American products in Amersult of our country failure ican commissaries, at American prices, we live in ment of sub standard wages to workers of the provide adequately for the reAmerican constructed houses, we pay rent to the American government is a blemish on American tirement benefits for all of our American government, we are educated in Amer democracy. That blemish can be removed by payemployees on the Panama Canal Zone based upon their reican schools, we work for the American govern ing decent, liveable wages, and eliminating the cord of service to the United ment. Why is it, then, that we must be bedevilled suffering among the silver employees. Now is States Government.
by a Caribbean wage scale?
a good time to start. And for a good start we urge This Committee should know This archaic, obsolete theory must yield to de a substantial basic wage increase to be granted that such conditions have been imocratic principles and practical logic. The pay this year. Continued on page 4) an of BIBLIOTECA NACIONAL ERNESTO CASTILLERO