BUREAU OF LABOR STANDARDS Highlights of Bureau activities in the 1960 fiscal year were: (1) the issuance of safety and health regulations for workers in longshoring and ship repair; (2) publication of data which shed light for the first time on the characteristics of a great body of welfare and pension funds in operation throughout the country; (3) conduct of the 7th biennial President's Conference on Occupational Safety, which brought together more than 3,000 leaders to examine national accident prevention needs in terms of "the challenge of safety in a changing world"; (4) a series of regional conferences of State and Federal labor officials to study mutual problems concerned with labor legislation, labor administration, and Federal-State relationships; and (5) strengthened efforts to insure a smooth transition from school to work for the increasing numbers of young people who must meet today's demands for educated and skilled workers. Labor Legislation and Administration The year 1960 witnessed a continued heavy demand for the Bureau's technical services in developing and promoting improved standards in the field of labor legislation and administration, as evidenced by the nearly 1,000 requests for technical service and assistance and the 72,900 bulletins, reports, pamphlets, and charts distributed by the Bureau. Advice and technical assistance were given to practically all States as well as to members of Congress, management, labor organizations, civic groups, international bodies, colleges, libraries, and other interested groups and individuals in numerous fields, including workmen's compensation, migratory labor, wages and hours, wage payment and wage collection, child labor and school attendance, industrial homework, industrial relations, discrimination in employment, occupational health and safety, and regulation of private employment agencies. Helping the States Improve Working Conditions The Bureau, as the national source of information and technical assistance on all types of labor law and administrative techniques, serviced during fiscal 1960 a total of 49 States, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico, with personal consultation given in 43 States. As in the past, the Bureau's services were keyed to subjects of particular importance to the States, with heavy empha sis placed this year on workmen's compensation, migratory labor, child labor, minimum wages, safety, and industrial relations. The Bureau participated in developing legislative proposals, planning for the administration of new legislation, and improving the administration of existing labor legislation. To cite a few examples, suggestions were given the Delaware Labor Commission concerning a State labor relations bill and a bill to establish a comprehensive State labor department; a suggested draft for a revised child labor law was prepared for the Iowa Department of Labor; information was given the Pennsylvania Department of Labor and Industry concerning forfeiture and liquidated damage provisions in State wage payment laws; the New York State Department of Labor was provided with information on State laws prohibiting an employment agency from referring an applicant to any place where a labor dispute exists without first notifying the applicant; the Alabama Department of Labor was given an analysis of the administration of the unfair labor practices provisions under State labor relations acts; the Rhode Island Department of Labor was provided with suggested language for a revision of the Rhode Island child labor law so as to provide for prohibition of employment in hazardous occupations of boys and girls under 18 years of age; and the Colorado State Legislative Council was supplied with information and materials on State occupational disease laws, particularly as they apply to radiation diseases. Of major significance in 1960 was a series of regional conferences participated in by State labor commissioners and officials of the U.S. Department of Labor to confer on mutual problems centering on labor legislation and administration, and Federal-State relationships. Agenda for the conferences, which are planned by the Director of the Bureau of Labor Standards with the cooperation of the chairman of the Department's Regional Field Staff Committee, are tailored to problem areas of special interest to the commissioners who attend. The subjects discussed included child labor and youth employment, the adequacy of minimum wage and wage collection laws, participation in State migratory labor committees, regulation of private employment agencies, employment security programs, and apprentice training. Approximately 300 officials representing 45 of the States, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Department of Labor attended 8 conferences held during the year in Kansas City, Atlanta, Dallas, Denver, Chicago, San Francisco, New York City, and Louisville. These conferences were very effective in providing a forum to discuss legislation of interest to State labor commissioners and to make possible a free exchange of viewpoints and information between the States and the Department; in acquainting the State labor commissioners with U.S. Department of Labor regional directors and their functions; and in establishing additional channels of communication between the State labor commissioners and the Bureau of Labor Standards. Furthering the U.S. Department of Labor's objective of strengthening State labor departments, the conferences have served to improve the already good relations between the Department and the State labor agencies. An additional conference in Washington, D.C., was held with the State labor commissioners attending the President's Conference on Occupational Safety in February 1960. Among other topics of mutual concern discussed at this conference were the basic provisions of the Labor-Management Reporting and Disclosure Act of 1959 and the increasingly important subject of the "manpower challenge of the 1960's." Nearly 700 technical consultant services were given in 43 States. The consultations covered many fields of labor law, with major emphasis on migratory labor, child labor, and minimum wage. The Bureau also serviced State planning committees for the 1960 White House Conference on Children and Youth. In addition, Bureau consultants took steps in three States to encourage high schools to include in their curricula a study of State and Federal labor laws, particularly those laws with which the youngsters will come in contact on their first jobs. North Carolina plans to accomplish this educational program on a statewide basis, West Virginia in two counties, and Kentucky in certain selected cities. In Mississippi, the Governor was given consultation service concerning legislation to establish a State department of labor. The Bureau continued to give technical assistance to the International Association of Governmental Labor Officials and to the International Association of Industrial Accident Boards and Commissions. It also serviced committees and helped to plan convention programs. Two of its officials served as secretarytreasurer for the associations. The year also saw participation of staff in the 1960 White House Conference on Children and Youth held in Washington, D.C., March 27 to April 2, 1960. Special reports were prepared and consultants acted as resource persons in the committees on migrant children and youth and on employment opportunities. The Assistant Director of the Bureau served as chairman of the Interdepartmental Committee on Children and Youth which formed the liaison between the President's Committee and the Federal agencies. Analysis and Evaluation of Labor Legislation Analysis of State labor laws and the development of materials on new and revised State labor standards in readily usable form are continuing functions of the Bureau. They represent essential services to meet the constant flow of requests received from State and Federal officials, unions, employers, and other interested groups and individuals. During 1960, the legislatures of 22 States and Puerto Rico met in regular session. Some 1,325 bills and acts concerning labor standards were recorded and indexed, with the more important of these analyzed and summarized. Although the volume of labor legislation was noticeably lighter than in odd-numbered years, when nearly all of the legislatures meet, there were a number of significant improvements in 1960, notably in the fields of unemployment insurance, workmen's compensation, migratory workers, discrimination in employment, and minimum wages. Workmen's compensation cash benefits were raised for one or more major types of disability in five States and Puerto Rico; and other significant improve ments were made by more than half a dozen States in the provisions for medical benefits, burial benefits, coverage, waiting period, subsequent injuries, rehabilitation, and time limits for filing claims. Maximum weekly unemployment benefits, including dependents' allowances, were raised in nine States-by legislative enactments in five States, and through the operation of a flexible maximum in four States. New York repealed its former minimum wage law under which rates were set by order (applicable to men, women, and minors) and enacted a new law (also applicable without regard to sex) which sets a statutory minimum wage of $1 an hour, effective October 1, 1960, and also provides for wage board procedure. Discrimination in employment on account of age was prohibited in Alaska, and the labor department was given authority to administer the law, including authority to issue cease and desist orders if necessary. A Rhode Island amendment increased the industrial homework fees from $200 to $300 for an employer's first license, and raised renewal fees. An amendment to the North Dakota constitution authorized the legislature to establish a department of labor separate and distinct from the department of agriculture of which it is now a part. Concerning migratory workers, a Nevada act required every farm labor contractor to be licensed and set certain conditions for the conduct of his business, such as filing a $5,000 bond, carrying liability insurance on motor vehicles, filing information on work agreements, paying workers promptly, and prohibiting misrepresentation of terms and conditions of employment. A Colorado law required agricultural labor contractors or crew leaders to keep records of wages and hours and to give each worker, with each payment of wages, a statement of wages and withholdings. Delaware authorized voluntary coverage for farm workers under its workmen's compensation law, and Massachusetts made coverage compulsory for seasonal, as well as for nonseasonal, farm workers. Migratory Labor Substantial progress has been made in programs for migrant agricultural workers and their families. The Bureau has advised and assisted various States in developing programs and preparing legislation and administrative regulations to improve conditions for migratory agricultural workers. During 1960, the Bureau continued to work with the States in laying the ground for additional State migratory labor committees. Twenty-eight States now have such committees; three were established this year in Indiana, Massachusetts, and Nebraska. All but two of the 28 States were given advisory and consultant services on migratory labor programs by Bureau field staff this year. Conferences were held with Governors and their administrative assistants in a number of States; and with State labor commissioners, representatives of State agencies, labor organizations, employer, civic, and religious groups, and others. A Bureau consultant served as a discussion leader in a workshop on migrant education at the Adams State Teachers College in Colorado. Staff participated in the Western Interstate Conference on Migratory Labor in Phoenix-a con |