1 Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics unless otherwise indicated. Abbreviations used: BC (Bureau of the Census); ICC (Interstate Commerce Commission); BAE (Bureau of Agricultural Economics); BFDC (Bureau of Foreign and Domestic Commerce); FR (Federal Reserve); BM (Bureau of Mines); FPC (Federal Power Commission). Most of the current figures are preliminary. 210-month average-March to December 1940-not comparable with later figures. Revisions are in process. Excludes employees on public emergency work, these being included in unemployed civilian labor force. Civilian employment in nonagricultural establishments differs from nonagricultural employment in civilian labor force mainly because of the inclusion in the latter of such groups as self-employed and domestic and casual workers. Includes workers employed by construction contractors and Federal force-account workers (nonmaintenance construction workers employed directly by the Federal Government). Other force-account and nonmaintenance construction employment is included under manufacturing and other groups. • February. • January. 7 December 1945. All cities-not surveyed: Rent index of January based on 5 cities and that of February on 6 cities. • March 1946. 10 Includes current motor-vehicle prices. See note on p. 717 of this issue. 11 Fourth quarter. 12 Not available. Controversies and Significant Developments, MARCH WITNESSED the termination of two prolonged and bitter work stoppages which had attracted considerable public attention. The first of these disputes involved the United Automobile Workers (CIO) and the J. I. Case Co., manufacturers of agricultural implements. It arose over issues of wages and union security and resulted in stoppages at four of the company's plants, beginning on December 26, 1945. Within 3 months, settlements were reached in two of the plants. The stoppage at Rockford, Ill., however, continued for almost a year; and it was not until March 9, 1947-more than 14 months after the strike began that union members at the Racine, Wis., plant voted by a ratio of 2 to 1 to return to their jobs despite their expressed dissatisfaction with the new contract terms. The agreement provided for wage increases averaging 25 cents per hour, but contained no provision for a closed shop or compulsory check-off which the union had originally demanded. The 11-month strike against the Allis-Chalmers Manufacturing Co. plant in West Allis, Wis., which began April 30, 1946, was ended March 23, following a 3 to 1 vote by local members of the United Automobile Workers (CIO). Previously, there were separate settlements of stoppages, which lasted from 5 to 7 months, at six other Allis-Chalmers plants. Striking workers at the West Allis plant went back to their jobs without a union contract but with a wage increase of 181⁄2 cents an hour, which nonstrikers had been receiving since August 1946. The issues of a union shop and revised grievance procedures were still unsettled. Settlement of the J. I. Case and Allis-Chalmers' strikes focused attention on other postwar work stoppages of long duration still in progress. Of these, the most significant is the strike of about 500 workers of the Toledo, Peoria and Western Railroad which began October 1, 1945. This controversy was further high-lighted with the fatal shooting of its president, George P. McNear, by unknown assail 700 |