POST-WAR EMPLOYMENT AND VETERANS' ASSISTANCE

PROGRAM

OBJECTIVE

The purpose of the Virginia veterans' assistance and post-war employment program is to coordinate the efforts and operations of all Federal, State, and local agencies and volunteer organizations into a unified plan of procedure for the transition of Virginia from her war activities to a peacetime basis through the orderly and planned reemployment of her veterans as they return from the armed forces and her war workers as they are released due to cessation of war production. The plan provides for the merging on State and local levels of the three major governmental programs, which are designed to aid in this transition, with the organized and planned volunteer efforts of the citizens of the States and separate localities, upon whom-in the final analysis is placed the responsibility of providing the necessary sources of employment through the development and conversion of new and existing activities and public and private improvement. The three programs are:

(1) The veterans' assistance program of the Selective Service System, which is organized by the Director of Selective Service under the requirement of the Selective Training and Service Act of 1940, as amended, and places upon the Selective Service System the responsibility to establish adequate facilities to render aid in the reemployment of returning veterans.

(2) The program of the Retraining and Reemployment Administration of the Office of War Mobilization. This Administration was established by Executive order of the President on February 24, 1944, (a) to have general supervision and direction of the activities of all Government agencies relating to the retraining and reemployment of persons discharged from the armed services or other war work; (b) to develop programs for the orderly absorption into other employment of persons discharged or released from the armed services or other war work; and (c) to develop programs for the adequate care of persons discharged or released from the armed services.

Under the authority of the Administration for Retraining and Reemployment there will be established, in each State and community, State and local veterans' service committees, representing the Selective Service System. the United States Employment Service of the War Manpower Commission, and the Veterans' Administration insofar as any one or all of these agencies have facilities in that community.

These committees will act as the representatives of the Federal Government in connection with information to veterans and serve as the point of contact for the Retraining and Reemployment Adminis tration with the Federal programs in the community.

(3) The Virginia post-war employment program of the Virginia State Planning Board is directed by the Governor of Virginia and is designed to meet-through an organized and orderly volunteer citizens' program of State and community planning-the State's, and each separate locality's, problem of providing sufficient number of suitable jobs for the reemployment of returning veterans as they are released from the armed forces and war workers as they become released due to cessation or curtailment of war production.

The Selective Service System is charged by law with the responsibility for the organization and operation of the veterans' assistance program of the Selective Service System on national. State and local levels.

The Selective Service System, the Veterans' Administration, and the United States Employment Service of the War Manpower Commission, insofar as any one or all of these agencies have facilities in the community, are jointly charged with the organization and operation of the program of the Retraining and Reemployment Administration on State and local levels

The Virginia Post-war Employment Committee, as appointed and directed by the Governor of Virginia through the offices of the State planning board, is responsible for the operation of the Virginia postwar employment program on the State level.

The duly constituted local governmental authority in each county and incorporated city of the State has the responsibility for the appointment and direction of the citizens' post-war employment committee in its respective political subdivision, and the committee, so appointed, is charged with the execution of the post-war employment program on the local level.

The coordination of these Federal and State programs with the efforts and operations of all other organized agencies and volunteer organizations is provided on the State level through a coordinating committee, to be known as the State coordinating and veterans' service committee and composed of representatives from the State planning board, the State post-war employment committee and the members of the State veterans' service committee, as designated under the Retraining and Reemployment Administration, and such other members as may be designated by the Governor of Virginia.

Similar coordinating committees are provided on the local level, to be known as local coordinating and veterans' service committees and composed of representatives from county (or city) planning commissions, citizens' post-war employment committees, and the members of the local veterans' service committee, and such other members as may be designated by the appointing authority of the local govern

ment.

These committees are charged with coordinating the activities of all agencies on their respective levels.

VETERANS' ASSISTANCE PROGRAM

PART I. GENERAL

1. Responsibility of the Director of Selective Service.-The Director of Selective Service is required by the Selective Training and Service Act of 1940, as amended, to establish a Personnel Division with adequate facilities to render aid (a) in the replacement in their former positions of, or (b) securing positions for, returning veterans.

2. Veterans eligible for assistance.-Veterans entitled to such aid include all persons, male and female, who, subsequent to May 1, 1940, entered upon active service in the Army, Navy, Marine Corps, or Coast Guard, whether by induction, enlistment, commission, or otherwise, and who have satisfactorily completed any period of active duty or any period of training and service under the Selective Training and Service Act of 1940, as amended. When such veteran satisfactorily completes his period of service, he is entitled to a certificate to that effect.

3. Veterans Personnel Division.-The Director of Selective Service, to facilitate the discharge of his foregoing responsibilities, has established a Veterans Personnel Division (formerly Reemployment Division) in National Headquarters of the Selective Service System.

4. Responsibility of State director of Selective Service. The State directors of Selective Service will organize and supervise this program within their States. Such organization and supervision shall be consistent with such policies and procedures as may from time to time be prescribed by the Director of Selective Service. The State directors are authorized to establish committees or become members of such committees within their respective States as will, in their judgment, be most conducive to the successful operation of the Selective Service System's veterans' assistance program.

5. Responsibility of local board.-It is the responsibility of the local board to discharge the obligations of the Director of Selective Service set forth in paragraphs 1 and 2 above. All of the facilities of the local board shall be available for this purpose. In executing this responsibility, the local board shall use the reemployment committeeman attached to the local board. The local board will handle the replacement of veterans in their former positions. The local board will utilize the services of the Veterans Employment Division of the United States Employment Service, War Manpower Commission, in aiding veterans to secure new positions.

6. Veteran to report to local board. Upon separation from service, a veteran will be advised to report to a local board and of his right to call upon a local board and its reemployment committeeman for information and assistance.

7. Assistance to veterans.-When the separation of a veteran from service is reported to the local board or a veteran applies to the local board for aid, it shall comply with the applicable regulations and instructions concerning the registration or classification of such persons. After taking such action, the local board and the reemployment committeeman shall render such aid to the veteran as it is necessary to protect his right of reemployment and other benefits.

PART II. REINSTATEMENT IN FORMER POSITIONS

1. Conditions for reinstatement in former position.-(a) A veteran is cntitled by law to reinstatement in his former position or to a position of like seniority, status, and pay:

(1) If such a position was in the employ of a private employer, the United States Government, its Territories or possessions, or the District of Columbia;

(2) If such position was not a temporary position;

(3) If he left such position subsequent to May 1, 1940, in order to enter upon active military or naval service in the land or naval forces of the United States;

(4) If he satisfactorily completed his period of training and service and received a certificate to that effect;

(5) If he is still qualified to perform the duties of such position; (6) If he makes application for reemployment within 40 days after he is relieved from service; and

(7) If such position is in the employ of a private employer, the employer's circumstances have not so changed as to make it impossible or unreasonable to reinstate the veteran to such position or to a position of like seniority, status, and pay.

(b) If such position was in the employ of any State or political subdivision thereof, it is "the sense of Congress that such person should be restored to such position or to a position of like seniority, status, and pay."

2. Rights after reemployment. -A veteran who is restored to a position in the employ of the Federal Government or a private employer, as provided in paragraph 1 above, is entitled by law to the following additional benefits:

(a) He shall be considered as having been on furlough or leave of absence during his period of service;

(b) He shall be restored without loss of seniority;

(c) He shall be entitled to participate in insurance or other benefits offered by the employer pursuant to established rules and practices relating to employees on furlough or leave of absence in effect with the employer at the time such person entered military or naval service; and

(d) He shall not be discharged from such position without cause within 1 year after such restoration.

3. Adjustment of controversies with employer. —(a) It is obvious that misunderstandings and disputes will sometimes arise between the returned veteran and his former employer in respect to reinstatement. The conditions of both will necessarily change, and in some instance in many respects. Whether such changes are sufficient to deprive a veteran of the rights which Congress meant to confer must, of necessity, depend upon the facts in each case. It is anticipated that the employer will meet the problem in a spirit of fair play and in appreciation of the sacrifices made by the veteran and that he will not take advantage of any technicality in order to evade his responsibility to the veteran. If, however, a dispute does arise between the employer and the veteran, a local board member or the reemployment committeeman should call personally to see the employer and attempt by every means possible to reach an amicable agreement, mutually

satisfactory to the veteran and to the employer, but without sacrificing any of the veteran's rights.

(b) In trying to reach an amicable adjustment, the local board or its reemployment committeeman may call for assistance upon representatives of veterans' organizations or upon labor, civic, communal, or post-war planning groups, veterans' advisory committees, clearinghouse committees, or any other means which he or the State director may deem advisable.

(c) It is highly desirable that the local board do everything it can to obtain the reinstatement of the veteran by amicable means. In no case is the local board to send the case to the United States attorney or institute any legal action on behalf of the veteran. If the local board is unable to reach an amicable adjustment of the veteran's reemployment rights, the local board shall send a complete report to its own State director who will keep the local board advised of all further action taken in the case. Where legal proceedings are indicated, the State director will refer the case, together with his recommendations, to the Director of Selective Service for submission to the Department of Justice.

4. Right to court action and assistance of United States attorney.—If any private employer fails or refuses to grant a veteran the rights set forth in paragraphs 1 and 2 above, he may obtain relief in an appropriate case by filing suit in the United States district court for the district in which the private employer maintains a place of business. The veteran is privileged to employ his own attorney to represent him in such action. The United States attorney or comparable official, if reasonably satisfied that the veteran is entitled to such rights, will on request appear and act as the veteran's attorney in the amicable adjustment of his claim or in the filing of such suit without cost to the

veteran.

PART III. PLACEMENT IN NEW POSITIONS

1. Use of other agencies.-(a) In carrying out its responsibilities to aid veterans to secure new positions, the Selective Service System will utilize the existing facilities of several departments and agencies of the Federal and State Governments. Among these agencies is the Veterans' Employment Division of the United States Employment Service, War Manpower Commission. The United States Employment Service has 1,500 offices distributed in every section of the country. In each State, a veterans' employment representative has been appointed to supervise the employment interests of veterans at the local offices of this agency in his State. A local veterans' employment representative has been designated in each employment office to perform at the local level duties similar to those performed by the State veterans' employment representative at the State level. The United States Employment Service maintains contacts with employers throughout the country and assists veterans to secure jobs. The State veterans' employment representative assures that there are adequate and efficient services to take care of veterans in all public employment offices in his State; he plans, directs, and coordinates the activities of local veterans' employment representatives charged with the responsibility of supervising the veterans' employment service program in their respective local offices.