National Affairs: 13

Jim Grimes, white-haired, pipe-smoking business agent of the Mt. Vernon, Wash. (pop. 4,278) carpenter’s union, had to admit that he was doing some strange thinking. But a question kept bothering him: Did his union really want a raise? It was theirs for the asking. One clause of their contract with building constructors called for salary adjustments based on increased living costs; on that basis they had 13¢ an hour more coming to them. But Grimes knew what costs were doing to the building trade. Would they get as much work if they charged $1.93½ an hour instead of $1.80½?

He decided to see what the union thought, discovered that many another carpenter was wondering the same thing. The 940 union carpenters in northwestern Washington’s Skagit, Whatcom and San Juan counties took a vote. Last week the returns were in: 60% had decided to refuse the raise and bet their 13¢ an hour on the future.