U.S. Wage Stabilization Board Combined Metal Reduction Company and New Park Mining Company Records

The parties to this dispute, all located in the Salt Lake City, Utah area signed a contract, effective July 1, 1950 to continue until July 1, 1952 with a wage reopening provision on July 1, 1951. The 1950 contract provided for a general wage increase of 5 cents per hour and certain health and pension benefits. In response to the union's request, the companies voluntarily increased wages 10 cents per hour November 1, 1950.



When negotiations were opened in May of 1951, under the wage reopening clause, the union informed the company it wished to include a program of job evaluation. In the course of the negotiations that followed, the company urged that the "Cooperative Wage Study Manual" should be changed to adapt it to the non-ferrous mining industry. Continued discussions failed to bring an agreement and on March 1, 1952 the parties agreed to submit the dispute to the Wage Stabilization Board for a final and binding decision.



The Board appointed a tri-partite panel to conduect hearings and to make recommendations to the Board for fair and equitable terms of settlement. The panel consisted of the following members. G. Allan Dash, Jr., Chairman and Public Member, Curtis C. Aller, Public Member, Paul H. Hunt and Francis Ryley, Industry Members, Bernard Greenberg and Albert G. Gray, Labor Members.



The panel held hearings in Salt Lake City in March and its report was issued May 29, 1952. The majority report was submitted by the public and labor members, with the industry members submitted a dissenting report.



The Board issued its decision on June 20, approving an eight-ecent general wage adjustment for the 1,000 employees of the three companies, but cut down certain other panel recommendations. The Board's report was issued by the Public Members with the Labor Members dissenting.