and by government at its various levels. A considerable number of these plans are desbribed in the 200 pages of the OECD's study. There is, for example, a growing awareness on the part of unions and companies of the need for encouraging mobility, especially in response to technological change. One approach which has been taken in collective bargaining to facilitate mobility is enlarging the unit within which a worker's seniority rights apply. A case in point is the contract between the United States Steel Corp. and the United Steelworkers under which employees who have been working with the company for a certain number of years and are laid off from one plant, have priority in hiring over newcomers in certain of the company's other plants. In some cases a worker who transfers under this arrangement receives a moving allow ance. In other cases, measures to promote mobility have taken the form of buying out accumulated seniority rights with a severance pay allowance or "vesting" pensions (that is, allowing employees to retain their accumulated pension rights after they leave a job). Some collectively bargained agreements, for example, at Kaiser Steel and in the meatpacking industry, provide for a study of the impact of technical change and joint working out of cooperative plans for adaptation. ACTION TO SOLVE THE PROBLEM Since 1961 the Federal Government has strengthened its arsenal of weapons with which to fight unemployment. Several acts have been passed designed to increase the mobility of workers occupationally and geographically and to encourage industry to move into those areas where unemployment is unusually high. Most recent is the Trade Expansion Act of 1962 which sets a new precedent in Federal legislation, providing relocation allowances for workers who are displaced by industry shifts resulting primarily from reductions in tariffs. In addition the act provides for a period of paid retraining at a rate of compensation that can under certain circumstances exceed the amount of unemployment compensation and which can last for as long as a year and a half in certain cases. The Manpower Development and Training Act of 1962 also provides Federal funds for retraining and directs the Department of Labor to mount a unified and comprehensive manpower research program directed toward preventing unemployment and underemployment. Finally, the Area Redevelopment Act of 1961, which gives financial assistance to firms locating in areas of substantial and persistent unemployment, also provides for retraining of the local labor force. By the end of 1962, 268 projects involving some 15,000 trainees had been approved. Some of the programs for regional development straddle several communities; one includes the entire Applachian region. The Federal-State placement service has been granted more funds and is trying to expand its scope. Traditionally its primary concern has been with the unemployed; now it is trying to serve professional groups as well and also workers who wish simply to improve their lot. In the process, authorities hope the number of employers who utilize the service will be augmented. However, the OECD Committee for Manpower and Social Affairs concludes that what has been done is not enough: "Overall it is our judgment that manpower practices and institutions to date have not been adequate for the United States to achieve in a sound fashion its growth objective. This is a judgment, we note, which is now widely shared in the United States itself, with the result that the United States has embarked on a more active manpower policy as indicated in the President's first annual manpower report ***. The committee believes there are considerable opportunities in the United States, as evidenced by continuing efforts of the American authorities to improve the effectiveness of labor market institutions and operations with respect to the training, placement, and utilization of the work force." More specifically the Committee recommends: The expansion, diversification, and improvement of educational opportunities to improve the availability and quality of education for both_young people and adults, and to develop flexible programs of academic and vocational study at all levels of education. The rapid extension of training programs to provide for the unemployed for whom new jobs are not immediately available; similar expansion should take place in the opportunities available for the employed, including even highly skilled workers, to assist them in meeting new job demands. The expansion and strengthening of apprenticeship programs and greater use of preapprenticeship programs. A strengthening of the employment service's recruitment and placement functions particularly for technicians and professional personnel and for employed persons. A program of counsel and financial assistance to aid the mobility of workers willing to undertake employment in other communities. The improvement of collection and use of information on employment and unemployment, particularly-and this is being attempted-initiation of a series on job vacancies sufficiently detailed to be useful for operational purposes. An enlargement of programs to bring jobs to the worker. More adequate levels of unemployment compensation so that these payments could act more effectively as an automatic stabilizer of the economy. Finally the Committee suggests that more attention might usefully be given to the question of how the unemployment insurance system could be used constructively to encourage mobility and retraining of unemployed workers; it approves the U.S. Government's efforts to eliminate racial discrimination in the public employment services, in apprenticeship, in the new training programs and in basic education. Senator CLARK. We meet today to take testimony on S. 2958, offered by Senator Nelson, of Wisconsin, who ordinarily would be the first witness. However, I see he has been detained by other business and in order to accommodate Senator Boggs, of Delaware, whom we are very happy to welcome here, I am going to ask him to present the mayor of Wilmington, Mr. Babiarz. Mayor, we are happy to have you here and particularly happy to have you sponsored by our colleague, Senator Boggs. STATEMENT OF HON. J. CALEB BOGGS, A U.S. SENATOR FROM THE STATE OF DELAWARE Senator BOGGS. Thank you, Mr. Chairman, and members of the committee. I consider it a very great honor and privilege as well as a pleasure to welcome the mayor of Wilmington, Del., to Washington this morning and to have the pleasure of presenting him to the committee. Mayor John E. Babiarz, of Wilmington, will make a presentation on behalf of the U.S. Conference of Mayors. I want to say that Mayor Babiarz and I, while we may be in opposite parties, have been, I am proud to say, good friends and have worked together over the years on matters of public interest to our State and city. It is a privilege to present him. I know he will have a worthwhile message this morning. Senator CLARK. Thank you very much, Senator Boggs. In view of my own dim past as mayor of Philadelphia, I have some understanding of the problems which have confronted the mayor of Wilmington. I have a very substantial admiration for the way in which he has measured up to their solution. Thank you very much for being here. I understand you have other engagements and will not be able to stay with us. Mayor BABIARZ. That is correct. Senator CLARK. Now I will ask to have S. 2958 printed in the record at this point. (The bill follows:) 88TH CONGRESS S. 2958 IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES JUNE 26, 1964 Mr. NELSON introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred 1 A BILL To conserve the human and natural resources of the Nation. Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa 2 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 3 That this Act may be cited as the "Human and Resource 4 Conservation Act of 1964". 5 6 FINDINGS AND DECLARATION OF PURPOSE SEC. 2. Throughout the United States, the wise develop7 ment, conservation, and utilization of our natural resources 8 requires an immediate and urgent effort. Much useful work 9 can be accomplished on Federal lands and on State, county, 10 and city parks, recreational areas, and other lands. The 11 development of recreational areas, path and park develop 2 1 ment, conservation of streambeds and the forest lands are 2 only a few of the countless projects which command atten 3 tion. At the same time, there are substantial numbers of 4 men, many of whom have little education and poorly 5 developed skills, who are unemployed. The longer these 6 men are left idle, are unable to find useful work, the deeper 7 they will become entrenched in a cycle of poverty. The 8 United States can achieve its full economic and social poten9 tial as a nation only if its natural resources are conserved and every individual has the opportunity to obtain useful employ11 ment and to develop his capabilities. It is, therefore, the 10 policy of the United States to provide a program to conserve 13 both the natural and human resources of the Nation by 14 putting unemployed men to work on constructive conserva 15 16 17 18 tion projects and, where necessary, to provide training which can help these men develop their potential skills and capa bilities to higher levels. It is the purpose of this Act to strengthen, supplement, and coordinate efforts in furtherance 19 of this policy by assisting to carry out programs in the fields of conservation and the development of natural resources and 20 recreational areas by providing useful work for unemployed men and, where necessary, offering new work training pro grams to increase the employability and education of these men. |