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9 What the Blue how 9 Eagle means to you you can get it The President’s Reemployment Program is advancing to complete success. No such sweeping demonstration of the unity of a whole people against a national danger has ever been made. • In this vast surge of patriotism it is nec essary to keep our common purpose always clear. When 125,000,000 people attempt to act as one man there are sure to be some misunderstandings. It is time to restate as clearly as possible the awn of the whole endeavor and the duty of each individual. • That is the purpose of this message — to state officially, briefly and clearly the simple rules for common guidance. • It is an evidence of the self-sacrificing service of the whole country that this newspaper has donated this space. In that spirit the whole country is acting. • This plan depends wholly on united action. That unity is almost complete. In the next few days let us close up every gap in the ranks and nail the flag of the Blue Eagle on the door of every man who works another man. OFFICIAL EXPLANATION OF THE PRESIDENT’S : REEMPLOYMENT AGREEMENT (Sometimes miscalled “The Blanket Code") This Agreement bfcuU you to put, its terms into effect from the time you sign the Certificate of Compliance until De cember 81, 1888; but when the President has approved a Code for yonr trade or industry, that Code takes the place of this Agreement You agree: " Child Labor (1) After August 31, 1933, not to employ any per son under 16 years of age, except that persons between 14 and 16 may be employed (but not in manufactur ing or mechanical industries) for not to exceed 3 hours per day and those hours between 1A. M. and 7 P. M. in such work as will not interfere with hours of day school. ,i This means that after August 31, 1933, you agree not to employ any chlldreh under 14 years old In any kind of business. YoU may employ children between 14 and 16 years old, but only for three hours a day and those hours must be between 7 in the morning and 7 at night, and arranged so as not to interfere with school. You agree not to elnploy any children under 16 years old in a manufac turing or mechanical industry, at any time. Maximum Hour* (2) Not to work any accounting, clerical, banking, office, service, or sales employees (except outside salesmen) in any store, office, department, establish ment, or public utility, or on any automotive or horse drawn passenger, express, delivery, or freight service, or in any other place or manner, for more than 40 honrs in any 1 week and not to reduce the hours of any store or service operation to below 52 honrs in any 1 week, unless such hours were less than 52 hours per week before July 1, 1933, and in the latter ease not to reduce such hours at all. This means that you agree not to work any of the kinds of employees listed in this paragraph (except outside sales men) for more than 40 hours a week. This paragraph covers all employees except factory workers, mechanical workers and artisans. However, no Unfit on hours and no minimum wage applies to purely agricultural labor, domestic ser vants, or persons working for you solely on a commission basis; but, If you have persons working for you who are guaranteed a base pay in addition to their commission, then their base pay plus commissions must equal the minimum wage. This Agreement sets no maximum on the number of hours you may keep your business open. You agree not to keep your wholesale, retail, or aervlce establishment open less than 52 hours a week unless it was open leu than 52 hours a week before July 1, 1988. Even then you agree to keep it open as long as you used to keep it open before July 1. Of course, if you have always kept your store open shorter hours In the Summer months you can continue to dp so this Summer, blit you should pay your employees the same •mnniit nrh week that they will iret when vou keen vour store open full tine. The stores with more than two employees which remain open the longest are contributing the most to carrying out the purpose of the Agreement The stores with two or less employees which can be open only the mihimum number of hours required, are doing the most to fulfill their part (3) Nos to employ any factory or mechanical worker or artisan more than a maximum week of 35 hours | until December 31, 1933, but with the right to work a maximum week of 40 hours for any 6 weeks within this period! and not to employ any worker more than 8 hours in any one day. This means that if you are employing factory or mechani cal workers or artisans, you agree not to work them more I, tli n 35 hours a week and not more than 8 hours in 'any ! one day.’ When you have more than the usual amount of work to do and can’t get additional workers, you may employ this class of employee up to 40 hours a week in any 6 weeks, but even in this case you must not work them more than 8 hours a day. ' «' (4) The maximum hours fixed in the foregoing paragraphs (2) and (3) shall not apply to employees in establishments employing not mope than two per* sons in towns of less than 2,500 population which towns are not part of a larger trade area; nor to regis tered pharmacists or other professional persons em ployed in their profession! nor to employees in a managerial or executive capacity, who now receive' more than 195 pec week( nor to employees oh emer gency maintenance an& repair worki nor to very special eases where restrictions of hours of highly skilled workers on continuous processes would un avoidably reduce production but, in any such special ease, at least time and one-third shall be paid for hours worked bsexeess of the maximum. Population for the purposes of this Agreement shall be deter mined by reference tq the 1930 Federal census. This means that tbefe are certain employees whom you may work longer hours than are allowed by paragraphs (2) and (8) P. R. A. If your business is in a small tpwn (population less than 2,500 by tbe 1980 census) and.you do not employ more than 1 two persons, the limit on hours does not apply to these employees. If your town is really a part of a larger busi ness community, the limit on hours does apply to, these employees; # The Unfit on hours does not apply to yojir employees who are wholly or primarily managers or executives, as long as they receive 185 a week. Professional persons, like doctors, lawyers, registered pharmacists and nurses, may be em ‘ ployed without any limit on hours. ; Where employees are doing emergency jobs of mainte nance or repair work, they may be kept on the job for longer hours, but you agree to pay them at least time and one-third for hours worked oyer the limits set in para graphs (2) and (8) P. R. A. There are a few very special cases where highly skilled workers must be allowed to work more than the limit of hours in order to keep up output on continuous processes, but, here again, you agree to pay them at least time and one-third for the hours they work over the limits set in paragraphs (2) and (8) F. R. A. Minimum Wages (5) Not to pay any of the classes of employees men tioned in paragraph (2) less than $15 per week In any city of over 500,000 population, or in the imme diate trade area of such city; nor less than $14.50 per weefc in any city of between 250,000 and 500,000 population, or in the immediate trade area of such city; nor less than $14 per week in any city of between 2,500 and 250,000 population, or in the immediate trade area of such city and in towns of less than 2,500 population to increase all wages by not )ess than 20 per cent, provided that this shall not require wages ‘ in excess of $12 per week, This sets out the schedule of minimum wages which you agree to pay all employees, except factory or mechanical workers or artisans. The wages are set out in terms of dol lars per week, but if your employees are paid by the hour, you may use the following schedulei Place qf Butineu: . Minimum Wage* <Population by 1980 C«im$i) > In cities of 500,000 or over...........,....S7V£ cents per hour . In cities of between 250,000 and 500.000 .......36 Vi cents per hour In cities of between 2,500 and 250.000 .. • 35 cents per hour If your business is in a town of. less than 2,800 population, you agree to raise all wages at least 20%. If raising all wages 20% causes you to pay over $12 per week, then you need only pay the $12 per week. If there is any doubt in your mjnd as to whether your business is in the “immediate trade area” of a city, you should ask your local Chamber of Commerce or other simi lar organization for a decision on the matter. The general rule is that the “immediate trade area” is the area in which there is direct retail competition. (6) Not to pay any employee of the classes men tioned in paragraph (3) less than 40 cents per hour unless the hourly rate for the same class of work on July 15, 1929, was less than 40 cents per hour, in ( which latter case not to pay less than the hourly rate ■- ' on July 15, 1929, and in no event less than 30 cents per hour. It is agreed that this paragraph establishes a guaranteed minimum rate of pay regardless of whether the employee is compensated on the basis of a time rate or on a piece-work performance. inis nxes tne minimum wage wnicn you agree xo pay factory and mechanical workers and artisans. The follow ing schedule may help you to find out the proper ratei // «h. rele fur At MM *1»4 T*. mlntmmm rtlt which ytm ej work In At M«M «*»>■ , . ally on July IS, 1939, Mil **r" *• P»r *»» More than 40c an hour....40c an hour 30c to 40e an hour..The July 15,1929, hourly rate Less than 30c an hour.30c an hour Instead of paying by the hour, you may pay by the week at a rate which gives the same weekly earnings for a week of 35 hours. For example, instead of 40 cents an hour, you . may pay $14. per week. If you had a contract on or before August 1,193d, with a learner or apprentice, you do not have to pay him the mini mum wage, but no one should be classed as a learner or an appreptlce who has ever been employed as a regular worker In your industry; (7) Not to reduce the compensation for employment now in excess of the minimum wages hereby agreed to (notwithstanding that the hours worked in such employment may be hereby reduced) and to increase the pay for such employment by an equitable readjust ment of all pay schedules. Two official interpretations—No. 1 anC No. 20—have been issued* explaining this paragraph. You can get copies of these at your local Chamber of Commerce or from the neaaest N. R. A. representative. Anti-Subterfuge (8) Not to use any subterfuge to frustrate the spirit and intent of this Agreement which is, among other tilings, to increase employment by a universal cov enant, to remove obstructions to commefee, and to shorten hours and to raise wages for the shorter week to a living basis. Thit it tht heart of tht u'holt Agreement. Tht Preeident’e Plan it to mire thie depreeeion by inereaeing purehaiittg power. Pou eon help him put thie plan over by voluntarily tigning thie Agreement to ehorten hourt and raiee waget. There it no force to compel you to eign thie agreement. It it not law. It it a ptreonal agreement between you and tht Preeideut. The-Preeident expecti you fo do everything in your power to carry out the epirit of the Agreement after / you eign it. Thie meant whole-hearted cooperation by really earning the Slue Saglo—not by jutt getting it and then not doing your part. It would bo a “subterfuge to frut Irate the epirit and in tent of thie Agreement" to tign it and then put all of your employeet on a itruight eommietion both — or any other trick to avoid doing what you frotnlte to do. t I I I I i i i I I i HOW TO EARN THE BLUE EAGLE 1. Sign the President's Reemployment Agreement (P.R.A.). 2. Shorten Hours of factory workers to 35 hours per week, and of all other employees to 40 hours per week. (See paragraphs 2, 3 and 4, P.R.A.) 3. Raise Wages (See paragraphs 5, 6 and 7, P.R.A.). 4. Don’t Employ Child Labor. (See paragraph 1, P.R.A.) 5. Cooperate with the President. To do this: (a) Uve Up to the Agreement. (See paragraph 8, P.R.A.) * (b) Don’t ProfHeer. (See paragraph 9, P.R.A.) ~ (*) Deal Only with Others "Under the Blue Eagle." (See paragraphs 10 and 12, P.R.A.) (d) Get a Code in by September 1st. (See paragraphs 11 and 13, P.R.A.) HOW TO GET THE BLUE EAGLE 1. Sign the President’s Reemployment Agreement. 2. Mail the Signed Agreement to your District Office of the Department of Commerce. 3. Put the Agreement Into Effect (as outlined above in How to Earn the Blue Eagle"). 4. Sign a Certificate of Compliance. This is a slip distributed with the Agreement. It says: "I/We certify that we have adjusted the hours of Icibor and the wages of our employees to accord with the President's Reemployment Agreement, which we have signed 5. Deliver the Certificate of Compliance to Your Post Office. The Postmaster will give you your Blue Eagle. EXCEPTIONAL CASES 1. Where a Code Has Been Submitted. (See paragraph 13, President’s Reemployment Agree ment). If your whole Trade or Industry is unable to live up to the President’s Agreement, you should get together at once, with other employers in your Trade or Industry and, in a group, submit a Code of Fair Competition to N. R. A. in Washington. Since it takes some time after a Code has been submitted for it to be finally approved, your group may petition N. R. A. to substitute the wages and hours provisions of your Code for the wages and hours provisions of the President’s Reemployment Agreement. If N. R. A. finds that the Code provisions are within the spirit of the President’s Reemployment Agreement, it will consent to such substitutions. If N. R. A. does consent there will be an official notice in all the papers. You may then put the substituted provisions into effect in place of the indicated paragraphs of the President’s Reemployment Agree ment In this case you should add to your Certificate of Compliance the following dausei “To the extent of N. R. A. consent as announced, we have complied with the President’s Agreement by complying with the substituted provisions of the Code submitted by the --- Trade/Industry.” If the substitution is consented to after you have already put the President’s Reemployment Agree ment into full effect, and after you have already gotten your Blue Eagle, you may still put the substi tuted provisions into effect without signing another Certificate of Compliance. 2. Where a Code Has Been Approved. If a Code of Fair Competition for your Trade or Industry has already been finally approved by the President, you need not sign the President’s Reemployment Agree ment in order to get the Blue Eagle. The same Is true if you are subject to a Code which has been put into effect temporarily by agreement between the Presi dent and representatives of your Trade or Industry | but In either of these cases, you must sign a Certifi cate of Compliance, adding to it the following state ment: “We have complied with the operative provi sions of the Code for the-Trade/Industry." 3. Cases of Individual Hardship. (Paragraph M, President’s Reemployment Agreement). If there are some peculiar reasons why a particular provision of the President’s Agreement will cause you, individually, a great and unavoidable hardship, you may still get the Blue Eagle by taking the fpllow lng steps: (a) Sign the Agreement and mail it to your Dis trict Office of the Department of Commerce^ (b) Prepare a petition to N. R. A. setting out the reasons why you cannot comply with certain pro visions, and requesting that an exception be made in your case. (c) Have this petition approved by your Trade Association. If there is no Trade Association for your business have your petition approved by your local Chamber of Commerce or other representative organization designated by N. R. A. (d) If the Trade Association, or other organize-. tion, approves your petition, send it to N. R. A. in Washington with this approval. (e) Comply with all the provisions of the Agree ment except the one you are petitioning to have excepted. (f) Sign the Certificate of Compliance, addinr to it the following clauses “Except for those inf rim provisions regarding wages and hours which have tion.” Deliver this Certificate of Compliance to your Post Office. You will receive a Blue Eagle, but be fore displaying it, you must put a white bar across its breast with the word “Provisional” on it. If your petition is finally approved by N. R. A. you may take the bar down. If your petition Is not approved by N. R. A. you must comply with the Agreement in full. 4. Union Contracts. If you have a contract with a labor organization calling for longer hours than the President’s Agreement allows, and this con tract was made in good faith by collective bargain Ing and cannot be changed by you alone, try to get the labor organization to agree to a reduction to the maximum hours allowed by the President’s Agree ment. If the labor organization will not agree, you may apply to N. R. A. for permission to work your employees as many hours a week as the contract calls for. Send to N. R. A. a request for this per mission, with a certified copy of the labor contract, and any statement of the fact you desire. This application will be handled by N. R. A. in the same manner as an application for relief in cases of individual hardship, filed under para graph (14) P.R.A., but it will not be necessary to obtain the approval of a trade association or other organization. If N.R.A. approves your application or is able to bring about any modification of the contract, you will then be granted permission to work employees in accordance with the contract aa originally written or modified, and can then sign the Certificate of Compliance adding to it the following: “Except as required to comply with the terms of the Agreement in effect between the undersigned and the (Name of Labor Organization).” f h (9)' Not to Increase the price of any i after the date hereof over the price on Jib 1* MW, by more than it made necessary by < production, replacement, or invoice epats of i diac, or by taxea taken pnranant to the Agricultural Adjustment aince July 1,1933, and, in setting such price ineret to give fhl] weight to probable inereaaea in rales volume and to refrain from taking profiteering advantage of the consuming public. The object of this paragraph is to prevent profiteering or speculation, so that prices will not rise faster than purchas ing power, and destroy the President’s plan. The danger to be avoided was pointed out by the President on June IS, 1983, in the statement which he made on signing the Re covery Act He said, them "If we now inflate prices aa fast and as far aa we in crease wages, the whole project will be set at naught. We cannot hope for the full effect of this plan unless, in these first critical months, and, even at the expense of fall initial profits, we defer price increases as long aa possible. If we can thus start a strong, sound up-' ward spiral of business activity our industries will have little doubt of black-ink operations in the last quarter of this year. The pent-up demand of this people is very great, and if we can release it on so broad a front, we need not fear a lagging recovery. There is greater danger of too much feverish speed.” If you were selling your merchandise on July 1, 1988, below cost, you may take your cost price on that date aa the basis for determining the allowable Increase under this paragraph. Cooperation (10) To support and patronize establishments which also have signed this Agreement and are listed as mem bers of N. R. A. (National Recovery Administration). The success of tl£ President’s Reemployment Agreement Program depends upon public support going to those who raise wages and shorten hours in accordance with this Agreement, in order to repay them for the extra expense which they have incurred in doing their part. Codos (11) To cooperate to the fullest extent in having, a Code of Fair Competition submitted by Us industry at the earliest possible date, and in any evens before September 1, 1933. This Agreement is a temporary measure to tide over the time from now until all employers and employees can co operate under Codes of Fair Competition under the National Industrial Recovery Act. You agree, in this paragraph, to do all you can to have a Code submitted for your trade or industry before September 1, 1933. Appropriate Adjustments (12) Vheit, before June 16, 1933, the undersigned had contracted to purchase goods at a fixed price for deliver? during the period of this Agreement, the | undersigned will make an appropriate adjustment of said fixed price to meet any increase in cost caused by the seller having signed this President’s Reemploy ment Agreement or having become bound by any | Code of Fair Competition approved by the President. | This Agreement will, usually, increase the costs of those who sign it The purpose of this paragraph is to pass any such increased costs along from one signer to another, and | so on to the consumer. If you have a contract made before June 16, 1933, to buy goods at a fixed price, you agree to make an arrangement with your seller so that you pay him for the extra cost to i him caused by his having signed this Agreement, or having come under a Code approved by the President. , In some cases the final buyer is the Government, which, I under existing law, is generally not allowed to pay more tfian | the contract price. The President has announced that he will | recommend to Congress that appropriations be made to allow the Government to play its part by paying Govern ment contractors who have signed the Agreement for their increased costs. The President has also appealed to the States I and cities to take action permitting them to do likewise i You should have no fear that, because your buyer has not signed, you wil’. be left with the Increased cost on you alone. i The President expects every employer to sign this Agree ment. Substitutions (13) Thife Agreement shall cease upon approval by | the President of a Code to which the undersigned is | subject; or, if the N. R. A. so ejects, upon submission I of a Code to which the undersigned is subject and sub stitution of any of its provisions for any af the terms of this Agreement. As pointed out in the explanation of paragraph (11) P. R.A. above, the President plans to have all business govern itself under Codes, and therefore Codes should be promptly submitted. If N.R. A. finds that the wages and hours provisions of a Code which has been submitted are | within the spirit of this Agreement, N. R. A. will authorize your industry to operate under those provisions rather than under the wages and hours provisions of this Agreement. Exceptions (14) It is agreed that any person who wishes to do his part in the President’s Reemployment Drive by signing this Agreement, but who asserts that some par ticular provision hereof, because of peculiar circum stances, will create great and unavoidable hardship, may obtain the benefits hereof by signing this Agree ment and putting it into effect and then, in a petition approved by a trade association of his industry, or other representative organization designated lit N. R. A., may apply for a stay of such provision pending a summary investigation by N. R. A., if he agrees in such application to abide by the decision of such investigation. This Agreement is entered into pursuant to section 4 (a) of the National Industrial Recovery Aet and subject to all terms and conditions required by sections 7 (a) and 10 (b) of that act If you really want to do your part in the President’s Reemployment Program, sign this Agreement. If some ;s particular part of this Agreement causes you, as an indi vidual employer, great and unavoidable hardship, you may obtain relief by taking the steps outlined under the head ing “Cases of Individual Hardship.” , Save this sheet as your official source of information. If there are any problems in your mind which are not cleared up by this explanation, get in touch with the official N. R. A. representative in your community. Official Statement of the Blue Eagle Division, N.R.A., Washington, 0. C.