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Editorial
August 12, 1955
Summit County Labor News
Akron, Summit County, Ohio
What is this article about?
Editorial criticizes Secretary of Labor James P. Mitchell for inconsistency in advocating broader minimum wage coverage after his department opposed it under merchant pressure, despite Congress raising the wage to $1 per hour without expansion.
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Full Text
When The Lights Went Out
Even a politician should have a better memory than Secretary of Labor James P. Mitchell is displaying.
He now says Congress did only half its job by voting an increase in the Federal minimum wage to $1 an hour: it should also have broadened coverage of the law to take in two million workers still excluded.
Quite right. But where was Mitchell when the lights went out? The Senate Labor Committee was interested in broader coverage, but the Labor Department, under pressure from merchant groups, refused to recommend such action and merely urged Congressional "study" of the question. On the record, it may be the height of charity to attribute Mitchell's about-face to a memory lapse.
Even a politician should have a better memory than Secretary of Labor James P. Mitchell is displaying.
He now says Congress did only half its job by voting an increase in the Federal minimum wage to $1 an hour: it should also have broadened coverage of the law to take in two million workers still excluded.
Quite right. But where was Mitchell when the lights went out? The Senate Labor Committee was interested in broader coverage, but the Labor Department, under pressure from merchant groups, refused to recommend such action and merely urged Congressional "study" of the question. On the record, it may be the height of charity to attribute Mitchell's about-face to a memory lapse.
What sub-type of article is it?
Labor
Economic Policy
What keywords are associated?
Minimum Wage
Labor Policy
Wage Coverage
James Mitchell
Merchant Pressure
What entities or persons were involved?
James P. Mitchell
Labor Department
Senate Labor Committee
Congress
Merchant Groups
Editorial Details
Primary Topic
Criticism Of Mitchell's Stance On Minimum Wage Coverage
Stance / Tone
Critical Of Mitchell's Inconsistency
Key Figures
James P. Mitchell
Labor Department
Senate Labor Committee
Congress
Merchant Groups
Key Arguments
Congress Partially Succeeded By Raising Minimum Wage To $1 But Failed To Expand Coverage To Two Million Workers
Labor Department Refused To Recommend Broader Coverage Due To Merchant Pressure
Mitchell's Current Advocacy Is An About Face From His Department's Position