Show Court Decrees Retrial in Overtime Pay WASHINGTON May 17 UP UP- UP An 8 1 supreme me court decision Monday ordered a new tri trial l t to determine whether contractors contractor who operated owned government war plants on a plus fixed basis are required to pay overtime overtime overtime over over- time wages The justice department estimates estimates estl esti- esti- esti mates several h hundred million do dollars dollars dol- dol lars are Involved in the question Justice Jackson read the courts court's decision Justice Black noted i in dissent that he favored reversing lower courts which ruled against workers seeking the overtime pay The courts court's opinion was on an appeal by Harris Kennedy an another and other workers in a case involving the Silas Mason Co This company constructed and operated the Louisiana ordnance plant at Shreveport The workers worker asked overtime wages penalties and attorneys' attorneys fees Lose in Lower Courts The workers lost in lower federal federal federal fed fed- eral courts The United States State States States' circuit court in New Orleans ruled that the company was not an independent contractor but a mere agency of the United States I Isaid It said the workers were actually of the war department and therefore were not entitled to benefits of the wage-hour wage law Further it said munitions are no not items of ot commerce as defined by that law The justice department said the ultimate decision would affect I about suits against plus cost-plus contractors in which claims run into the hundreds of millions The department said however that tha most war pla plant t workers were paid time and a half for all hours worked over 40 a week Other Actions Among other actions in Mona Mondays Monday's Mondays Monday's Mon Mon- days day's a s brief opinion session the court Declined to review a dispute between the sleeping car porters and trainmen's brotherhood over overwork overwork overwork work assignments of ot the two unions on the Missouri-Kansas- Missouri Texas railroad Refused to review conviction of Carl F F. riela Delano o former Michigan state senator on a charge of conspiring conspiring conspiring con con- ot bribe members of ot the Michigan legislature Granted August Klapprott onetime onetime onetime one one- time leader In the German Ameri can bund a review of judgment canceling his United States citi citi- Klapprott now is lis is confined confined confined con con- fined on Ellis island awaiting de de- de- de 0 |