| Show VIEW OF F THE i EMPLOYEE i EE ri a obvious obvious ob s solution of UIO governments government's govern govern- ment's ments employment problem Is the H standardization and und readjustment lent of salaries To be scientific such readjustment readjustment readjustment re re- re- re adjustment must rest reM upon a careful r reclassification la atlon of or the service pen enI e Conditions Con Con- are very ery different now both bothIn In re regard ard to th the functions of offices u anti and d the cost of ot Ih living ng from what they were when n positions In the government govern govern- m meat ment nt service ser were first firM classified clarified 1 and I salaries assigned to those positions ons It struck me that an Interested party in this inquiry Into how the government government govern govern- o ern mt ment nt conducts It its business was the employee himself He lIe ought ht to tu know from actual dully dally experience something some some- thing ding about the of the thena na national business and the relations between between be he- twe tween n the working force and employer erIt er It was clearly Impossible to talk to the more than men and women who ho work for the thc government but I learned learned tIl that t between een and nad CO- CO of or them arc banded together In nn an association called the National Federation Federa Ft Federation tion of ot Federal Employees ees It is a n 1 regular labor union and is affiliated II with the American Federation lon of Labor It Includes all 1111 classes es of or government government gov gOT workers technical anti scientific scle men as well as clerks clerics and workers I eked asked the pr prudent president of at this tills cm- cm 8 union Luther C. C Steward Ithe if It he and his associates were ere authorized to speak peak for tor all nil H Its membership He ne assured m me inc that they were cre So I asked him to tell me mc about the conditions of government employment and how the business was carried on I am glad I did didor for or what he told me discloses not only facts but n D state of ot mind existing among the lie employees em em- which ne necessarily must be betaken betaken betaken taken Into account in n any consideration ion tion of the efficiency and management of ot our common business s. s Here then thenIs Is 18 what the employees who speak through Mr Steward Ste have hn to say eoy and the constructive e program the they present for tor dies Improvement m nt of the service The civil service on Its human side consists of about f men and women engaged In the operation of ot an nn antiquated up patched machine Be Because cause couse of at the durability of ot its vitar parts end and the faith tl and ability of the the mass maps of or the operatives the machine maclIne still functions But nut the parts ar are fitted and many of ot them ore are de tie- The managers and superintendents superintendents of the establishment being too often chosen m for tor political reasons are frequently inexpert and the tIle operating opera opera- tug IDa s system U t. clumsy and ad disjointed J Tl The e employees ees ur are recruited under n 11 law which provides a test ht t of qualifications and n tenths nine of the rank and file tile hl have ha e RU tf rl passed parsed the entrance test But Jut the better bettel positions say from upward up up- ward arp usually I occupied d by political appointees s. s r Another nother considerable group of ot employees get their appointments appoint appoint- appointments ments menta by executive order wal waiving cI service civil le tests t of fitness The nee fie newcomer comer hi it II tilt the service therefore therefore there there- therefore fore finds himself up against a 8 minimum mini mini- minimum mum mum of ot opportunity for tor promotion with the Ule disheartening d knowledge that the tile advancement which is earned d Ky by euce Is all too likely to be he given ghen to the tile friend or political supporter of at some Mme congressman or ex executive who wishes t v pay a 1 political debt And the employee ee Is subject to dismissal nt nr the will of ot the executive of ot his department de- de I unless s he can cun bring sufficient ut political Influence to bear In other words n the service civil law lawIs lawis Is not nut hacked up by enforcing p power ner Inthe in to inthe the Civil 8 Service commission It merely recruits rec the applicants applicant antl for en en- trance Th Thereafter the tile employee fate Is largely n It matter r of ot his hiM ow own i luck rend negative passive merit There Is no system tem by which he may be befitted bentt fitted fJ to the Job and no IW protection n against dismissal al un Mi the empl employee ee himself elf can show tho that the reason reMon If is political or r religious For the good goodof of ot the service lenIe as ns the III law w reads rends ers covers every other charge which the executive t official may bring There Is no court of appeal Such I is the oppressive lve s vitiating of ot the government govern govern- government o ern ment se service IcE It stiller stifles tI c frustrates ambitions and red red redi ces cea the th mass of employees to a 8 more or tr Ic less passive state which Is permeated by bya byn a n sense ene of ot fear In such uch an nn atmosphere naturally enol enough h. h the physical conditions of ot employment employment em em- are tar far rr from m what they houll be tie und find the government loses looes efficiency as liS does any other employer r where whre the thc wage scale kale la Is Inadequate and amI un zed where sanitary conditions are bad and ond hours of work too long 1001 and Irregular The wa wage e scale Bente Is so low that th the Civil I Service commission lon ha hM has difficulty In securing fe properly qualified applicants cants md told the service th the turnover Is If high Employees doing the same kind of ot work often orten receive widely different rates of pay experienced experienced ex ex- workers often otten re receive ve lest Ie than bf beginners and virtually every eval kind o of I anti and Injustice |
