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retail and commercial employees, and an-
other 170,000 in service industries.
These are all people that are not
covered.
THE CHAIRMAN: Delegate Taylor.
DELEGATE L. TAYLOR: In your ex-
perience with labor problems, for instance,
you mentioned Church-Home Hospital em-
ployees, trying to select a unit repre-
sentative.
Do you find that many of these em-
ployees not covered by this federal law
receive a wage that is less than the federal
minimum wage?
THE CHAIRMAN: Delegate Bothe.
DELEGATE BOTHE: The figures which
I obtained, and they are from the Bureau
of Labor Statistics, indicate that the people
who are in the uncovered industries are
also for the most part — of course, I am
not saying it is a one-for-one matter —
the people who are receiving less than the
federal minimum wage because they are
not covered under it either.
THE CHAIRMAN: Delegate Taylor, do
you have a further question?
DELEGATE L. TAYLOR: Just one
other question. If the Convention decided
to include this right in the constitution,
do you think the public employees, for ex-
ample, employed by the State of Maryland
would receive better treatment and con-
sideration in terms of their employment
conditions?
THE CHAIRMAN: Delegate Bothe.
DELEGATE BOTHE: I have not been
a public employee and I am not too much
aware of the conditions. I am sure they
vary from place to place. Obviously public
employees are interested in organizing be-
cause they have, in increasing numbers in
recent years, joined labor organizations.
Certainly I think the psychological effect
is extremely important, because it gives
them some ability to participate in the
determination of things most important to
them, their wages, working conditions, and
other facets of their employment.
THE CHAIRMAN: Delegate Taylor.
DELEGATE L. TAYLOR: Well, the
reason why I asked that question is be-
cause I have a letter from the president
of a local —
THE CHAIRMAN: Delegate Taylor,
this is only the time for questions, unless
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this is a preface to another question. You
will have an opportunity in debate to read
the letter you speak of.
DELEGATE L. TAYLOR: I do not plan
to read the letter. Delegate Bothe expressed
the opinion that such a right was needed
to be placed in the constitution. She said
that many employees of state hospitals
needed additional protection with this par-
ticular right being placed in the con-
stitution.
I wanted to ask you, if you are familiar
with a situation in Baltimore City where
the employees in the school system were
receiving less than one dollar an hour, and
they had an agent negotiate for the em-
ployees and he was successful in obtaining
a fair wage for the cafeteria employees?
THE CHAIRMAN: Delegate Bothe.
DELEGATE BOTHE: I am sure there
are many instances, Delegate Taylor. I am
not familiar with the particular ones, but
I know of innumerable instances where
people have not been able to effectuate
their right to organize and bargain, which
rights I am sure would have resulted in
vastly improved conditions for them.
THE CHAIRMAN: Are there any fur-
ther questions, Delegate Taylor.
DELEGATE L. TAYLOR: The point
I was trying to establish was the fact —
THE CHAIRMAN: This is not the time
for debate, Delegate Taylor. Do you have
a further question?
DELEGATE L. TAYLOR: Well, Dele-
gate Bothe, according to your study of the
problem, with your contacts with labor
people, have you gotten the impression that
many public employees and other employees
of private organizations are really demand-
ing this right? I am speaking of the people
not protected. Is this the impression you
have received from your study of this
situation?
DELEGATE BOTHE: I do not think
there could be any question or doubt. All
you have to do is pick up the evening paper
several times a week and see another ac-
count of how people are trying to effec-
tuate these rights against their employers,
and I would certainly suppose that it is of
prime importance to them.
I feel so convinced myself, or I would
not be here.
THE CHAIRMAN: Are there any fur-
ther questions?
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