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Industrial Relations Group, Davenport College, Grand Rapids, MI, November 20, 1970
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4526339
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Industrial Relations Group, Davenport College, Grand Rapids, MI, November 20, 1970
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Gerald R. Ford Congressional Papers
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Unemployment
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1970-11-30
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11
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1970
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1970-11-01
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11
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1970
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The original documents are located in Box D30, folder "Industrial Relations Group,
Davenport College, Grand Rapids, MI, November 20, 1970" of the Ford Congressional
Papers: Press Secretary and Speech File at the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Library.
Copyright Notice
The copyright law of the United States (Title 17, United States Code) governs the making of
photocopies or other reproductions of copyrighted material. The Council donated to the United
States of America his copyrights in all of his unpublished writings in National Archives collections.
Works prepared by U.S. Government employees as part of their official duties are in the public
domain. The copyrights to materials written by other individuals or organizations are presumed to
remain with them. If you think any of the information displayed in the PDF is subject to a valid
copyright claim, please contact the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Library.
MR. FORD 11/20/70
maffice Copy
SPEECH BEFORE INDUSTRIAL RELATIONS GROUP, DAVENPORT COLLEGE
Congressman Gerald R. Ford today hailed the Unemployemnt Compensation Amendment of
1970 as a "major legislative achievement of the 91st Congress."
Speaking before the Grand Rapids Industrial Relations Group at Davenport
College, Ford noted that the new unemployment compensation law gives coverage to an
additional 4,750,000 jobs. This, he said, is the largest single increase in coverage
since the Workman's compensation program was started 35 years ago.
The new law, Ford said, eliminates the two chief complaints leveled against
state administration of unemployment compensation. The new statute prohibits States
from denying Workman's Compensation to persons taking approved job training and
declares that compensation shall not be denied or reduced if a person filed his
claim in another state.
Ford also pointed to other significant provisions in the new legislation -
establishment of an unemployment compensation research program, federal grants to
train unemployment compensation personnel, and a federal advisory commission on
unemployment compensation to review the entire program and make recommendations to
the Congress.
To provide for the expanded coverage under the new law, employer contri-
butions will be increased by 1/10th of 1% to a new rate of .5%. The base to which
the new rate is applied will be increased on January 1, 1972 to $4,000 from the
present base of $3,500/
Ford also reviewed the status of other legislation in the Labor-Management
field still pending in the 92st Congress.
The Administration's Manpower Training Bill has passed the Senate and will
be the first order of business in the House when Congress reconvenes. It is scheduled
for November 17. This is a bipartisan bill and should encounter no difficulties,
Ford Said.
FORD & LIBRARY GERALD
Digitized from Box D30 of The Ford Congressional Papers: Press Secretary and Speech File at the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Library
The status of Occupational Safety legislation ès the same in the House and
the Senate. Virtually identical bills have been reported out by House and Senate
Labor Committees, and administration substitutes for these committee bills will be
offered on the House and Senate floors. The Senate will take up the legistation
immediately upon reconvening. The House will act after disposing of the Manpower
Training Bill.
Under the Committee bills the Secretary of Labor would set the safety
standards, order inspections, conduct hearings, issue orders, and take appeals into
court. Under the Administration substitute, a special committee would set the
safety stamdards. This Committee, appointed by the President, must be made up of
experts in the fields of safety and health. The Secretary of Labor would Investigate
complaints. If his inspectors find violations, hearings would be conducted before an
independent committee, different in membership from the Committee which set the
standards. The Secretary could appeal the findings of this committee to the course.
Industry favors the Committee approach, as provided by the Administration
Bill; Labor favors granting complete authority to the Secretary of Labor.
Ford said there almost certainly will be no further action this year on Fair
Employment Practices legislation.
He pointed out that although the legislation has passed the Senate, the
House bill has not yet been granted a rule for the consideration of it on the House
floor.
The basic disagreement over Fair Employment Practices legislation is over
methods of enforcement. However, objectives of the competing bills are the same.
An administration bill would give the equal employment opportunity
commission expanded powers but would require the committee to go into court for
enforcement of its ruling.
FORD is LIBRARY
The Senate approved bill would transform the E.E.O.C. into a quasi-judicial
body which would issue cease and desist orders.
Ford said there is no movement on legislation to supplant the National
Labor Relations Board with Labor Courts. He said however, that the complexion of the
Board is tending to become more conservative with the appointment of a new chairman,
Edward Miller and the pending appointment of a new member, Ralph Kennedy.
There are no developments in the area of "right to work", Ford added. He
said there currently is no push on the part of the unions for the repeal of Section
14-B of the Taft-Hartley Act, which leaves the union shop question to the States.
NOTE TO MR. FORD: The Press Release data on this statement will cmit all
references to the NLRB and right to work, also the detail with regard to the
new Unemployment Compensation Law.
GERALD