Newspapers / The Charlotte Labor Journal … / Sept. 2, 1937, edition 1 / Page 1
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For a Weekly. Its Readers Rep resent the LARGEST BUYING POWER in Charlotte i - The ONLY REALLY INDEPENDENT WEEKLY in Mecklenburg County. Official Orfu Central Labor Union; standing far the A. F. of L. Ilw Charlotte labor Journal Patronise oar Adver tisers. They make YOU) paper possible by their co operation. J rvtklul, Impartim '‘,<£5££‘u AND DIXIE FARM NEWS Endeavoring to Serve the Masses VoL VII.—No. 17. - * — CHARLOTTE, N. C„ THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 2,1937 mac Aavntu TM Ria»m $2.00 Per Year LABOR DAY, 1937 BY WILLIAM GREEN, (President, American Federation of Labor.) On Labor Day our thoughts are not centered entirely upon material achievements, important though they may be. Instead, we turn to a serious consideration of the social and economic aspects of life, with special emphasis upon the enduring and real. All the plans and aims of the American Federation of Labor focus upon a desire to secure for the masses of the people advance in the cultural, spiritual and educational phases of human life. We are deeply conscious of the fact, however, that the attainment of these higher ideals rest upon the stands of living which we are able to establish through the exercise of our economic influence. When we have established the practice of collective bargaining and no longer have to waste our energies in maintaining this right there will be more time for the development of those forces within us that release our creative and cultural abilities. Let us turn first to the field of work. There has been a steady decline in the number of unemployed during the past year and we have every reason to hope for an even greater improvement in the months just ahead. A review of the events of the year marked by Labor Day 1937 discloses a record of achievement and progress which is heartening to the workers of our Nation. The American Federation of Labor has increased its mem bership by nearly three quarters of a million members since last Labor Day. This does not take into consideration the membership of those organizations which left the American Federation of Labor and formed the C. I. O. Ex tension of union agreements parallels increase in the scope and strength of union organization. .Workers who never before dared organize and ask for a voice in determining the conditions and pay under which they work, are now negotiating wage agreements through their elected representatives. We have also made progress in the legislative field. As no law is really effective until the Supreme Court approves it, we find satisfaction in the rfiTxf .ln? of ,he United States Supreme Court on the constiutionality *t,0nal Labor Relations Act has come a realization to the workers that they are free to organize and establish machinery for collective bar gaining without fear of retaliation or discrimination on the part of their employers and those controlling their jobs. Theoretically the workers have been free for many years, yet in actual practice they have found it difficult to exercise this right in many instances prior to the time the National Government assumed responsibility for maintaining this right. • "YM°ud °f the pr°Kress made in providing against those emergen cie. that befall most wage earners—old age and unemployment. Every state 5°", baS fn, aPPro'ed unemployment compensation plan under the Social l-urit Act. Forty-two states have old age assistance laws to which the a time .^VuTen c,,"tr,bnt«»- This is Progress in so short arl fl , f T interest to those workers in covered occupations. We * 1 / f p,an for,,,fu> enlargement of the scope of coverage of the "iJ ,a*s ®s well as improving the provisions alreadv made. This the J1mhig0nvea0r! ^ ma,°r °bjective8 of stat* federations of labor during the s£5ri LurDlIVAC;;"f^np f'SO Wjth. the old **e Provisions of tne social Security Act and Railway Retirement Act. As experience points visions' wil|,Sbe°!lefini#*i ‘If classif*c»ti2?*8 of workers included in these pro visions will be definitely broadened. There are altogether too manv cate gories of workers excluded from the provisions of the old age benefit Dlan umler the Social Security Act. This has been due in part to dlffkuUies ganized labor movement that the wofker^ and °fLOUr V guarded and bettered. Strong organizations^!-* e^ntlal "n*^ ®*f?' new advantages but to protect the gains -»"■ "ot *?•>« therefore, must be of our continuing and 1made' Organization common good of all must be our rim It “* con<*rn- Unity for the well *s those entrusted with the dif^/LIf/^** npon the r*nk «»d file as of our responsibilities both to the labor movement's0!!8/0 If ever consciou* the common good of all mav be advanced lTl *n conc«‘r"ed that our members and friendHoward ifa wi. P~k *~»*™** of I rejoice at every effort working men make to organize. I hail the la bor movement. It is my only hope for democracy. Organize, and stand together! Let the nation hear a united demand from the laboring voice.—Wendall Phillips. Trade unions are the bulwark of modern democracies.—W. E. Glad stone. Attacked and denounced as scarce ly any other institution ever has been, the unions have thriven and grown in the face of opposition. This healthy vitality has been due to the fact that they were a genuine prod uct of social needs—indispensable as a protest and a struggle against the abuses of industrial government.— RIGHT TO ORGANIZE AFFIRMED BY FEDERAL CHURCH COUNCIL IN LABOR DAY MESSAGE Reaffirmation of the full right of working men and women to organize in unions for their mutual benefit, approval of higher wages that have recently been secured by some groups of workers as in complete accord with the spirit of the Christian religion, strong condemnation of an economic system that regards toilers as mere machines to be exploited for the profit of employers, and an admonition that “many church members’’ whose economic views are hostile to the interests of labor should correct their “bias of class,’’ are the outstanding features of the Labor Sunday Message for 1937 issued by the Executive Committee of the Fed eral Council of the Churches of Christ in America, through its Department of the Church and Social Service, from the Council’s hearinunrtera in New York Citv. JUSTICE FOR ALL Turning to the Bible for justifica tion of applying the principles of re ligion to modern industry, the Coun cil said: “On this Labor Sunday, dedicated to a consideration of the meaning of the Christian Gospel for our indus trial life, we remind ourselves of the spiritual insight of the prophets of Israel who saw that the God who rules the universe is also the God of justice in human affairs. God, as revealed in the Bible, calls us to share in His concern for justice for all. As Jeremiah said of King Josiah, ‘He judged the cause of the poor and needy; then it was well. Was not this to know me? saith the Lord.' “On this day we remind ourselves also of the compassion of Christ for the poor and disinherited. That com passion, in a day when poverty was inevitable, becomes for us in our day when poverty can be abolished, a de mand for justice in the distribution of the product of industry. From the perspective of Christianity it is in tolerable that masses of men, women and children should be denied the op portunities which comfortable people regard as necessities. God did not create wage-earners to be mere in struments for the making of money for others; the welfare of all must be inherent in the end for which all the processes of production and distribu tion are carried on. RELIGIOUS SIGNIFICANCE OF LABOR RELATIONS “It is because of the concern of re ligion for justice and for social wel fare that church bodies have for thirty years officially declared for the right of employes as well as employers to organize. Back of these declarations has lain a conviction of the secred ness of human personality and of the dignity of the common man, which is born of the teaching of Jesus that all men are children of God. “Such a belief issues in a demand for democracy, both in political and industrial relations. This leads to the organization of workers in order that they may have a recognized voice in determining _ the conditions under which they live and word Experience has shown that since industry is often organized on a national or even wider basis, labor unions of corresponding scope are needed if workers are to be adequately represented in truly demo ci atic relations, and if industry-wide standards are to be maintained.” TRADE UNIONS INCREASE MEM BERSHIP Emphasizing the fact that “many industries in this country have been organized oyer a long period of years.” and that “it has been demonstrated that it is possible for organized em ployers and organized employes to maintain generally harmonious rela tions, and to adjust their differences through joint conciliation without re course to strikes or lockouts during the terms of their contracts,” the Council pointed out that “the past year has ben marked by a significant advance in wider organization of workers,” and said “the decision of the Supreme Court validating the Na tional Labor Relations Act marks a wider and more farreaching recogni tion in law of labor’s right to organize and bargain collectively.” WAGES ARE STILL TOO LOW “As vet only a minority of Ameri can workers are organized,” the Coun cil continued, “and it must be recog nl?fd i ^”a^ annual wages of many Skilled workers are still below a com fort level of living, while the wages ,n many industries both urban and argicultural are grossly inadequate *°r ? decent standard of living for a?ii mer!^an famil>'- Many millions still can find no work. We are con vinced, therefore, that thoughtful Christians will welcome the contem porary gains in status and economic welfare on the part of labor as in line with the social ideals of Christianity. CLASS BIAS AFFLICTS CHURCH MEMBERS “In the growing complexity of so ciety many of us have been so cut off from the lives of the industrial work ers that we are tempted to think of them not as neighbors, not as persons whose welfare in this world is as im portant in the sight of God as our own, but as strange masses. “While there are millions of wage earners in our churches, yet many of our congregations have drawn their membership, by reason of location and association, chiefly from the more comfortable middle classes. Many church members see the world from the point of view of the laboring masses. “As a result of belonging to a class that is relatively secure, many of us tend to fear the very social changes which we should welcome be cause of the ethical demands of our Christian faith. While protesting against anythin*' that accentuates class consciousness, we fail to realise that our own point of view is largely controlled by the bias of class. “Our first need is for self-knowl edge and repentance, and sincere de sire that the same mind may be in us which was in Christ Jesus who counted not privilege and' power as things to be grasped, but emptied Himself in the service of man. “There are many parties to indus try, The demand of the hour is for greater tolerance, understanding and fair play among them. Voice have been raised among emplyees urging modification of the older attitudes of many toward organized labor. Lead ers of labor should realize that with increasing power, the labor movement must accept greater responsbility, not only fulfilling its traditional ideal of a fair day’s work for a fair day’s pay, but also taking a broad view of the economic scene as a whole. “The achievement of increasing in dustrial wages alone will not solve the total problem. A* balance between agriculture and industry must be at tained. Prices to consumers must be taken into account. Labor and con sumers in many countries have been quick to grasp the advantages of con sumers’ co-operation as - a vital part of the movement toward a better day. “Cimprehensive collaboration of all groups is urgently needed. Employers labor, consumers and the government must work together to provide for the economic needs of all fhe people. Wr must create also such co-operative relations among the nations and such access to raw materials for all as shall promote international peace. END OF ECONOMIC INSECURITY ASKED “As industrial and economic life be comes more complex we discover in creasingly urgent need for more per sonal consecration of individuals to the religious life. For religion will always be indispensable not only for the soul of the individual, but also as social cement to hold any society to gether in the bonds of peace. Selfish struggles for prestige or power on the part of individuals or groups can be come divisive forces in any society. “There must, indeed, be such a re organization of our economic life as will remove the fear of economic in security on the part of men and na tions which now leads to inter-class and international conflict, but there may still remain in individual lives those destructive and socially divisive forces of sin and selfishness, of jeal ously and pride and intolerance which would tend to tear apart any social order. “The Church must therefore con tinue to serve society by proclaiming Christ’s gospel of justice, love, and reconciliation, and by insisting that both individuals and economic and political institutions shall conform to the will of the God of justice and love.” ll»e Union ladc) ia the sreat-it ASSURANCE of quality and the beet INSURANCE for Trade Unionism, fua en*diM«na for every worker. The Union Label assure* _* _ jr ehaaer that he is Dotting his money into the best investment on earth— Trade Unionism. NOTICE TO THE PUBLIC The Charlotte Labor Journal is the only union labor weekly newspaper published in Mecklenburg county, or in this immediate section. It is endorsed by Central Labor Union and affiliated bodies. There seems to be some mis understanding in regard to this matter, and attention is called to a resolution appearing upon the front page adopted by Central Labor Union. LABOR DAY MESSAGE 1937 BY FRANK MORRISON Secretary-Treasurer, American Federation of Labor. As a result of years of agitation by the American Federation of Labor with the co-operation of the membership of the affiliated organizations through the enactment of the National Labor Rela tions Act, we have established the principle in law under which em ployers are prohibited from discriminating against or interfering with employes joining a union of their own choosing for the improvement of labor conditions. Notwithstanding the right is inherent under guarantees of the constitution of the United States, discharge from employment and various forms of dis crimination have been the penalty of wage workers who have had the temerity to pioneer in union membership. Courts are somehow always able to read into laws enacted for the benefit of labor, meaning that defeats the purpose of the legislation. This was the development with the labor Sections of the Clayton Anti-Trust Law. We hailed those, provisions as labor’s bill of rights and as prohibiting courts from rendering decisions which place wage workers in their collective re lations with employees in a different category than free citizens. The inter pretation of the Courts rendered the Clayton Act null and void from the standpoint of any benefit to labor. , The National Recovery Act was enacted to overcome the evils of compe tition that were wrecking industry and reducing the conditions of labor to levels below the subsistence line. When the Act was being drafted it was through the insistence of the American Fedration of Labor that provisions were incorporated to protect the wage workers in union membership. This legislation forced the hands of unfair employers and the Companv union spread like a mushroom growth as a pretext of complying with the law. Our experience with legislation has been that it is difficult to put words nrovM»ri^nil«iaW *thV WJ- when it.comes to the scrutiny of the courts provide loopholes to legalize the acts of antagonistic employers. , * , struggle which our affiliated organizations have carried on in de fense of the right to organize has had all the implications of warfare with fatbTns f.°n5e nr mov:ement made progress because trade union regu lations and provisions impose self-restraint and self-discipline in the face nLf.nell,rg Probation. These policies have permitted better judgment to day ’ g4,ns *° k* secured and maintained to await the opportunity of another Green Lauds Housing Bill; Jobs For Idle ATLANTIC CITY, N. J.—The en actment of the Wagner-Steagall $500,000,000 Housing Bill to provide decent dwellings for workers and their families who are compelled to live on small incomes was charac terized as “the only thing of impor tance to organized labor” accomplish ed by the recent session of Congress, by William Green, president of the American Federation of Labor, at a press conference in the Hotel Ambas sador here soon after his arrival to attend the meeting of the Executive Council of the Federation. Mr. Green said the American Fed eration of Labor made the Housing Bill “its number one demand” at the beginning of the session and worked steadily for its final enactment. Al though asserting that the measure as finally agreed to by both the Senate and the House of Representatives on the last day of the session was gen erally acceptable to the A. F. of L. Mr. Green pointed out that it con tained some limitations that should be remedied at the next session of Congress. Among these limitations he includ ed the provisions prohibiting the Housing Authority, set up to admin ister the Act, from lending money to finance projects where the cost per room exceeds $1,000 ($1,250 in cities of more than 500,000 population). “This limit is too low in places where high land costs must be figured in,” Mr. Green explained, adding: i “Nevertheless the resulting pro gram will stimulate building con struction generally, and also revive construction by private capital. There is a shortage of homes; the need for housing is great and the rent prob lem is becoming serious. a result of the enactment of the bill a housing program will be launched in all the larger cities. We estimate that more than 150,000 homes will be built in the next year as a direct outcome of the bill, along with a considerable amount of slum clearance. “Other good effects will be in creased work in the building trades ,?reat*on °f job opportunities in buildmg materials. Altogether it will be very helpful to the whole un employed problem.” Labor Broadcast For Union Label By I. M. Ornburn On Labor Day, I. M. Ornburn, Secretary-Treasurer, Union Label Trades Department of the American Federation of Labor, will deliver an 'address, entitled “Labor Day Ban ners,” over the coast-to-coast network of the Columbia Broadcasting Sys tem. Mr. Ornburn will be heard in the morning from 9:45 to 10 A. M. EST. He will tell the radio audience f the great growth in the demand for Union Labels, Shop Cards and Buttons.
The Charlotte Labor Journal and Dixie Farm News (Charlotte, N.C.)
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Sept. 2, 1937, edition 1
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