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VOL. XIV*—No. 34 — "~ $2.00 P«r Tav
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Back Up The Boys — With onus
The ONLY REALLY INDEPENDENT WEEKLY fat Moekionlwrg Comity For » Wedt|r lta Hoodora Boproowrt tho LARGEST BUYING POWER in Charlotte
THE CHARLOTTE LABOR JOURNAL ADVOCATES LOYALTY TO THE AMERICAN FEDERATION OF LABOR PROMO
TION OF INDUSTRIAL PROSPERITY, AND CO-OPERATION OF ALL WORKERS ALONG EVERY LINE.
DAVIS CENSURES AVERY
FOR MISREPRESENTATION
IN HIS ADVERTISEMENTS
WASHINGTON.—William H. Davis, Chairman of WLB, issued
the following statement in reply to advertisements in the press
there hv Sewel Averv. oresident of Montgomery Ward:
"Mr. Avery has published ia news
paper advertisements in a statement
to bis employes, in which he gives the
impression that maintenance of mem
bership is the only issue involved in
the Detroit strike. He draws a veil
over the company’s refusal to increase
its substandacd wages by deliberately
repeating all of his familiar misstate
ments regarding maintenance of
membership. Nowhere does he men
tion the fact that for over six months
the company has not put into effect
the wage adjustments directed by the
WLB. These adjustments would in
crease the minimum basic salary rate
in the Detroit stores to $20.25 for a
44-hour week, or 46 cents an hour,
with diminishing increases to those
above the minimum.
••Mr. Avery’s statement also fails
to point out that the company has re
fused to grant wage increases direct
ed by the board to correct subotand
ards, not only in Detroit but in Port
land, Ore.; San Rafael, Calif.; Denver,
(Colo.; Chicago (Printing Department
and Display Factory); St. Pant; and
Jamaica, New York. Some of these
orders date back to the fall of 1943
and the remainder to the spring and
summer of 1944. The increases have
not been made.” ...
In another statement Davis said,
"Hundreds of thousands of employers
and millions of workers have been
confronted with the same decision
which Montgomery Ward faces.
Many of them did not like the board’s
decisions in their cases. In enforcing
the stabilisation policy, we often
have to deny workers wage increases
they think they deserve and we often
find that fair and equitable wage
stabilisation requires the board to
order wage increases of which em
them or not,
however, those ’ hundreds of thous
ands of employers and millions of
workers patriotically accepted the
board’s decisions and went on about
their Jobs of helping win the war.”
CONGRESSMAN HITS HIGH WAGE
TALES—WORKERS NOT ROLLING
IN WEALTH, AS SOME THINK
rol^n"tSinIw£«?N’ D* that Amerlcan workers are
hj»h wages” was blasted by Rep
hrhlitkTi^ Holifled (Dem., Calif.), in a House speech urging
legislation to increase the minimum wage rate to 65 cents an how.
Hohfied for a quarter of a century has been a manufactwer
"if W* employer of labor. This gives significance to his state
ment that manpower has been difficult to find for the production
of cotton duck for tents for our soldiers because of scandalously
"? tbe textile industry. A similar situation exists in
other critical industries, he said.
. ,‘7be P“b,lc ®a«y of ,«■ who should know better,” Holified
told the House, “have been led to believe that all American work
not the^case"* “* *ettin* rich off high wages. This is simply
“°ur American economy is loaded down with low-income
fETTEfo Th rty •• *ent of *H consumer units in the United States
in 1943 were receiving less than $1,500 a year—less than suffici
ent to provide a decent subsistence.
“There are still 7,093,000 families and single consumer groups
earning between $1,000 and $1,500. groups
“Enactment of legislation to wipe out starvation wages is
necessary not merely on humanitarian grounds, but as a practical
and necessary step toward aiding war production and alleviating
pressing manpower problems.
“It has been said that we cannot stop to make social reforms
«« *7* "fanin* the war. Ow failure as a nation
to remedy obvious injustice, has, however, interfered with the
war program.”
YOUR UNCLE SAM NEEDS HELP
BUY WAR BONDS
THE MARCH OF LABOR
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LABOR DEMANDS WLB SET
_ MINIMUM WAGE OF 72 CENTS
n AN HOUR AS GENERAL RULE
— I
WASHINGTON, D. C.—The labor members of the National
War Labor Board submitted to the full board a resolution which
would establish 72 cents an hour as the straight-time hourly pay
rate “below which any rate shall be considered substandard.”
They charged that the board for almost three years had re
fused to attack this problem in forthright fashion.”
Under the terms ox the labor
group’s resolution, any employer
could get board approval to grant
wage rises up a rate of 72 cents an
hour. In disputes, the board would
not necessarily order a 72-cent min
imum in all cases.
Under present policy, employers
may grant wage increases up to a 50
cent rate without asking board ap
proval.
In a statement, the labor group said
that “evidence submitted to the board
indicates that, in order to maintain
even the barest minimum standard of
living, an employe should receive no
less than 72 cents an hour.”
The statement declared that the
board had “evaded the issue (of sub
standard rates) and sought to circum
vent or postpone an adequate solu
tion by creating wholly unsatisfactory
administrative stop-gaps.” It added:
“The board has persisted in this
conduct despite residential assur
ances, despite powers granted in sta
tutes and executive orders, despite its
own brave words that action would be
taken to meet the problem of elim
inating substandards of living. It is
late indeed, but not too late, for the
board to act courageously and effec
tively.”
The statement quoted President
Roosevelt as telling Congress last
January, “‘It is our duty now to be
gin to lay the plans and determine the
strategy for the winning of a lasting
peace and the establishment of an
American standard of living higher
than ever before known. We cannot
be content no matter how high that
general standard of living may be, if
some fraction of our people, whether
it be one-third, or one-fifth, or one
tenth, is ill-fed, ill-clothed, ill-housed
and insecure.’”
The board, the labor group said,
Gossett Named
To A.F. of L. Staff
By Pres. Green
—V—
Albert W. Gossett, former presi
dent of the Atlanta Federation of
Trades, has been appointed to the
staff of the American Federation of
Labor by President William Green.
News of his appointment was re
ceived several days ago and he has
been assigned to work in the South
east under the direction of the AFL
in Washington.
Gossett now is serving as chairman
of the Fulton County Department of
Public Welfare, and served for five
years as' president of the Atlanta
Federation of Trades. He also is a
former member of the War Labor
Board, and is now serving as a mem
ber of the board of appeals for the
selective service organisation for the
Atlanta district
-y
The plant pest and wheat rust dis
ease still remain.
“was assigned to one sector of that
substandard battle front, but so far
has carried on the battle in only a
half-hearted manner.”
The statement also recalled that
the President, in his executive order
on wage stabilization, had authorized,
the board to approve increases to i
eliminate substandards of living.
“A number of attempts,” they said,
“have been made to get the board to
consider the actual cost of a mini
mum standard of living, but these at
tempts have so far availed nothing.”
U. S. SENATE COMMITTEE
PRAISES LABOR; HITS ARMY
PRODUCTION “MISTAKES”
WASHINGTON, D. C.—The Senate War Investigating Committee, head
ed by Senator James Mead of New York, declared in an official report that
labor and industry have done a splendid job on the production front.
“Production and distribution have exceeded all records and most ex
pectations,” the committee declared. “From almost any viewpoint, this has
been the most colossal undertaking of mankind. That this task has been
accomplished as well as it has been is a miracle of economic organisation.”
However, the report emphasized that this achievement should not blind
the nation to Die mistakes that have occurred. The committee charged the
War Department with “ruthlessly” stripping industry of “irreplaceable
trained personnel" and of failing to use this manpower to the best advan
tage after induction. The committee noted that the Army has been forced
occasionally to furlough or release men to fill gaps created by the draft.
The committee also criticised the armed forces for permitting vast sur
pluses of some types of war equipment to accumulate. Such surpluses, the
committee charged, have “hindered balanced war supply.”
“The manpower and materials which went into surpluses could have been
used to produce more urgently needed items,” the committee report said.
“By better planning, the facilities and manpower now devoted to the pro
duction of articles in which we have adequate stocks could be curtailed, thus
releasing productive capacity which can, at least in part, be transferred to
the production programs in which we now have shortages.”
KZS NATIONALITY
Lahey
IVERSEN
Balpw
Eng
Rosen
BE SURE TO TUNE IN ON JAN. 7!
WASHINGTON, D. C.—Remember the dite-Jm. 7—
and the time—1:15 P. Mn Eastern War Time—and the oc
casion—the start of the AFL’s new radio series over a na
tion-wide NBC network.
The most important home front problem right nowto
production—the need for getting more and more fighting
equipment overseas so that our armed forces can drive the
Nazis back and force their unconditional surrender as quickly
as possible. This is the subject and the object of the Jan. 7
broadcast. Be sure to listen in!
USE THE PAYROLL PLAN—
10% EACH WEEK FOR WAR BONDS
Typo. Auxiliary
Sings Carols and
Delight Children
—V—
The Woman’s Auxiliary No. 107 to
Charlotte Typographical Union No.
338 met December 27th at the home
of Mrs. H. F. Carriker with Mrs. By
ron Luna as co-hostesB.
After a short business session, the
meeting was turned over to the enter
tainment committee. 'After the sing
ing of Christmas carols, Santa Claus
made a delayed visit to the delight of
the children present, he had gifts for
all.
Delicious refreshments were en
joyed.
-V
THE LADIES GARMENT
WORKERS’ UNIONS BUY
$7,210,1150 WAR BONDS
The International Ladies Garimnt
Workers' Union A. F. of L., and its
affiliated organizations in New York
City have purchased $7,210,660 in
b'mds of the Sixth War Loan, David
DuBinsky, president, announced last
night. This is in addition to $13,000,
000 in bonds that members of the
union have bought or pledged to buy
as individuals.
^^11^——^-—-. . ..
-n the crushing advance
of American Annies in France, T/Sgt. Frank M. Burford led a small
group against a bristling machine-gun strong point, knocking out
two emplacements and killing four Nazis. Later another position was
routed and two killed. The group pushed on until halted bf •
Battalion Commander. Sergt. Burford, cited by the Army for
gallantry in action, deserves the support that only War Bonds can
ftfcmlsh. Buy Var Bonds.
1 ~ -i.r.-irr.
Labor Will Out-Produce Nazi Slaves
. ) , ■,
s• 1 »• . £■$