Newspapers / The Charlotte Labor Journal … / Oct. 18, 1945, edition 1 / Page 1
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— ..... .• , •>.-,■ .„■; * JOURNAL’S POLICY The Charlotte Labor Jeoraal •tract!to criticiaai. Ita object k to promote organisation of the unorganised. to kelp brio* •boot • better understanding 1 JBSr pku a better stand-1 j^§j{£ S % aid of Iving for the worker. Pregreoa shall always govern The JeoraaTs •pioleas ___ ___________ VOL. XV; NO. » PUBLISHED WEEKLY CHARLOTTE. N. C. THURSDAY, OCTOBER 18, 1*45 Charlotte A/L Unions T Support War rive Central Labor Union Supports All-Out Drive The Charlotte Central La bor Union, through ite pres ident, J. J. Thomas, an nounced today that it will support the coming Commu nity Chest War Fund drive 100 per cent, in keeping with a recent action of the body. • The AFL anions extend their full co-operation with the various load committees which have been eet up to conduct the campaign in Charlotte and Mecklenburg county this year. J. A. Scoggins has been named a major from labor In the cam paign and will hsve under him 10 captains. The Charlotte Union urges that every member of labor contribute at least one day's pay toward the fund and the delegates from the various unions were urged to go back to their locals and ask their memberships to extend every cooperation. Not only the organised but the unorganised, are asked to cooperate in the drive. Members of Mr. Scoggins’ com mittee selected to date are as fol lows: Miss Estelle Kelly, W. 8. Johnson, Carl W. Epting, J. J. Thomas, M. E. Bierman and Fuller Hendricks. This committee is to work under George Westbrook and Murray Atkins, who are co-chair men. - I LUCKY FRIDAY8 FOR THE UNITED STATES Lucky Friday: Coiambus set sail Friday, August 8, 1492, for this country; he discovered it on Friday, October 12, 1492. He landed here again on Friday, No vember 22, 1493. South America was discovered Friday, June 12„ 1494. Friday, September 7, 1565, St, Augustine, Florida, oldest United States city, was founded. The Pilgrim Fathers landed in province town harbor Friday, No vember 10, 1620. Friday, Feb ruary 22, 1782, George Washing ton was born; Burgoyne surrend ered at Saratoga on Friday, Oc tober 17, 1777, and on Friday, September 19, 1781, Cornwallis surrendered at Yorktown. An invention fro the theatre is a seat that lights up when empty and goee dark when occupied. Support the Community War Fuad. * AFL Demands Congress Enact 65>Cent Wage Washington, D. C. — Immediate increase of the minimum wage floor to 65 cents an hour is a vital step toward the attainment of full employment, based upon full production, the AFL told a Senate Subcommittee on Education and Labor. Testifying in behalf of AFL President William Green, Lewis G. Hines declared the higher sate will raise American living stand ards and enable the low-paid masses of American workers to buy more of the products of farm and factory. Mr. Hines, legislative represen tative of the AFL, waned that even a minimum 65-cent hourly rata would provide a weekly wage of $26, which is only three-quar ters of the family income held neo essary by the Labor Department to mafaitatn a bars sulwfstence budget. He added: “What ldnd of a living than win the 06c rate provide? On each a wage, a worker’s family of four can buy only three-fourths of the food necessary for a minimum ade quate diet as calculated by the U. S. Department of Agriculture. This means that the father of the family, a man at active work, can have only a very small serving of meat, fish or poultry for one meal on 6 of the 7 days in the week. He cannot buy even his full meat ration under present quotas of ration tickets; he has at least one meatless day during the week. The family cannot buy enough green vegetables and citrus fruits to give them the necessary vitamins. They cannot buy enough protec tive foods to maintain bodily health. “What of the house they may call a home? It may cost them only $20 . a month in rent. And a house rented at so low a figure in these days will probably either be in need of repair or will pro (Please Turn to Page 2) Let Labor-Management Settle Their Problems. Experts Ask Washington, D. C.—As America swings into peacetime production, labor and management should be given the fullest possible freedom— and responsibility — for working out their own collective bargaining agreements with a minimum of government intervention. This recommendation was made by a special Labor Committee ap pointed by the Twentieth Century Fund. The committee, which has been making a long-term survey of collective bargaining practices in this country, is headed by William H. Davis, former chairman of the National War Labor Board, and the membership includes labor, management and “public” repre sentative. A strongly worded and unani mous statement of" principles de clared : “The committee believes that col lective bargaining aims are best achieved when government action on the myriad details of ths man agement - union relationship has been- reduced to a minimum. The more employers and employes de pend upon bargaining by equal par ties to achieve a practical compro mise on wages, hours and Work conditions, the more firmly roofed become the self-disciplines and the obligations to find the solutions among themselves rather than to ask for solutions ready-made.” As specific machinery to aid in carrying out such general princi ples, the committee suggested that with the coming of peace “volun tary mediation boards, composed equally of management, labor and public representatives, be establish ed within every sizable industrial community.” These community mediation boards would operate on a purely voluntary basis and might “adjudi cate industrial disputes in their areas, and perhaps even be empow ered by the parties at interest to egage in final and binding arbitra tion rules.” The boards would sup plement federal and state mediation agencies. “Personnel for these boards can be drawn from chambers of com (Please Turn to Pag* 4) FOOD FOR THOUGHT IN THIS WELLS CARTOON ■ ' * We think the splendid cartoon above, done by our artist, O. C Wells, can in some measure explain the present wave of strikes and threads of strikes. WLB sat complacently upon an irplsdif powder keg of worker-managment resentment, holding wages down to fifteen per cent daring the war, all the while knowing that Bring costs had ad vanced well over forty psr cent. Industrial war baa no place in “our American way of Ufa.” Some means should bo devised to equitably and quickly settle labor-nmnago in the offing—if industries continue hoarding their war-thne profits. Working people will never again aubnrft to the status of a mere beggar, as they once did "wot without a fight. Local Technicians Sign WBT Contract Machinists* Meat Opens October 29 New York City—The first full fledged convention by a major la bor organization since the end of the war will be held by the Inter national Association Of Machinists here, beginning October 29. The convention of this large affiliate of the American Federa tion of Labor has been called at the earliest date permitted by the Office of Defense Transportation, in order to tackle urgent prob lems growing out of the recon version of industry to peacetime operations, Eric Peterson, Secre tary-Treasurer of the union, said. Grand Lodge reports to the del egates of the 21st convention of the 57-year-old organization will show a membership of more than 700,000, with nearly 100,000 who have been inducted into the armed services during the war. The re ports will show a phenomenal growth of 465,000 in membership since 1940, with 702 new lodges chartered in the period, Mr. Peter son revealed. They will show that the IAM is the dominant union in the aircraft industry, with 131 aircraft lodges with more than 158,000 members, in addition to the many other members of the union doing aircraft work in con tract shops and in the aircraft parts industry. They will reveal wide organization in the air trans port industry, where the first agreements with the airlines pro viding for keeping the same take home pay with a reduction of hours from 48 to 40 have just been signed by the union and the Eastern Airlines and the United Airlines. The convention delegates will analyze the problems growing out of reconversion and will chart the course of the organization for the postwar era. before actions taken by the convention are, put into ef fect, they are submitted in a* ref erendum to the membership, for ratification. Complete Negotiations Which Result In 20 Per Cent Wage Increase For Charlotte, and 20 and 20 Per Cent For Winston-Salem. Radio Technicians Local 1229, of the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers, and Radio Station WBT have completed nego tiations in which the Tech nicians receive a 20 per cent wage increase, according to Sterling L. Hides, president and business agent of the Charlotte local The negoti ations have been underway for some time. Station WBT hi owned and oper ated by the Southeastern Broad casting Company, a subsidiary of the Jefferson Standard Life Insur ance Company of Greensboro, and was only recently taken over by the Southeastern from the Columbia Broadcasting Company. President Hicks also announced the conclusion of contracts with two Winston-Salem stations, WSJS and WAIR. Also he said that a case which had been pending with the NLRB in connection with negoti ations with another Charlotte sta tion had been given to the Circuit Court of Appeals. Mr. Hicks also announced that plans are underway for organiza tional work in both North Caro lina and South Carolina where no contracts now exist. ILGWU BUYS BUILDING FOR HUGE MEDICAL CENTER NEW YORK CITY.—The Inter national Ladies’ Garment Workers’ Union announced the purchase of the 29-story commercial building at 275 Seventh Avenue from the Metropolitan Life Insurance Com pamy for the expansion of fits Union Health Center, the largest labor medical-care institution in the country. The 21 clinics comprising the Union Health Center, of which Dr. Leo Price is director, at present occupy the two upper floor space of this building. |SU» *3®. * ,,W1“ Higher Wages Only Road To National Prosoeritv PHILADELPHIA. — Unless payrolls are raised in proportion to industry's ability to increase production, the country faces “in evitable disaster." That belief was voiced by Abe Fortas, undersecretary of the Department of the Interior, at a conference on social work held here. * He said the country baa not yet estimated the increased pro ductivity caused by technological developments during the war. “But even in the prewar years," he declared, “the ad vances were enormous. In 1*41, payrolls in real money were only 4 percent above 1925, although industrial productivity had in creased 41 percent. “It Is ip tide area—the gap between what industry can pro duce and what people can bay —that a large segment of oar problem lies.” Fortas emphasis ed. “This failure to reflect great er productivity in increased pur chasing power is boand to re sult in industrial unemployment, depressed standards of living and in stagnation of industry itself. “We must match industry’s power to prodace with people’s power to bay its prod nets if we are to avoid a downward spiral.” Full employment and social security, Fortas insisted, must be made a fundamental basis of our democracy. NAVY’S ANTI-LABOR RULING SUSPENDED FOR REVIEW WASHINGTON, D. C. — The Navy department’s order against supervisory employes In naval es tablishments participating in union affairs has been suspended until ■ the President reviews the purposes of the order and makes a decision. This action was taken at the re quest of the Government Employes Council of the American Federa tion of Labor. The order, effective Oct. 18, pro vides that any supervisor who takes an active part in unions must give up his job or face charges of insubordination lead ing to discharge. A former order had even provided separation for merely attending a union meeting. A group representing the' council met with Raymond R. Zimmer man, the President’s assistant for federal personnel. It was explain ed to Ur. Zimmerman that the navy’s order is contrary to all practices in private employment and to a consistent line of prece dents set up by government agen cies administering affairs relating to labor. Hr:;' ammsmmmmu H. L. KISER For many years Brother H. L. Kiser of Charlotte has been first vice president of the North Caro lina Federation of Labor and rep resented Charlotte when the Fed eration executive board met in Gastonia last Sunday. Mr. Kiser is a jast president of Charlotte Central Labor onion and an active unionist. He is a member of the local Plumbers and Steamfltters union. \ J. A. SCOGGINS Brother Scoggins is a vice pres idcnt of the North Carolina Federa tion of Labor from Charlotte a nd attended the executive board meeting in Gastonia last week-end. He also is chairman of the Mecklenburg office of rationing, OPA, and a former president of the Charlotte Central Labor union and holds a position with the Duke Power company in Charlotte. Got* Ob Record As Having 65 Ceat Minimom Wage aad Pro tection For Veterans’ Job*. H. L. Kiser and J. A. Scoggins, Vice-Presidents, Represent Char lotte On Beard — J. A. Moon Alao Attends. A meeting of the North Caro lina Federation of Labor executive committee was held in Gastonia last Sunday, presided over by President C. A. Fink of Salisbury. Charlotte was represented by Vice Presidents H. L. Kiser and J. A. Scoggins ,and J. A. Moore, of the Charlotte Central Labor Union. The board called on the Ameri can Federation of Labor to con tinue its efforts through congres sional action to obtain a minimum 65-cents an hour wage and also adopted a resolution asking Gover nor Cherry to desist in spending money for the arming of militia, which some members considered in anticipation of labor strife, and asked him instead to give the money to the State department of labor to be used in promoting peace and harmony in industry in the state. It was alsd resolved to renew the federation jNbdlKta, VdbMML, of the World war to see that Mmy get back their jobe, although In some csaea it would mean giving up of those jobs by union members holding them in order that vet erans could find their old places. Members attending besides Messrs. Kiser, Scoggins and Moore were Mr. Fink, President, N. C. Fisher of Salisbury, secretary; A. G. Harvey of Reidsville, R. A. Apple St., of Greensboro, John H. Langley of Pittsboro, James E. Mizelle of Plymouth, D. B. Kelly of Wilmington, Paul Etheridge of Raleigh, John M. Maughlin of High Point, Cy Chisholf of Win ston-Salem, Roy Seymour of Gas tonia, and F. M. Newton of Mor gan ton. James F. Barrett of At lanta, former federation president and now publicity director on the Atlanta' Southern office, alao at tended. J. B. Brown of Gastonia was in attendance. In the resolution concerning the 66-cent minimum wage, the board declared it necessary and strongly supported efforts to have Congress set it, asserting that the South cannot make continued progress without it. The resolution to Governor Cherry stressed that money spent in reestablishment of the. State Guard should better be expended in means for promotion of har mony in industry. The war is over over there, it was declared; the world is at peace, and it is dis turbing to see war over here, it was stated. Members of the board thought they saw in the move for expenditures for the State Guard an effort to prepare for industrial strife. The funds should be given the State Department of Labor, it was declared, in order to bring about harmony. Regarding the placement of war veterans in their old jobs, the board said that the federation would stick to its pledge to see that veterans obtained these upon discharge, although it might mean the sacrificing of a job by a union member and force one to seek work elsewhere. •It was decided to hold the next meeting of the board in Raleigh on the second Sunday in January. Other labor leaders in attend ance upon the meeting included Gastonia union men and delega tions from Central Labor unions in other parts of the state. Support the Community ’ War Fund. X ’ if'
The Charlotte Labor Journal and Dixie Farm News (Charlotte, N.C.)
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Oct. 18, 1945, edition 1
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