A Ni
Dedicated f> The Interests of Charlotte
Carolime Federation of Labor and
Labor Union and Affiliated Craft*—Endorsed By North
By The American Federation of Labor.
tthr Charlotte labor journal
VOL. XV; NO. 45
Published Weekly
CHARLOTTE. N. C,
FARM NEWS)
Y. MARCH 21, 1946
Price 5c Per Copy Subscription Price $2.00 Per Year
AFL Charges Favoritism
In Stabilization Policy
Agencies Give Invitation To
Strikef Watt Warns
Washington, D. C. — The
American Federation of La
bor publicly charged that the
government’s new stabiliza
tion policy fails to assure
“equality of treatment for all
workers” and constitutes an
invitation to strike.
Sharply dissenting from new
regulations announced by the Na
tional Wage Stabilization Board,
Robert J. Watt, AFL member,
bluntly declared that the board’s
“conception of the government’s
so-called wage policy” closes the
door on millions of workers who
piefer the orderly procedure of
collective bargaining to going on
strike.
"It is sn invitation to these
workers to resort to other means
to rain their just and equal
rights,” Mr. Watt warned.
“The statement of policy adopt*
ed by the board’s majority is full
of uncertainties and caa onlyxon
tribute more confusion to an al
ready serious situation with the
inevitable result of further un
rest.”
Mr. Watt asserted that the Ex
ecutive Order issued by President
Truman after settlement of the
s^oel strike established as a gen
eral wage standard an increase of
IS 1-2 cents an hour above the
wage rate in effect August 18,
1S45.
He charged that Stabilization
Director Bowles on February 21
issued a general order giving gov
ernment approval to such increases
in basic steel, iron mining, steel
processing and steel fabricating |
where such increases were put into
effect in settlement of strikes ex- j
isting February 14. But the sstrne
benefits were denied to workers in
similar plants not on strike at
that date.
Thus, Mr. Watt pointed out. a
privileged class was created for
strikers and other workers frozen
out.
The new regulations issued by
the National Wage Stabilization
Eoard bore out Mr. Watt’s
charges. The board announced it
would not be guided by any single
wage pattern for the nation but
would establish or recognise indus
try-wide or area-wide wage pat
terns. When these patterns be
come “sufficiently well-defined,”
wage increases coming within their
scope can be put into effect with
out prior board approval.
The question of what constitutes
a “general pattern,” said the
hoard, will depend upon the cir
cumstances and the historical re
lationships and practices present
ed in a given case.
Settlements which have been
made only as interim settlements,
“with further adjustments clearly
being contemplated bp the parties,
cannot, of course, be considered as
setting patterns.” the board stated.
The board pointed oat that
where no pattern has been estab
Hahed wage and salary increases
are approvable for price - relief
purposes "only to the extent they
are found necessary to remove
cross inequalities as between re
lated industries, plants or classifi
cations, to correct substandard
wage conditions or to eliminate
disparities between wage or salary
increases and the increase in the
cost of Using."
The inequity standard, ia( the
hoard, permits and requires a con
sideration of cross-industry inequf
ties. This comparison will be tnade j
both in terms of wage "rate”,
levels and wage "increases.”
At least two types of inter-in- '
dustry relationships are recog-|
nized. The first includes "those j
relationships sometimes, although !
not always, reflected in such fac
tors as the similarity or interde
pendence of products, or manage
ment or union identity.” A second
type “would be reflected in a sim
ilarity of wage-rate structures on
a parallelism of job classifications
even as between two industries
which “might seek their products
in entirely different markets.”
In considering a claim of “gross
inequities as between rates be
tween related industries, the board
■aid, “it would be revelant that the
effects of reconversion develop
ments upon wage or salary condi
tions have been the same or dif
ferent in the two industries.”
Hear “Cross-SectionAFL”
Opening April 6 On CBS
Washington, D. C.—The Ameri
can Federation of Labor inaugu
rates a new series of 13 weekly
radio programs over the Columbia
Broadcasting System beginning
April 6.
The name of the new progiam is
"Cross-Section, AFL.” It will ba
presented at 3:46 p. m., Eastern
Time, Saturdays.
The purpose of the new radio
series is just what its name im
plies—to give the radio audience
a cross-section idea of what the
AFL is, the kind of work its mem
bers do, the policies its union#
espouse, and the results it has ob
tained for American workers.
This will not be the usual stere
otyped studio broadcast. It will
originate in each ease from the
actual site of tB* job, with occu
pational noise in the background
as Bill Downs, ace CBS commen
tator interviews workers, union
representatives and in some cases
co-operating employers.
The interviews will not be the
ordinary kind, read from a canned
script, bat lively questions and
i
The first program April 6 will
deal with the building trades in
New York City and emanate from
a construction job. Those appear
ing on this program will ne How
ard McSpedon, president of the
New York City Building Trades
Council; Peter W. Eller, president
of the Thompson-Starrett Con
struction Co. and head of the New
York Building Trades Employers
Association, and a worker chosen
at random from the job.
Following programs will deal
with the metal trades, railway em
ployes, the printing trades and
mine workers. In preparation are
also programs on truck transpor
tation, garment trades, govern*
ment employes and white collar
workers. In addition, there will
be included regional reports from
the South, New England, Midwest
and Pacific Coast. '
Don’t miss these exciting radio
programs. Listen every week be
ginning April 6 to CBS at 3:45
p. m. Eastern Time for “Cross
Section, AFL.”
Have yea paid year subscription
to The Labor Jfenrnal far the new
year? If Mt send it la today.
SEEK SECURITY FOR
21MHJJOH URDER
SOCIAL SECURITY LAW
Washington, D. C. — Insurance
coverage for 21 million additional
persons, including household dom
estic* and farmers, and larger ben
efit payments under the Social Se
curity Act, were'proposed by A. J.
Altmeyer, chairman of the Social
Security Board.
Altmeyer presented 5 points in
his aecommendations for changes
in e|d-age and surivivors insur
ance in his testimony before the
House Ways and Means Commit
tee, They were :
(1) Extension to all persons
gainfully employed.
(2) Coverage for the self-em
poyod.
(8) Increased benefits under
botk-Dld-age and survivors insur
ance.
(4) Permanent disability bene
fits.
(•) Methods for financing.
Altogether, Altmey>r told the
committe, 84 million social secur
ity jj cards have been issued, al
though only 41 million persons
still have an insured status. In
•xtdpding the coverage, he esti
mito, about 21 million more would
Miggests Stamp-Book System
Tijgse would include farm work- >
era. {domestics, employes of non
pr.lB: institutions, veterans, ntz,
ployes of'federal, stato and local
governments, railroad workers and
self-employed, including small
shopkeepers, plumbers, barbers,
tailors, etc.
In providing for collections of!
insurance premiums from much of
this group, he suggested a stamp
book system, operating through
the potai department. For farm
owners and self-employed he sug
gested use of income-tax returns
as a method of determining the
extent of their participation.
The formula for increasing the
benefits would be to increase the
amount of wages counted for ben-]
efit payments from $3,000 to $3,
600 a year. The benefits would be
(Please Turn to Page 4)
TRIltfTE TO
SERVICE WOMEN
Departmtnt
union Education
The Workfrs Education Bu
reau of America will hold its
25th anniversary conference
and convention April 5 and 6
at the Hotel Commodore, Di
rector John D. Connors an
nounced.
Highlighting the agenda
will be a discussion of the re
cently announced workers’
education extension service
planned by the Department of
Labor. ■ /
Another* panel discussion
will deal with the Labor Press
and its contributions to the
education ef the nation’s
workers. |
Speak-ait the 25th anni
versary dinner closing the
conference include AFL Pres
ident William Green, Secre
tary of Labor Schwellenbach
and Secretary - Treasurer
George Meany.
TYPOGRAPHICAL UNION
AUXILIARY TO MEET
WITH MRS. CLEAVER
Woman’s Auxiliary 107 to Char
lotte Typographical Union No. 338
will meet Monday night, March
25 at $:00 o’clock at the home of
Mrs. E. U. Cleaver, 1609 Scott
Avenue. All members are urged
to attend.
Higher Wage Reported
Out By Senate Committee
won ASKS EQUAL
REC06NITIOA WITH
WFIU IN GERMANY
New York City.—Matthew Woll,
AFL trice president, demanded that
the federation be granted equal
recognition with the World Feder
ution of Trade Unions by the allied
military governments in Germany,
and full freedom to work with
Germah trade unions in all occu
pation zones.
| Mr. Woll, chairman of the Free
Trade Union Committee of Ithe
Labor League for Human Rights,
in a League cablegram to Irving
J. Brown, AFL representative in
Europe, declared that "we cate
i gorically deny the right of the
WFTU to speak for the predomi
nant group of organized labor in
America.”
Instructing tyfr. Brown to pre
sent the APL’s official demand to
the Control Council in Berlin and
to the representatives of the four
occupying powers, Mr. Woll as
serted that “we base our demand
on the UNO official decision grant
ing equal recognition to AFL with
all other labor organizations, na
tional or international in scope.”
In a cabled reply, Mr. Brown
stated that he had (lied the demand
through the State Department and
was preparing to go to Berlin to
appear before the council.
AFL interest in “the develop
ment of a genuine free trade union
movement throughout Germany as
the best guarantor" of a ffemoctHIft*
and peaceful Germany” was cited
by Mr. Woll.
“What is more,” Mr. Woll point
ed out, “the interest of the AFL
in the development of bona fide
free trade unions as the bulwark
of a peaceful and democratic Ger
many is not of recent origin or
dictated by a desire to gain nar
row organization advantage in the |
international labor movement.;
Even in the darkest hours of the
war, even in the moments of the
most bitter struggle, the AFL was
true to the solidarity of interna
tion labor and vigorously rejected
every proposal for organizing
slave labor battalions of German j
(Please Turn to Page 4)
SPEAKING OF HOUSING
Education And Labor Group
Favors 65c Minimum
Washington, D. C.—An im
mediate increase of the m in
mum wage to 65 cent9 an hour
and extension of minimum
wage and overtime coverages
to employes of “any employ
er whose business affects
commerce" were recommend
ed as amendments to the Fair
Labor Standards Law of 1938
by the Senate’s Committee
on Education and Labor.
Senators Tunnel! of Delaware
and Pepper of Florida, reporting
for the majority, insisted that an
immediate advance to at least 65
cents was imperative.
“With a national income of
$160,000,000,000,” they contended
“a 65-cent minimum wage yield*
the worker at substandard wages
a smaller proportion or the na
tion’s increased wealth than a 40
ct nt minimum yielding Jrim with
the $64,00o,000j)00 national income
of 1938. While nation^ income
per capita has risen ovar 100 per
cent in seven years (at least 75
per cent when adjusted for price
changes), the income of the under
paid has not risen in anything like
the same proportion.”
The proposed bill broadens the
coverage of the act to include sea
men so far as minimum wages are
■ concern^ but hot j^to overtime.
bill, Senators Tunnell and Pepper
said:
“It is but a preliminary step to
ward our eventual goal of full em
ployment at high wages for all;
but it is as great a step as our
economy can afford to take at one
time. It must be taken at once
if we are not to be faced with an
ever-increasing multitude of un
derfed, underhoused, underprivi
leged workers.
“On behalf of the other mem
bers of the Senate Committee on
Education and Labor who have
approved the legislation described i
in this report, I urge immediate ,
action by the Congress to the end
that substandards of wages in In- j
terstate commerce shall be once
and for all abolished from the nw- 1
tlonal scene.”
The bill provides that in two
years after enactment the statu*
•tory minimum wage shall be raised
| to 70 cents ah hour and in tive
• years to 75 cents
L As in the present law, industry
committees, composed of employ*
er, labor and public members, will
be permitted to adjust minimum
'wages upward more rapidly than
provided in the bill—but no higher
than the ceiling of 75 cents.
A, minority report suggesting
an immediate rise to 55 cents and
an ultimate level of 60 cents was
brought in by six members who
called the majority proposals in*
flationary.
Two Democratic Senators, El*
lender of Louisiana and Fulbright
of Arkansas, joined with Senators
Taft of Ohio, Ball of Minnesota,
New Jersey in condemning the
wage scale proposed by the major*
ity and the clauses expanding cor.
•rage of the current act.
The bill, likely to come up for
conideration in 10 days, Seems des
tined to bring on a long wrangle
in the Senate. It had a stormy
time in committee, where differ
ences reached such a point that
the members were hurriedly called
together by its supporters in a
futile effort to reach a compro
mise.
JrtUTcnnng mnpycpc mim
TVtif iwWIr ™ •IIMIfi ■ vMW'
6000 WAGE INCREASES
Brooklyn—Increase in wages for
all knitgoods workers was an
nounced by the Knitgoods Work
ers' Union as a result of negotia
tions with the United Knitwear
Manufacturers League.
All members of the union, which
is a (’.’vision of the International
Ladies Garment Workers, receiv
ing up to $2!M>9 are to receive a
increase. Tnose who receive
$30 and over are to reccivce a $5
increase. Piece workers are to re
ceive an increase of 16 cents per
hour.
The collective bargaining agree
ment between the union and the
employers contains an escalator
clause providing for increases in
the event of an increase in the cost
of living.
President Should Stay Out
Of Labor Disputes—Davis
Chicago.—President Truman and
hia government agencies ought to
get out of labor disputes and stay
out. William H. Davis, former
chairman of the War Labor Board,
said here.
“True collective bargaining that
maintains the liberties of both .la
bor and management is the most
lasting solution to wage contro
versy,” Mr. Davis declared.
fie conceded, however, that arbi
tration was the only way out in
cases where emotions were aroused
and prestige became involved.
Mr. Davis described Mr. Tru
man as a good man with sound In
stincts but added that he should >
shun labor relations because “he
doesn't know his way around."
“As a result of exasperation,”
he continued, “there Is a strong
tendency in Congress right now’to
ward greater efforts by the fed
eral government to arbitrate in la
bor disputes.
“Aside from a possible strength
ening of the conciliation service, I
wouldn't shed a' tear if President
Truman were to say that the gov
ernment wouldn’t interfere for a
year in these controversies. Let
the parties concerned bargain and
bargain. They’d settle things.”
Mr. Davis, now a patent at
torney, likened the War Labor
Hoard to a cactus:
“Anyone who tried to lean on
us got stuck.”
He gave the opinion that price
control should be continued until
production caught up with demand,
with the administration removing
ceilings on as many articles as
possible. Stable prices, by en
abling a manufacturer to know his
costs far in advance, are an aid
rather than a hindrance to incresed
production, he said.
DAVE BECK ELECTED TO
UNION LABEL BOARD
Washington. D. C.—Dave Beck,
international vice president of the
International Brotherhood o f
Teamsters, Chauffeurs, Warehouse
men and Helpers of America, was
elected to membership on the ex
ecutive board of the Union Label
Trades Department of the Ameri- «
can Federation of Labor. Mr.
Beck replaced the late John M.
Gillespie, former secretary-treas
urer of the teamsters’ internal
tionaL jj ,