Newspapers / The Charlotte Labor Journal … / April 18, 1946, edition 1 / Page 1
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VOL. XV, NO. 49 A Newspaper Dedicated To The Interests of Charlotte Central Labor Union and Affiliated Crafts—Endorsed By North Carolina Federation of Labor and Approved By The American Federation of Labor. She Chatlottt labor Journal (AND DIXIE FARM NEWS) Published Weekly CHARLOTTE. N. C„ THURSDAY. APRIL 18. 1946 Price 5c Per Copy Subscription Price $2.00 Per Year “Atomic Age” May Reform All Industry New York City.—Foreseeing the I swift realization of the 30-hour week as an economic necessity and the attainment of an even shorter work week in the ‘atomic age” to come, AFL President William Green called for the intensification of labor’s educational activities so that the workers of tomorrow may be able to take full advantage of the cultural opportunities afford ed them. Speaking at the 25th anniver sary dinner of the Workers Edu cation Bureau of America at the Hotel Commodore, Mr. Green de clared: “To say that all is well in this, the best of all possible worlds, is a confession of ignorance to which the trade union movement never has subscribed and never will. “We seek new frontiers, new standards, new goals for humani ty and, in this constant search, education is our beacon. * “Today the civilized world stands on the threshold of a new age— the atomic age. Under pressure of a war for survival, our scien tists succeeded in harnessing atoas ic energy in the form of a bomb -whoa* destructive pffectf shocked the entire globe. Nations of goon will are now hopeful and confident that the threat of such wholesale slaughter as these bombs can per petrate will banish future wars and usher in lasting peace under the guardianship of the United Nat tions Organisation. “Meanwhile, our scientists prom ise that within the next generation atomic energy can be applied to industrial pursuits so as to lighten the ^burdens of. mankind. If their forecasts prove accurate, our whole way of life will be drastically changed for the better. The short er work week which the American Federation of Labor espoused be fore the war and which we will now strive for with renewed de termination is likely to become a swift reality. In fact, we may have to raise our sights, because in the atomic age even a 30-hou> week may become outmoded. Picture, if you will the vast op portunities for education and cul tural development that such changes will offer the industrial workers of the future. It is in cumbent upon the trade union movement to plan now for that day. We must see to it that the exploitation of atomic energy is directed into the proper channels and developed for the benefit of all the people, rather than for a fa vored few, ■*Yherefor*,T strongly urge' that the scope of labor’s educational ac tivities be intensified, its methods broadened and its objectives en larged.” SENATE VOTES TO LIFT MINIMUM TO 65 CERTS PER HOUR Washington, D. C.—The Senate adopted legislation increasing the national minimum wage from 40 to 66 cents an hour, but tacked on a farm rider which may cause President Truman to veto the bill if the House does not remove the offending section. The rider would require that added farm labor costs be in cluded in calculating parity prices. Since this would result in in creased prices for food, it was de nounced as inflationary by Ad ministration spokesmen. The Senate amendments to the Fair Labor Standards Act fell far short of the recommendations of its Education and Labor Commit tee. The committee bill set an immediate 65-cent minimum wage but also provided for automatic increases up to 75 cents an hour in the next few years. This «provi sion was killed in the final voting. Since the National Wage Sta bilization Board already has an nounced advance approval of in creases in sub-standard wage rates up to 65 cents an hour, the Sen ate bill scarcely does more than give official legislative sanction to the status quo. More than 20,000,000 workers were reported to be still in the substandard wage bracket, how ever, and passage of the legisla tion would give them additional ec onomic protection. AFRA NATIONAL BOARD GIVES HELLER HIGH POST New York City.—George Heller was appointed National Executive Secretary of the American Federa tion of Radio Artists in a special meeting of the New York mem bers of the AFRA National Board, held to name a successor to Emily Holt, who resigned as the organi zation’s head. Mrs. Holt’s resigna tion was accepted by the board “with profound regret and with deep gratitude for her years of service to AFRA.” BILL CREATING NEW OFFICES IN LABOR DEPT. APPROVED *_ Washington, D. C.—The House ■completed action and sent to the White House a bill creating the offices of Undersecretary of Labor and three assistant secretaries. The measure would give Sec re? tary Schwellenbach two more ad ministrative assistants .abolish the present posts of assistant and sec ond assistant secretary. The new officers would receive $10,000 a year and their appointments would require Senate approval. JOHN MURPHY IS LABOR AIDE TO GENERAL McARTKUR Boston.—John J. Murphy, New England AFL representative, has been named labor adviser to Gen.! Douglas MacArthur- to inaugurate a democratic labor organization in Japan for the U. S. Army. Mr. Murphy sailed first for Ko rea where his mission is to lay; the foundations. Others will fol- j low to carry throuh a 5-year pro- ! gram. “We are trying to establish a j democratic labor movement in Ja- j pan run and controlled by the workers themselves instead of by the government,” Mr. Murphy said. “The Japanese already have a labor organisation but it comes under police control. Everything in it is under the police depart ment, and police attend all the la bor meetings. “Also we hope to see the Japa nese government pass laws such as we have in this country which enable labor organisations to func tion properly. Our National Labor Relations Act, for instance, has been of great benefit to employes. It gives them the right to select their own collective bargainingj . representatives and to bargain with their employers for wages and working conditions. It might be well patterned in Japan. “Never has a law been passed in j Japan whereby its government (Continued on Page 8) GOING THE SAME WAY rr J Housing Bill Backed By AFL Approved By Senate Group Washington, D. C. — Strongly supported bx._t£e American Feder ation of Labor, the Wagner-Ellen der-Taft bill providing for a long range housing program at the rate of more than 1,000,000 homes a year for 10 years, was approved unanimously by the Senate Bank ing and Currency Committee. Introduced by Senators Wagner, Ellender and Taft, the measure represents the second successive attack on the housing problem by the committee, which voted prev iously approval of the veterans' emergency housing program to build 2,700,000 homes by the end of 1947. The Wagner-Ellender-Taft bill picks up where the emergency step leaves off by aiming at a rounded program over a period of years instead of a quick increase in building materials and dwellings to meet immediate necessity. Senator Wagner, chairman of the committee, declared that, since the measures dovetailed, he would attempt to bring them up consec utively before the Senate soon. He expressed confidence that both would be approved. Entitled the General Housing Act of 1940, the bill concentrates on the encouragement of private enterprise and honw, ewnership by provisions facilitate , federal loans and credit and by investors in large-scale projects. It covers all phases of the hous ing field by providing for slum clearance and urban redevelop ment federally-supported low-cast public housing, a substantial rural housing program and development of research and planning. The bill calls for consolidation into a single government agency, under one policy-making head, of all housing functions, now spread through a multitudinous chain of agencies. Under one of the committee’s amendments of the subcommittee’s draft a clause requiring that “the wages or fees prevailing in the lo cality” be applicable to govern ment-aided building was made ap plicable to public and large proj ects. Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay dowa his life for his friend.—(Chris tian.) | TRIBUTE TO SERVICE WOMEN Signal Corps Photo PARATROOPERS’ MOTHER WINS BRONZE STAR. Sgt. Laura Love land, Harrison vllle, N. J„ awarded medal by Gen. Elsenhower for action In personnel division of SHAEP, has sons In 82nd Airborne Division—CpL Leslie Loveland, 23 and Sgt. Freeman. 25. Legion of Merit winner, “Buy Victory Bonds and be partners with us In this great jc# for humanity.’* she says. IT S. Treasury Department SOUND U. S' POUCY ON «R TRANSPORT DEMANDED BY AFL Washington, D. C. —* Emphatic demand for a “sound policy” on domestic air service and America’s place in ihtemational air trans portation was made by Lewis J. Hines, national legislative repre sentatives of the American Feder ation of Labor, before the Senate Commerce Subcommittee consider ing world aviation agreements. "We are alarmed,” Mr. Hinea declared, “by the efforts of certain officials who bound their country in commitments to foreign nations on international air policy by way of executive agreements that we firmly believe to be in violation of the law. Moreover, we are par ticularly disturbed that such agree ments were entered into in secret, and without giving the American public, the affected American in dustries, or organized labor and others, an opportunity to know what was going on before such agreements were signed. “We believe that there is hardly any problem facing our country in international relationship that is of more importance to the future well-being and security of the United States than is a sound pol icy on air transportation. “Conferences have already been held in Chicago and Benpod% by representatives of many foreign governments and our own country. In these conferences, valuable rights were extended to foreign airlines to operate into and across our country, which are exceedingly objectionable and injurious to our domestic airlines, buses and rail roads. “Our State Department has an nounced that the United States has accepted four aviation agree ments as 'executive agreements.’ “Agreements 1 and 2 provide machinery through which this and other countries may cooperate in development of international air transportation. The American Federation of Labor believes these documents are treaties and should be submitted to the Senate for ap proval, which we hope will be forthcoming. "Agreement 3 extends the right to foreign flag aircraft of mem j ber nations to fly on regural sched | ules across the United States and i to land for refueling and traffic purposes .without securing a spe cific permite or franchise from the United States, as no wrequired by the Air Commerce Act. “Agreement 4 extends the right to foreign flag aircraft to trans port air traffic including passen gers, freight and mails between the United States cities and for eign countries without securing a specific permit or franchise from the United States as now required by the Civil Aeronautics Aet. “We believe that adherence to these agreements by Executive Order is not only unconstitutional but most unwise economically.” GREEN WARNS SENATORS AGAINST EqUAL RIGHTS BILL Washington, D. C.—AFL Presi dent William Green urged all mem bers of the U. S. Senate to oppose adoption of the so-called “Equal Rights Amendment” which has been favorably reported out by the Senate judiciary committee, "We have consistently fought for state and federal legislation giving special protection to women, such as minimum wage laws, social and physical protective laws, special leave at maternity, etc.," Mr. Green wrote to the senators. “We do not feel that such laws discriminate against women, and realise that the Equal Rights ( amendment will wipe out all such protective laws| We therefore op pose it and solicit your support in opposition to it.” 1 ruman Says Postwar Output Tops All Records __' i -- DRESS MAKERS WIN PAY INCREASES OF 13 MH1ION DOLLARS New York City — Utilizing the impartial chairman system of ar bitration that has kept the city’s largest industry free from labor strife for many years, 75,000 dress makers employed in 22,000 shops in the metropolitan area won wage increases totaling $13,600,000 a year. Spokesmen for the five employ er associations and the Dress1 Joint Board of the Intemati#ial Ladies’ Garment Workers Union, AFL, expressed gratification that their wage differences had agpin been settled without a strikeor lockout, but the employers waAed | that they could not put the higher j wages into effect without permis sion from the Office of Price Ad ministration to include the in creased costs in their present price ceilings. The manufacturers made it clear that they did not plan to ask OPA to authorize higher wholesale <?r retail prices, bat wanted authoriza tion to take the wage rise into ac count as a cost factor that would permit modifications in trimmings or other elements In dressmaking. The wage award, which will pro vide increases ranging from 7 to 8.6 per cent to the 75,000 workers, was handed down by Harry Uvil ler, impartial chairman of the dress industry, ending a dispute that began last November. Mr. Uviller said the increase | would average about $4 a week for each worker, or slightly under 12 ; cents an hour for the basic 35 ; hour week. Before the increase, I he reported, the average weekly wage was $45. Julius Hochman, manager of the t Dress Joint Board, said the mem ! hers of the union were “not satis j fied" with the outcome of the ar bitration, but they were proud that i “a wage dispute of this magni tude has been disposed of through the orderly processes of collective bargaining.” He praised the ef fort of the impartial chairman to take all factors into account in rendering his decision. TOM CASHEN GETS TREASURY CITATION Buffalo, N. Y.- -Thomas C. fash en, president of the Switchmen's Union of North America and chairman of the Railway Labor Executives’ Association, was given the United States Treasury’s high est award for distinguished service during the war. y The presentation was made at the executive offices of the union here in the-presence of Mr. Cash en’s official family by Walter H. S. O’Brien, executive officer of the Railroad Unit of the United States j Savings Bonds Division. Treasury Secretary Fred M. Vinson, in a personal (jetter to Mr Cashen, said in part: “Throughout the entire duration j of the war emergency the Treas ury Department has received the finest type of cooperation from yourself and the Railway Labor ^ Executives' Association, and as a result the workers in the railroad industry have made an impressive : record of War Bond purchases. ' "As a recognition of your gen erous help in this matter I am sending you a Treasury citation for distinguished services and, with it, my personal thanks’* \\ ashington, D. C.—All records for production of civilian goods are being broken. President Tru man announced in declaring that American industry now is well “over the hump" in the transition from war to peace. Reporting the nation is emerging from its war years “strong and healthy,” the President told news men he looks forward to unparal leled good times. “Production of goods and serv ices for the civilian market,” he told a press conference, “is higher today than ever before in the na tion's history, and is still going up.” The President’s bright outlook was based on a report of a survey by his foremost economic adviser, John W. Synder, director of War Mobilization and Reconversion. Mr. Truman said in a prepared statement that the progress to date also would be nullified if Con gress does not provide for an ex tension of price control and stabi lization laws. The Snyder report, which was released at the White House after Mr. Truman’s news conference, listed these as “solid gains” made by the tuition in the period of re price adjustment have been met in a way to stimulate production without losing vital ground to the force of inflation. “2. Labor • management con tracts established in many major industries under collective bargain ing should assure,, uninterrupted production. “3. Vigorous programs have beet) formulated to meet the most critical shortages, most notably in textiles and housing.” Director Snyder said that civilian production now stands at the un precedented annual rate of 150 bil lion dollars, and he pointed out that employment (exclusive of employ ment on farms) was higher than it was on V-J Day). Private wage and salary pay ments, which dropped to an an nual rate of $75,000,000,000 after V. J. Day, have now returned al most .to the Pre-V-J Day level of $82,006,000,000. Mr. Snyder said that America’s position, while good, “would have been even better if labor-manage ment disputes had not put out the fires in steel furnaces, stopped automobile assembly lines, cur tailed production of electric equip ment and other vital components.” AH. SUPPORTS EFFORTS TO LIFT FOREIGN WAGES New York City Robert J. Watt, AFL International Representative, has taken a strong stand against exploitation of workers in foreign nations which would permit un fair competition with American la bor . Addressing the Export Manag ers’ Club here, Mr. Watt was em phatic in his declaration that American employer* and unions should join in efforts of the Inter national Labor Organization to raise wages and improve working conditions thronghout the world. ‘I call your attention to the ILO,” Mr. Watt said, “because I believe it offers a safeguard against the kind of exploitation of labor in foreign lands which would permit unfair competition with American labor. Such safe guards wilt serve as ait insurance for the continuance of foreign trade. I am sure that restrictive barriers will be demanded if and when American workers And them selves undercut by any of the prod ucts of foreign lands.”
The Charlotte Labor Journal and Dixie Farm News (Charlotte, N.C.)
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April 18, 1946, edition 1
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