labor
DIXIE FARM NEWS)
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.
CHARLOTTE. N. C.. THURSDAY. JUNE 27. 19467
Che Charlotte
(AND
VOL. XVI—No. 7
Subscription Price $2.00 Per Year
Congress Prepares
To Shelve Truman
Strike-Control Bill
MEMBERS RELUCTANT TO
VOTE VAST POWER IN AN
^ ELECTION YEAR
WuUiftia, D. C. — Barring
aa uiftracia outbreak «f atrikaa
Congress will iMn President
Truman's tawftwjr strike-con
trai MIL
Chair*an Adolph * Snbatl*
chair wan af the Hens* Ralea
Committee, which la MW coasid
crime Senate umendments to the,
jaea—ra, amwaaarrd ha farera
"laying it aaide” indefinitely, be
cauae “everything la calm and
peaceful now.”
Speaker Rayburn followed up
thia declaration by informing
newamen that “there are a lot
of people—both Democrats and
Republican*—'who want to do
nothing with the President’s leg*
islation.”
His statement confirmed darlier
reports that many members of
Congress, who voted for the bill
during the excitement of the rail
road strike, have decided after
calmer consideration that the bill
places too great powers in the
hands of the President.
While the President’s bill is tem
porary in scope and affects only
strikes in plants after they have
been seized by the Federal Govern
ment, it contains severe penalties
against labor and revives court
injunctions against unions.
Meanwhile, the House Labor
Committee, in an attempt to fore
stall a legislative probe of labor
conditions by a hostile and preju
diced group headed by the peren
nial labor - hater, Rep. Howard
Smith of Virginia, named a sub
committee to conduct wide-open
public hearings on the subject.
AFL President William Green
accepted an invitation from the
chairman of the subcommittee,
Rep. Augustine B. Kelley, of Penn
sylvania, to testify at the public
hearing, June 26. ,** j
• Mr. Kelley emphasised met
committee had no speciSc legisla
tion in mind and is merely investi
gating to find out what, if any
thing, should be done to improve
labor-management relations in the
Nation.
Expressing doubt that any long
range labor legislation could be
enacted at this session of Con
gress, Rep. Kelley said the hear
ings would be largely preliminary
groundwork for action next year
Representatives of business
groups have been invited to testi
fy, as well as labor leaders, the
committee announced.
For the most part, members of
Congress appeared relieved at the
prospect that no anti-labor legis
lation will be enacted before ad
journment next month. All mem
bers of the House and one-third
of the Senate members come up
for re-election this Fall and a large
number of them feared that their
votes on labor legislation, no mat
ter which way they swung, might
embarrass them in their cam
paigns.
In the current rush toward ad
journment, the most vital legis
lation affecting labor is the OPA
Extension Bill. This measure is
now being considered by a Confer
ence Committee, representing both
Houses of Congress, which is try
ing to reach a compromise on dif
fering provisions in the House and
Senate versions of the legislation.
From labor’s point of view, both
the House and Senate Bills were
extremely bad because, while they
extended the life of OPA, they
crippled its functions and made a
mockery of effective price control.
It is freely being predicted in
Washington that President Tru
man is prepared to veto the OPA
Bill unless the crippling amend
ments are eliminated. Economic
Stabilisation Director Bowles de
scribed the cost-plus-guaranteed
profit provision in the bill as a
“time bomb” under price control
and made clear he will resign if
his hands are tied by such legisla
tion.
Labor leaders predicted the cost
of living may shoot up another
60 per cent and lead to widespread
strikes unless OPA is gi ven a clear
mandate by Congress to keep the
lid on prices effectively for an
other year.
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LAW CAN’T BAN STRIKES
IN DEMOCRACY. TAFT SAYS
TallinL Pa.—Warning that
“strikes caaaot bs prohibited
withoat iaterfering with the
basic freodoi essential ta oar
fori of government'’ was
snandod by Senator Taft, of
Ohio, who took sharp iasae with
Administratioa labor policies.
A^dresslag the 13th annual
Ta hit meat Racial and Economic
Institute, caadactsd by the in
ternational Ladies Garment
Workers Union (AFL), the
Ohioian declared:
“A democratic government
cannot prohibit strikes and re- .
main a democratic government.’*
Leaders of labor, manage
ment and government attended
the four-day conference here to
discuss “The Road to Indus
trial Peace.”
NAM Rejects House
Bid To Labor Probe
Washington, D. C.—Betraying
its fear of an honest inquiry into
the real causes of labor disqutes,
the National Association of Manu
facturers rejected an invitation to
testify at jublic hearings of the
il< use Labor committee.
In an attempt to evade the issue,
the NAM declared it did not be
lieve further Congressional studies
necessary and urged immediate
passage of anti-labor legislation.
This ig a direct contradiction of
thu stand taken by President Tru
man in his veto message on the
Case Ball. The President in that
message repeated his recommen
dation for a six-months’ study by
Congress into the causes of labor
disputes before any action is tak
en on legislation to minimize such
disputes.
Representative Kelley (D.) Pa.,
■ohaiummnUptbe Jabot* «,uUommit
tee considering; the investigation,
wrote to Walter B. Weisenberger,
NAM executive vice president, say
ing:
“The subcommittee dislikes to
bring a charge of contempt against
the National Association of Manu
t&cturers and hopes your decision
may be reconsidered."
AFL President William Green
has accepted the committee’s in
vitation to testify and will appear
at a public hearing within a few
days.
Mr. Green made it elear that
labor has nothing to fear from an
o|fen and fair inquiry into the
causes of labor disputes. Ho em
phasised that it would be impossi
ble for Congress to act intelligent
ly in the matter until it determined
by careful investigation why such
disputes start. As the Executive
Council of the AFL said in a dec
laration May 15:
“We do not see how any legis
lative body can enact new laws
governing such involved and ex
plosive matters as labor-manage
ment relations without having the
essential information (on the basic
causes of disputes)."
Green Asks Truman Veto Hobbs Bill
WYATT STRESSES VITAL
NEEB TO PASS VETERANS'
EMERGENCY HOUSE BUI
Washington, D. C.—Unless the
W’agner - Ellender - Taft Housing
Bill is enacted quickly, America’s
war veterans will be unable to And
homes, Wilson Wyatt, National
Housing Expediter, warned a citi
sens housing rally here.
The housing chief and the three
Senators for whom the measure is
named charged that failure of the
House to act on the bill has cre
ated a serious stumbling block to
the Veterans' Emergency Housing
Program.
This housing bill has been sup
ported vigorously by the Ameri
can Federation of Labor from the
time of its introduction.
Wyatt told the housing rally
that -present building costs are
higher than veterans can afford
and that unless something is done
to lower costs homeless veterans
will be housed in “leftovers that
other people don’t want.”
For veterans in the low-income
group, who can’t afford to pay
higher rents, the only alternative
to living in slums is the housing
bill’s provision for a haif a million
low-cost housing units, Wyatt
added.
Asserting that “if the W agner
Ellender-Taft bill is not passed at
this session of Congress the result
will be calamitous,” Senator Wag
ner (D., N. Y.) called for “a fron
tal attack” to torce the issue be
fore the House.
He called oq President Iruman
to put the bill on his “must" list
and on House leaders to insist on
i action.
Senator Eilenderr (D., La.)
charged that some opponents of
the bill have adopted a “shocking
attitude.” The opposition has de
veloped, he said, because the bill
provides public housing for famil
ies of low income. i
The Senator stressed, however,
that under the bill there would be
no essential competition between
private and public housing enter
prises.
He called on the House Banking
and Currency Committee to con
duct ite hearings on the bill “with
speed end brevity” end to bring,
it on the House floor by early next
month.
Declaring himself on opponent
of Government interference in bus
iness, Senator Taft (R., Ohio) said
he aided in introducing the bill be
cause “private enterprise has
failed to provide homes for low
ircome families.”
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for outstanding aervloe tJuTwir Finance program was given la the'
Electrical Workers' Local No. U, A. F. of L., at Odd Fellows HaB here.,
with more than 250 members present The award was accepted hp Final- j
dent Joseph L Creager and Business Manager Clem FreDer.
“In accepting this high honor,” President Creager said, “we premise to !
do everything possible to farther the peacetime V. 8. Savings Bond pro
gram."
An aluminum card for War Finance service was given to Mr. Creager. I
Mr. Preller; Financial Secretary C. Lowry; Recording Secretary D. S. I
Roadhouse; and members W. W. Mulligan. Wilbur Smith, E. W. MeChes
ney. Sr., William 3. Creamer and E. S. Porter.
Mr. Prelier. who is president of the Washington Central Labor Cnion.
was appointed oCleial V. 8. Savings Bond Officer of the Electrical Workers
Local No. 26. He said: “Although our union has purchased all the bonds
it passiMy could through our own treasury and will continue to buy them.
>ar members also will continue to hoy to tho limit fhrsugh the poyrsh
tarings plan, wherever poasihlt. The Treasury Deportment can ha aasurod
that I wiR do my doty aa bond officer U the utmost"
Shown above at tho prsuswtetlou eereasony ara Idr. Cl eager, Ekwoat JL
®^*^**®’ ®***f*^ IMsmtomBd abA lh.
HL NEIGHBOR
CET JUSTICE MAKE OS FR1EN*”
DON'T WRECK WAGNER
ACT, BOARO COUNSELS
Washington. D. C.—The sur
est way to provoke industrial
strife is to wreck the Wagner
Act and deprive workers of their
liberties, the National Labor Re
lations board warned Congress
la its tenth annual report.
Labor’s enemies hare advo
cated amendment of the NLRA
to hasutriag unions as a pre
scription against strikes, bat the
board pointed oat An its report
that tie law has effectively
helped to prevent strikes by
safeguarding labors’ right to
organise and bargain collective
I ly.
“Disputes over recognition of
this right have historically been
the chief cause of costly strikes
and lockouts,” the board de
clared.
“The right to select his own
representatives for collective
bargaining is one that is deeply
ingrained in the American work
er, and. any impairment of this
right is fraught with the danger
of industrial warfare,” the board
declared.
Over a million workers
marched to the polls in 5,000
board elections, and in 83 per
cent of them unions won out, the
report for 1015 revealed.
During the first decade of the
board's existence, well over 6.
000,000 employes took advan
tage of this type of “economic
democracy” and in that period
04 per cent selected unions as
their bargaining agents.
“Unfair labor practice” cases
against employers who sought
to interfere with the rtgnt or
their workers to organize de
clined soar* hat in the past
year, but still totaled 2,427. This
indicated that, even though the
Wagner Act has been on the j
statute books f«>r over 10 years,
it is still being flouted by die- .
hard bosses.
The board revealed, too, that
it is still enjoying a high batting
average of victories in rases ,
where it must go to courts to I
get enforcement of orders
against defiant employers.
Out of (4 such cases taken to
U. 8. courts of appeal daring
the year, the NLRB wan sus
tained in 57.
HOBns Labor bill veto
BEING ASKEI) BY GREEN
Washington, D. C.—Text of a
telegram from AFL President Wil
liam Green to President Truman
urging veto of the Hobbs Bill as
“dangerous legislation” follows:
I appeal to you in behalf of the
millions of members of the Ameri
can Federation of Labor to veto the
Hobbs Bill, recently passed by the
Congress of the United States. I
base this appeal upon the follow
ing facta and information:
First, there is grave danger that
the Hobbs Bill, if it becomes law,
would interfere with the exercise
of the legitimate activities of those
employed in the transportation in
dustry and in the production of
goods shipped in interstate com
merce,
By implication at least, the bill
makes it a felony to strike and to
picket peacefully and to take other
legitimate and peaceful concerted
uction when strikes are resorted
to by those employed in the trans
portation industry or in the pro
! duction of goods shipped in inter
' state commerce.
There is no provision in the bill
which sets forth that it was not to
be construed so as to impair, di
minish or in any manner affect the
rights of bona fide labor organiza
tions in lawfully carrying out the j
legitimate objects thereof.
Second, the bill is susceptible of
broad and dangerous interpreta
tions by the courts. The penalties
provided in the bill might be. im
posed upon members as well as
officers of unions engager] in a
strike affecting interstate com
merce wh-jn, thtouph the influence
and instigation of labor-hating em-1
plvyers, violence in some form
might occur. •
Third, if the Hobbs Bill becomes
law, widespread, discontent and un
rest will prevail within the ranks
ef labor. It wdl serve to increase
labor strife and prevent the de
velopment of friendly co-operative
lelstionships between management
;.nd labor.
I am confident the ’public inter- 1
est will be best served through :
your veto of this highly objection- 1
able Hobbs Bill.
i
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AFl SEAMEN UNANIMOUS
IN CALL FOR STRIKE VOTE
New York City — In Mmion
here, 1,200 members of the APL
Seafarers International Union
voted unanimously to conduct a
strike vote from July 1 to July
31.
The action waa taken in a
preliminary move by the union
to protect ita collective bargain*
in* rights. It was directed
against the Atlantic and Gulf
Ship Operators’ Association
which rejected wage and hour
demands made by the SIU and
whose counter proposals to the
union were similarly turned
down as unsatisfactory.
A strike, which under the
Smith - Connally law, can be
I called SO day* after intention to
walk oot ia died, would tie up
« 2,000 8IU sea men and mem
bera of ita affiliate, the Sailors’
Union of the f acitc. Actual
date for start of the strike
would be set by a rote of the
membership.
Possibility also was seen that
many thousands more would he
; affected as the AFL Maritime
Council of Greater New ' York
pledged its full support. The
council has a • membership of
200.000 workers.
The union had demanded a 30
per cent wage increase, a 40
hour week at sea and a 36-hour
week ashore, with increased
rates of overtime pay. At pres
ent AFL seaman get $10 a week
more than members of the CIO
and the company insisted that
this situation be equalized be
fore a new /agreement is nego
tigated.
Earlier the operators had of- 1
fered a 48-hour week at sea; ;
44-hour week on ships in port; [
wage increases of from 812.30
to 824.50 a month, depending up
on ratings, and overtime pay for
all aboard ship at the rate of
81 an hour.
Even the 35 per cent figure
grossly understates the true hike
in living costs, labor research ex
perts contend. Their own studies,
they said, show the rise has been
:lose to 60 per cent. Many items
which have skyrocketed in costs
treat even included in the Index,
they said.
OTHER LABOR LEADERS ALSO
RAP MEASURE IN WIRES
TO TRUMAN ■
Washington. D. {?.—AFL Pres
ident William Green, in a tale
graphic message to President
Truman, made an urgent appeal
for immediate veto of the anti
labor Hobba BilL
Similar appeals poured into
the White House from Daniel J.
Tobin, president of the Interna
tional Brotherhood of Teamsters
(AFL), and other AFL leaders
throughout the Nation.
The Hobbs Bill, twice passed
by the House, was given ap
proval by the Senate on a voice
vote and without debate or ob
jection. It was called up for ac
tion by Senator Hatch (D.), pf
New Mexico.
The measure would make it a
felony for any unionist to ob
struct, delay or interfere with
the movement of good- in inter
state commerce. Penalties range
up to 20 years in prison, and
fines up tu S10.000.
Mr. Green, in his message to the
President, called for veto of the
bill on thtee grounds:
1—There is grave danger that
it would, if it became law, “inter
lere with the exercise of the legit
imate activities of those engaged
in the transportation industry and
ir. the production of goods which
enters interstate commerce.
2 That it is susceptible to
board and dangerous interpreta
tions by the courts. “The penal
ties provided in the bill might be
imposed upon members as well as
officers of unions engaged in a
*trike . . . when, through the in
alfeor
3—Widespread unrest end dis
content will prevail in the ranks
of labor if the measure becomes
law.
Belief that the President, will
veto the Hobbs Bill stemmed from
his discussion of its provisions
when it was attached, in identical
form, to the vicious Case Bill. In
vetoing that measure, Mr. Tru
man said:
“This section would re-enact, in
amended form, the so-called Anti
Racketeering Act. On its faca,
this section does no more than
prohibit all persons, whether union
representatives of eniloyers or
others, from interfering with in
terstate commerce by robbery and
extortion.
“I am in full accord with the
objectives which the Congress' here
had in mind.
Oumca an* instigation of
vioiLcaia
form might occur.”
“However, it has already beer
*uMT*ted that some question mi)
arise from the fact that Sectior
7 omits from the original act the
provision that it was not to b«
construed so as to ‘impair, dimin
ish or in any manner affect the
rights of bona fide labor organisa
tions in lawfully carrying out the
legitimate objects thereof/
"It should be made clear in ex
press terms that Section 1 does
not make it a felony to strike and
picket peacefully, and to take
i other legitimate and peaceful con
certed action.”
Tobin was in Chicago when in
formed the Hobbs Bill had been
approved by the Senate and sent
•fh* White House. He was
sharply critical of this action
which, he pointed out, was accom
plished “without hearings and even
without a roll call vote.”
“Professedly, the Hobbs Bill is
intended to prevent robbery and
extortion by unions," he added.
“It defines as extortion, legitimate
nnd peaceful union practices. The
definition of extortion is so broad
and dangerous that any argument
used by a union representative to
persuade a nonmember to join
might be interpreted as illegal by
a hostile judge.”
X. Y. FACTORY EMPLOYMENT
IS HIGHEST SINCE V-J DAY
Albany, N. Y.—In the State of
New York during April, factory
employment rose to its highest
level for any month since V-J
Day, according to a report by the
State Labor Department.
A