Newspapers / The Charlotte Labor Journal … / July 25, 1946, edition 1 / Page 1
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Elect your delegates to the North Carolina Fed eration of Labor moot ing at once, if you hare not already done so. You are an important arm of the State body and matters *of great importance are to come up to be discussed and disposed of at the Aug* ust meeting' in High Point. CHARLOTTE LABOR JOURNAL Uuionists, Do Everything Within Your Power To Aid In the Southern A. F. L. Membership Drive AND CAROLINA Working For A Better Understanding Between North Carolina AFL Unions and Employers of Labor JOURNAL “/LABOR 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. “Were it not for the labor press, the labor movement would not be'what it is to day, and any man who tries to injure a labor pa per is a traitor to the cause.”—Samuel Gomper*. VOL. XVI ; NO. 11 CHARLOTTE, N. C., THURSDAY. JULY 25. 1916 Suhscrintiun Price £2.(11) Per Year Local Box Plant Charged With Unfair Practices Donald M. Hunt, interna tional representative of the International Brotherhood of Pulp, Sulphite & Paper Mill Work* .-a Union, announced to a Labor Journal representa tive Tuesday that petition has been filed with the National Labor Relations Board asking for certification of his union as collective bargaining agent for the employes in the Char lotte Plant of the Old Domin ion Box Company, headed by E. S. Dillard, vice president and general manager. This firm employes approximately 250 persons. Mr. Hunt also stated that during the organizing campaign conduct ed by his union during the past several weeks the company on sev eral occasions engaged in unfair labor practices by increasing sur veillance over employes by super visory action and expression of personal opinion in opposition to the union’s activities, which result ed in his union filing charges with the NLRB. Efforts to set n date for informal hearing bjMhe trial examtaefr UtMtetory to'tte pnl^ ties involved, have been unsuccess ful, Mr. Hunt said. The Old Dominion company man ufactures set-up, folding and cor rugated boxes and tubes, the union official stated. SINCE THE FOREGOING AR TICLE WAS WRITTEN AN NOUNCEMENT HAS BEEN MADE BY REPRESENTATIVE HUNT THAT A FORMAL HEAR ING OF THE PAPER WORKERS’ PETITION FOR AN ELECTION HAS BEEN SCHEDULED BY THE REGIONAL NLRB BOARD FOR AUGUST 6TH. Many War Widows Most Continue In Jobs [For A Living Washington, D. C. — Two-fifths of the wives of ex-servicemen will continue in the labor market, most of them through necessity, the Women’s Bureau of the Labor De partment reports after a survey. Women who must continue to work are widows and wives of dis abled veterans, who must asume partial support of themselves, and frequently dependents, the study revealed. More than 50,000 widows of IVorld War II veterans were re (Please turn to Page 3) Your Taxes And Mine— This is the second of s series of 12 articles on tax problems af fecting every person in the Na tion, written for the AFL Week ly News Service by Arthur A. Elder, tax consultant of the AFL’s Tax Committee and a vice president of the American Fed eration of Teachers. YOUR local problem Bjr Arthur A. Elder Is your community stymied in its post-war plans because it hasn’t enough income? Are mu nicipal employes and teachers get ting sub-standard wages because the taxes just can’t be stretched far enough to cover the raises that are needed? Have material costs gone up so fast that the old income just doesn’t do the job it used to do? During the war, we got used to tyuiled.community services, but now we northern more than ever, and the returning servicemen need jobs and various kinds of com munity assistance. The cost of living has soared. Almost all communities depend on the real estate tax to pay their bills. The sad fact is that the values of real estate have not risen appreciably during the war, and the income from real estate taxes can therefore probably not be raised very much. However, there are some loop holes that should be plugged, and it is posible that careful study will produce additional revenue. Here ai^ some of the items that should be looked into: 1. Do local assessments and tax rates approximate the average for cities of like size? 2. Are state grants-in-aid available to supplement the city’s income ? 3. If state funds are available for aid to certain services, are lo cal funds diverted for other serv ices? 4. Are cities which support services adequately discouraged through state aid provisions which enable other cities to secure state aid with minimum regard to local financial responsibility and the character of services ? Correction of faulty local tax situations and adoption of sound plans of state tax sharing will probaly make it unnecessary to even consider the adoption of lo? | cal nuisance taxes. Move Grows ToForce Minimum Pay Vote Washington, D. C. — Congress administered a drubbing to organ ized labor on three government re organization plans submitted by President Truman. The AFL favored Plan No. 1, the chief purpose of which was to con solidate the many Federal housing bureaus into a single National Housing agency. This was defeat ed. The other two plans, both op posed by the AFL, squeezed ^ through Congress by narrow mar gins. Plan No. 2-abolished the United] States Compensation commission and transferred its functions to a single administrstor in the Feder al Security agency. It alo trans fers the Children's bureau and oth er welfare agencies from the La bor department to the Federal Se curity agency. The AFL has con sistently opposed such dismember ment of the Labor department. ! Plan No. 3 included transfer of the Bureau of Marine Inspection and Navigation from the Depart ment of Commerce to the Coast j Guard under the Treasury depart ment. This was opposed by the maritime unions of the AFL. SIGNS WITH RELUCTANCE. BUT SAYS BILL IS BETTER THAN ONE HE VETOED JUNE 29. RENT CEILINGS OF JUNE 30 BECOME EFEFCTIVE AGAIN AND SUPERCEDE EMERGEN CY ACTIONS BY STATES. Washington, July 25—President Truman today signed the bill re storing a modified form of OPA controls for the nation, but an nouncd that he signed with "re luctance,” stating, however, that I he thought the new mesaure was better than the bill he vetoed June 29. The new legislaion restores the' rent ceilings of June 30 in 520 areas which were under Federal controls at the time of expiration. It also provides for setting up a Price Decontrol board, and Mr. Truman announced that he would appoint this board immediately. la signing the new measure President Truman said, in part: T» the Congress of the United States: I Ave today signed H. J. Rea 371 amending the price control laws and extending them for another year. I have signed this measure with reluctance. I had hoped for a bill under which the government could with full confidence assure the people ! that prices would remain generally stable in these last few critical months of the transition to a free economy. This bill falls far short of that hope. I am advised, how ever, that it is the best bill the Congress will now pass. It is clear, moreover, that it is a better bill than the one I was forced to veto on June 29, If that bill had become law, inflation would have been in evitable. While the present meas ure by no means guarantees that inflation can be avoided, it offers a sufficient prospect of success to | warrant the making of a whole hearted effort to keep our economy (Please turn to Page 2) Central Labor Union Notes -- — . The regular Weekly meeting of Charlotte Central Labor Union was ; called to order by President Ster- ' ling Hicks Thursday night at 8 o’clock, with Secretary Harris at his post. The invocation was ren dered by Brother Blackwelder, fol lowed by a pledge of allegiance to the Flag by the assembled dele gates. The roll ipall |of officers and tiustees was then asked for by the chair which resulted in almost 100 per cent attendance of officers and trustees, but the attendance was not nearly so good when the roll of delegates was called later on in the order of business. This showed many absent. President Hicks then announced that the Central Labor Union was beginning a new procedure in or der to have a full attendance of delegates to the weekly meetings, the new plan being to notify the affiliated unions of the number of delegates each week. It is the tease of the Central body that matters these days are of such importance that all dele gates elected to the Central Union . should be in attendance each week. | Minutes of the previous week’s | meeting were read and approved. This was followed by a roll call of delegates with many of the unions reporting new wage con- ' tracts in process of negotiation or as having been settled. Several : ■nice raises in wages were an nounced. The matter of electing a new 1 secretary to fill the unexpired term of Secretary Harris, resigned, was held open until a later date. One of the best reports to be i heard from the delegates was that of Claude Wilson of the iocal Fire fighters’ Union, who reported on the recent state convention of his union held in Charlotte. He re ported great interest being mani fested in organization work in va rious parts of the State. He also announced that the Firefighters of High Point are to affiliate with the North Carolina Federation of La jor at the annual convention meet ing in High Point in August. The Broadcasting Technicians reported that negotiations are go ing forward with the Winston Salem stations and that the con lummation of a new agreement is expected shortly. President Hicks made this report. Six new members for the Amer ican Federation of Government employes was reported. J. A. Moore reported for the Hod Carriers Union, telling of the pt ogress that is being made in his organization. NON-RESIDENCE BUILDING CONTROLS WILL CONTINUE Washington, D. C.—Government control over non-residential con struction will continue until Au tumn. Civilian Production Admin istrator John D. Small announced that critical building supplies “haven't caught up" enough to ease controls in the next 60 days. CPA also said that in the three und-a-half months, frdm Mareh 26 through July 4, its district con struction offices approved 36,228 applications for non-housing con struction. valued at more than $1, 500,000,000 and denied 19,453 ap plications for. construction and re pairs estimated to cost $833,337, 771. Applications for more than $61, 000,000 in industrial and commer cial construction were denied- in the week ending July 4, and 1,477, representing an outlay of $34,866, 528, were approved. Washington, D. C. — Imports in April totaled $406,000,000, up $22, 000.000 over March .while exports declined from $815,000,000 in March to $758,000,000 in April, ihe Census Bureau reported. Truman Signs Loan Bill To Aid World Economy Washington, D. C.—Marking a long step toward restoration of a stable economy in the British Em pire and the United States, Presi dent Truman signed the $3,750,000, 000 Briish loan bill. His action brought to fruition a program long urged by the AFL, whose econom ists contended both Nations would benefit mutually by the arrange ment in the free flow of trade. The bulk of the immediate Brit ish spending will be applied for the purchase of machinery and raw materials, officials indicated. A minor part of the credit—$100,000, 000 to $200,000,000—will be used to buy foodstuffs and luxuries needed by the British to offer tem porary surcease from strict food and clothing restrictions. Presidential approval of the measure means that .for the first time in years, American business firms will be able to sell the prod ucts of American labor to Britain on a cash-dollar basis, instead of pound sterling credit. According to reports here, Brit ain will use part of the credits from the loan immediately to place orders for sorely needed productive machinery for the textile, coal min ing, steel and machine manufactur ing industries. Producers of tex tiles in Manchester, where rayon and cotton output ia centered, have already provided an order liat to the government of the new machin ery they will require. In Bradford, center of the wool cloth industry, a similar list has been drawn up. The coal-mining industry in Wales and in Britain has been na tionalized under the Labor gov ernment. A committee from that segment of the British economy has been busy for months on capi tel investments it believes the coal mines should make in American machinery to ease man power de mand* of the pita and reduce pro duction costs. In one sense, British authorities are relieved at what are likely to be delayed delivery dates. Financial authorities thera have become; alarmed at the trend of prices here since the end of controls on July 1, and are not keen upon spending dollar credits alt current prices. They fear they may be compelled to purchase on a rising market and make payment oo a falling one. According to government offi cials here, purchases made by Brit ain will be paid for from a balance set up for London at the New York Federal Reserve bank. Orders for American goods will be “screened" by the British Board of Trade. If the expenditure is approved, an import license will be issued. The British purchaser will pay in sterling to the Bank of England, which, in turn, will au thorize an equivalent withdrawal in dollars from the Federal Reserve bank to the American supplier. At the ceremony when President Truman affixed his signature to the loan agreement were Secretary of State Byrnes, Secretary of the Treasury Snyder, and officials from the British embassy. With the controversial British loan out of the way speculation turned to the prospects that the Adminisnstion will ask congres sional approval for the extension of a credit of $1,000,000,000 to Russia. There was ample evidence during the congressional debate on the British loan that there would be strong opposition to granting a substantial credit to the Soviet Union. s AFL Gains Victory At Oak Ridge, Tenn. Atlanta. — The many thousand* of workers who have been em ployed by private management at ! Oak Ridge, Tennessee, since the | early days of World War II were | guaranteed economic freedom this weea as a result of a series of con j ferences held in Washington be | tween President William Green and 1 Southern Representative George L. | Googe of the American Federation 1 of Labor and top ranking authori | ties of the U. S. Army from Sec retary of War Patterson down the line. These workers, all of whom had a role in the manufacture of the , death dealing Atomic Bomb which brought the war to an abrupt con clusion, had been denied the right to membership in free trade un ions. During the war the American Federation of Labor heartily sub scribed to the dropping of mem bership drives for reasons of se curity and on the promise that organization would be permitted once hostilities ceased. However, VJ day became a reality a year ago and until this week the Amer ican Federation of Labor unions which appeared on the scene to complete a process of organiza tion found themselves completely thwarted by Army red tape and apparent collusion with the man agements of Eastman, Carbon Carbide and Monsato Chemical muiti-millioned corporations. Add ing to the general sitene of con fusion was the arrival of a large group of C. I. O. radical organizers i from northern cities and a gen eral fear that security would be endangered through a coalition of these C. I. O. representatives and agents of powers who have long sought information or the well concealed Atom Bomb plans. Added to the above unsettled state of affairs the A. F. of L. representatives found themselves almost completely stymied by pet ty red tape rules and regulations of the brass hats. Literature, the Army contended, was subject to strict censorship no matter in what form, passing, of literature was banned at the gates, and a hundred and one lessor points were raised to harass the A. F. of L. representatives who had never thless signed up many thousands of workers. When they could secure no satis factory answer to persistent quer ies at the Oak Ridge level, the Atomic Trades and Labor Coun • cil, composed of all A. F. of L. affiliates on the scene, appealed to Southern Director Googe, who in turn notified President Green of conditions. He immediately ar ranged a conference at Washing ton, attended by Secretary Patter son, Googe and himself. As a re sult Major General Leslie Groves, director of the entire project, and Colonel E. E. Kirkpatrick, com mandant at Oak Ridge, were ordered to meet with President Green and Googe on the following day. This meeting resulted in a bet ter understanding as to what au thority the Army could exercise over free American citizens in time of peace. Alt censorship toHiris were immediately removed, qualified and screen representa tives of the American Federation of Labor were permitted to pass literature at the plant gates, and the Federation agreed to abide by whatever rules were neccesary to . afford maximum security. As usual the C. 1. O. came along four days later in an attempt to take some credit for the excellent job done by President Green and (iooge, but this time they were fooled. The Army had announced its intentions of subscribing to the A. F. L. point of view long before the C. I. O. knew what was taking place and as a result the 30,000 or ' more workers on the project will I regain all their civil liberties and an opportunity to form strong American Federation of Labor Unions in the civilian plants ope tated by the three great labor hating corporations, Eastman, Carbon and Carbide and Monsan to. The entire episode convinced the workers at Oak Ridge that the American Federation of Labor was on the job protecting their inter ests both as workingmen and workingwomen and free American citizens. It resulted in a tremen dous increase in enthusiasm on the part of the regular and vol : unteer organizers. They are con fident that many additional thou | sands will take membership be fore the National Labor Relations Board calls for an election some time next month. Petrillo Says Lea Act Violates Constitution Chicago.—Charge* that the Lea Act i* a clear violation of four amendments to the Constitution were contained in a motion filed with the Federal court here by James C. Petrillo, president of the American Federation of Musicians (AFL), calling for dismissal of a criminal information accusing him of attempting to force a radio sta tion to employ “unnecessary per sons." Mr. Petrillo made these specific charges regarding the act, some times called the “anti-Petrillo law." It contravenes the First amend ment to the Consituion in that it | abridges freedom of speech. It is repugnant to the Fifth amendment and particularly the “due process” clause thereof, in that it lefines a crime in terms that are excessively vague, in that it | denies protection of the law and in | that it denies liberty of contract. It violates the Thirteenth amend ment, in that it impose* involun tary servitude. It is contrary to the Tenth amend ment, in that it la a Congressional exercise of power not delegated to the United States by the Constitu tion. (Pteaae tarn to Pag* I) £
The Charlotte Labor Journal and Dixie Farm News (Charlotte, N.C.)
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July 25, 1946, edition 1
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