AFFILIATE
WITH YOUR
CENTRAL LABOR
UNION
AND THE
N. C. FEDERATION
NOW!
CHARLOTTE LABOR JOURNAL
Uuionlsts, Do Everything Within Your Power To
Aid In the Southern A. F. L. Membership Drive
ANO
CAROLINA
Working For A Better Understanding Between
North Carolina AFL Unions and Employers of Labor
JOURNAL °/LABOR
VOL. XVL NO. 15
A Newspaper Dedicated Ta The interests of Charlotte Centr al 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 in a traitor to the
cause.’*—Samuel Compere.
CHARLOTTE. N. C.. THURSDAY. AUGUST 22, 1946
Subscription Price $2.09 Per Year
AFL Council To Map Campaign
For Election Of Better Congress
MANY MATTERS FACING
PRE - CONVENTION SES
SION SLATED FOR CHI
CAGO.
Chiago.— Intensification of
the AFL’s political activities
in the coming Congressional
campaign will be one of the
top subjects on the agenda of
the mid-summer meeting of
the Executive Council which
opens here August 12.
Concerned over the many
failures of the 79th Congress
to approve measures on the
“must” list of organized labor,
and disturbed by repeated
Congressional attacks on Ib
bor’s basic freedoms, the lead
ers of the American Federa-i
tion of Labor are determined
to mobilize the full strength
of the Federation’s seven mil
lion members this Fall to elect
a law-making body more re
sponsive to the people’s needs.
It was emphasized, however
that despite garbled newspa
per reports, the AFL does not
contemplate setting up a “po
litical action committee.”
Following its traditional
non-partisan political course,
the Federation is expected to.
concentrate its efforts on get-!
ting out the labor vote in!
favor of candidates who have1
been indorsed on the basis of j
their voting records .
utner important ana current
matters to be decided by the Exec
utive Council include: ,
1— Formulation of a domestic
program* to prevent inflation and
guard against a future depression.
2— Recommendation of policies to
further the cause of world peace.
3— Establishment of a Maritime
Council in the AFL composed of
unions active in the shipping in
dustry.
4— Furtherance of organizing
campaigns, especially the Southern
drive.
5— Determination of policy with
regard to AFL representation in
the International Labor Organiza
tion.
Besides these pressing issues, the
Executive Council will be required
to prepare a two-year report to
the forthcoming 65th national con
vention of the American Federa
tion of Labor, which is scheduled
to open in this city October 7. The
Executive Council did not prepare
a report for 1945 last year because
the convention had to be cancelled
due to wartime travel restrictions.
The sorry record of the 79th
Congress on domestic issues will
be reviewed in detail by the Exec
utive Council. Most disappointing
to labor were the failure of Con
gress to/adopt effective price con
trol legislation and its surrender
to lobbyist pressure against the
Wagner-EIlender-Taft long-range
housing bill.
Other serious mistakes by Con
gress included failure to improve
the unemployment insurance sys
tem, refusal to lift the national
minimum wage level, and complete
inaction on legislation to broaden
social security and to inaugurate
Federal health insurance.
IATSE RE-ELECTS WALSH
AND HIS ENTIRE SLATE
Chicago — Richard E. Walsh,
president of the International Al
liance of Teatrical Stage Employes
(AFL), and his entire slate were
re-elected at the annual convention
of the union here. Walsh was-gty
en 649 votes to 426 for William
Bennett of Washington.
Green Offers Three-Point Program
To Protect Labor in Shift Of USES
Washington, D. C.—A three
point program for State Federa
tions of Labor to guard against
abuses of State Employment agen
cies and insure a maximum of pro
tection for labor when control of
USES returns to the States No
vember 15 was issued by AFL
President William Green.
Pointing out that Congress voted
for return to State control over
the vigorous opposition of the AFL,
Mr. Green announced he is working
with headquarters of the USES on
development of national standards
to safeguard labor’s interests. How
ever, he warned:
"To minimise the dangers to
labor involved in the return of the
USES to State operation, there is
much that the State Federations
themselves can do. We will com
municate with you from time to
time with respect to this matter.
In the meantime, it is recommend
ed:
"1. That the Employment Serv
ice be removed from the direct
control of the State Unemployment
Compensation Agency and be given
equivalent and independent status.
This has already been accomplished
in Kentucky where the State Leg
islature enacted a bill to establish
a separate Employment Service
Agency within the State Depart
ment of Labor. In Kentucky the
Employment Service is now on a
par with the Unemployment Com
pensation Agency within the De
partment of Labor.
“In the following States where
the Unemployment Compensation
Agency is also located within the
State Department of Labor or the
| Industrial Commission, similar leg
islation should be sought to pro-,
ride for the establishment of the
Employment Service as a separate
division, independent of the Unem
ployment Compensation Agency,
where this is not now provided by
law:
Alabama, Connecticut, Florida,
Georgia, Idaho, Illinois, Kansas,
Louisiana, Nebraska, New Hamp
shire, New York, Pennsylvania,
Utah and Wisconsin.
“8. That both the Unemployment
| Compensation and Employment
| Service programs be administered
within the* State Departments of
I Labor or Industrial Commissions.
, It is recognized that in some States
the Labor Departments or Indus
trial Commissions are far from
adequate and in some cases do not
reflect a proper labor point of
view. Nevertheless, it would ap
pear to be advantageous in most
instances to have these programs
administered by the State Labor
Departments or Industrial Com
missions, particularly whore the
employers dominate the adminis
tration of the present Unemploy
ment Compensation Commissions.
(Please Turn to Page 4)
Charlotte Printers Attending
ITU Convention In Miami
Charlotte Typographical Union
No. 338 is being well represented
at the annual convention of the
International Typographical Union
in Miami this week.
John P. White and W. M. Bos
tick are attending as delegates
from the Charlotte Union, and
Howard L. Beatty and Hugh M.
Sykes are attending as alternates
and visitors. Messrs. White and
Bostick were accompanied to Mi
ami by their wives who are attend
ing the annual convention of the
ITU Women’s Auxiliary, which is
held each year in conjunction with
the Typographical Union conven
tion.
Mesdames Hugh M. Sykes and
Howard L. Beatty also accompanied
their husbands to the Florida re
sort city. Mr. and Mrs. Beatty were
accompanied by their two charm
ing daughters. A card received
from Brother Beatty states that
the Charlotte delegation is enjoy
ing the convention immensely and
also that the sights of the Magic
City are not going by “unnoticed.”
They expect to return to Charlotte
Sunday, as the convention will most
likely close Friday or Saturday.
The session this year is the sec
ond to be held in several years,
due to war restrictions on hotel
and travel accommodations. This
year’s convention was originally
scheduled for Charlotte, but at the
last minute the local committee on
arrangements was informed that
hotel accommodations could not be
had to care for the some 1,500 dele
gates and visitors expected to at
tend. Hence the international ex
ecutive committee named Miami as
the place of meeting.
President
Hicks To
Visit West
Sterling L. Hicks, president of
the Charlotte Central Labor Union,
also president and business repre
sentative of the Radio Engineers
Local Union No. 1229 of the Inter,
national Brotherhood of Electrical
Workers, will attend the Twenty
second convention of the Interna
tional Brotherhood of Electrical
Workers in San Francisco, which
opens September 1.
Those making the trip with Mr.
Hicks will be his wife, and his sis
ter, Mrs. L. H. Partain, who will
join the party in Birmingham, Ala.
Their itinerary includes visits to
the following cities: El Paso, Tex
as, with s short trip into Mexico,
the City of Jaurez, one day in Los
Angeles, then to San Francisco for
two weeks. On the return trip the
party will visit the Mormon Tab
ernacle in Salt Lake City and then
spend a day in Colorado Springs,
making a trip to Pikes Peak, ar
riving home around the last of
September.
■
1.408 DISPUTES SETTLED
Washington, D. C.—Conciliation
Service settled 1,408 labor-manage -
tnj0i disputes in June, 1,096 before
reaching the strike stage.
i
Carpenters
To Install
Auxiliary
Charlotte Carpenters Local Un
ion No. 1469 announced this week
that a meeting will be held in La
bor Temple, 317 Vfc North Try on
street, next Tuesday night, August
26, for the purpose of installing
Ladies Auxiliary 457 to the Car
penters Union. A nice program has
been arranged and refreshments
will be served at this meeting.
Invitations to the installation ex
ercises are being mailed out this
week and read as follows:
“You are invited to attend a spe
cial call meeting of Carpenter’s
Local Union 1469, Tuesday, August
26, 1946, at the Labor Temple,
317 % N. Tryon street, Charlotte,
N. C.t for the purpose of installing
the Charter of the Ladies Auxil
iary, L.U. 457.
“Fraternally,
“JOHN LOVETT,
"Recording Secretary, L.U. 1469.
“N.B.: Refreshments will be
served.™
Unable To
Participate
In Meeting
In answer to a recent invitation
extended to him by Earle R. Brit
ton, Carolinas membership cam
paign director of the AFL, George
M. Harrison, grand president of
the Brotherhood of Railway and
Steamship Clerks, has written Mr.
Britton that he will be unable to
attend ar.d address the meeting
here Sunday due to a previous en- j
gagement. It had been hoped by1
all members of organised labor
here that Mr. Harrison would be
able to attend the mass meeting.
His letter to Director Britton fol
lows:
'Chicago, 111.
“Mr. Earle R. Britton, Chairman,
“A.F. of L. Organising Committee,
“Central Labor Union,
“Charlotte, N. C.
“Dear Sir and Brother:
“Your telegram of August 10
was forwarded to me. I regret
vey much that I am unable to
speak at your meeting in Charlotte,
N. C., August 25. I have a previous
engagement which necessitates my
being in Dallas, Texas, about that
time and it will be impossible for
me to attend both meetings, I am
sorry that 1 cannot comply with
your request. Thank you for the
invitation.
“Sincerely and fraternally,
“GEORGE M. HARRISON,
- — “Grand President.”
_
WOMEN IN GOVERNMENT
| -
Washington, D. C.—By the eni
of May of this year, there were
639,373 women employed full-time
by the executive branch of the
Federal Government in July 1944, i
ingum area alone these employes
numbered 116,476. These figures
are comparable to an all-high of
1,086,397 women employed by the
Federal Govermnet in July 1944,
and with 186,210 in June, 1940.
Meeting Begins At 2 P. M.
In Mecklenburg Court House
OPENS ORGANIZATION DRIVE
George Googe, Earle Britton and
President Fink On Speakers List
_ - - _1
Tentative Program For Rally
The following tentative program has been worked out for
the AFL mass meeting Sunday, August 25, at 2 p.m. to be
held in the Criminal Court Room at the Mecklenburg County
Court House:
Chairman ..,.. .Sterling L. Hicks
President, Central Labor Union
Invocation ... Dr. A. H. Wilson
Pastor; First Christian Church
Music
Address of Welcome ... C. A Fink
President, JST 0. 'Federation of Labor ' T ■
Address and Introduction of Speakers Earle R. Britton
Director of Organization for North and South Carolina
Address .. ..James F. Barrett
Public Relations Director, AFL Southern Office
Address .. “Doc” Garland
A.F. of L. Representative
Address . .. George L. Googe
Southern AFL Director and Co-ordinator of Campaign
Editor’s Note: This program may be supplemented as pertains to
the speakers. William Green has been invited to attend and also several
other prominent national labor men have been asked to address the
meeting. No doubt many of the international unions will be represented
here by their organizers or representatives and if so their names will
appear on the official program to be given out at the meeting.
I.B.E.W. To
Have Fish
Fry Dinner
The- following invitations are be
ing issued this week to members
and friends by Local Union No.
B-379, International Brotherhood
of Electrical Workers:
“Charlotte, N. C.
“August 22, 1946
“You and your family are cor
dially invited to a fish fry given
by Local B-379, I.B.E.W. at Bryant
Park, Thursday, August 29 at 7:30
p.m. Please let us know by at
tached return card of your accep
tance and how many you will bring.
“Local Union B-379,
“R. L. Stitt, B.M
aa\ predicts m million
WILL VACATION BY AUTOS
Washington, D. C.—The Ameri
can Automobile Association pre
dicts a record-breaking number of
highway vacationers this summer.
In spite of lagging production of
new passenger cars, shortages of
parts and slow repair service, more
Americans are on the highways
than ever before.
A.A.A. predicts for the year 60
million people in 20 million cars
will take highway vacations. Their
purses will be six biliion dollars
lighter when they return home. If
they have no-more-than-normal
troubles, they'll have 10 million flat
tires, 7J> million cases of ignition
and battery trouble, and 6 million
“serious breakdowns.’* ^
Machinists
Sign New
Contracts
Two agreements have been sign-,
ed between Local No. 263, Inter
national Machinists Union, and two
Charlotte machine shops. One of
these was consummated several i
weeks ago between the Charlotte
Union and the Whitin Machine
Works, according to an announce
ment made by Recording Secretary
W. B. Wallace, while the other was
recently closed between Local No.
263 and the Terrell Machine Com
pany.
International Representative F.
T. Cornelius and the local commit
tee negotiated the Whitin contract,
while International Representative
W. L. Grant and the local negotiat
ing committee negoti a t e d the
agreement with the Terrell com
pany.
The contracts call for increases
in wages, paid vacations and a 5c
hourly differential in pay between
day and night work.
WINE AND LIQUOR UNIOON
TO CONVENE IN .MONTREAL
Montreal—Member* of the Wine,
Liquor and Distillery Worker*’ In
ternational Union will open their
annual convention here September
17.
The convention this year faces a
number of major issues, including
a steadily increasing drive by dry*
in the United States, for a return
to prohibition, the problem pre
sented by the steady shrinkage of
grain and new restrictions on dis
tilling.
u. ■ .1....
BY H. A. STALLS. Editor
Ctroliu Journal of Labor
Arrangements have about
bom completed for the Char
lotte American Federation of
Labor maao meeting to be held
next Sunday, August 25, at 2
p-m. in the Criminal Court
Room of the Mecklenburg
county courthouse, according
to announcement made by
Sterling L. Hicks, president of
Charlotte Central Labor Un
ion, who is also general chair
man of the labor rally com
■-w - ..
llie tentative program appears
in another column on this page and
Mr. Hicks stated that in case that
some of the speakers listed there
on cannot attend, others may be
substituted to take their places.
Indications point to one of the
most enthusiastic and largest Labor
gaherings ever to be held in the
city of Charlotte. Invitations have
been sent out to all affiliated and
nun-affiliated unions in North Car
olina, and many unions have been
invited to participate from South
Carolina localities.
The meeting will officially open
at 2 p.m. with President Hicks pre
siding. The invocation will be ren
dered by Rev. A. H. Wilson of the
First Christian church, followed by
a musical program. The address
of welcome will be made by C. A.
Fink, prseident of the North Caro
•ina Federation of Labor, to be fol
lowed by Earle R. Britten, Caro
lines AFL campaign director, who
will introduce the speakers, among
whom will be George Googe, South
ern campaign co-ordinator, and
James F. Barrett, southern AFL
public relations chief. Several
prominent national Labor figures
have been invited, among them
William Green, president of the
American Federation of Labor. Mr.
Green has not accepted yet, due to
the press of business matters in
Washington and also perhaps due
to the fact that arrangement are
now being made for the annual
convention of the American Fed
eration of Labor to be held in Chi
cago beginning October 7.
Anyway, a grand rally is antici
pated and a good time is in the
offing for all those who come to
Charlotte next Sunday. And, too,
this will be the official opening of
the Southern AFL drive from a
local standpoint. Plans will be ad
vanced and put into motion to
bring thousands of unorganised
workers into the folds of AFL
unions in this vicinity. After all,
thst is the main purpose of this
Labor rally.
CARMEN WIN DISPUTE
San Francisco—Members of the
Carmen's Union (AFL) have agreed
to accept a city-offered compromise
of their demands guaranteeing
them $1.24 an hour by charter
amendment in November. The set
tlement rate is retroactive to July
1, and is only one cent less **»■» the
original union <j«wH