Newspapers / The Charlotte Labor Journal … / Aug. 29, 1946, edition 1 / Page 1
Part of The Charlotte Labor Journal and Dixie Farm News (Charlotte, N.C.) / About this page
This page has errors
The date, title, or page description is wrong
This page has harmful content
This page contains sensitive or offensive material
Section 1 1946 LABOR DAY Number AFFILIATE WITH YOUR CENTRAL LABOR UNION CHARLOTTE LABOR JOURNAL Unionists, 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 Centr al Labor Union and Affiliated Crafts—Endorsed By North Carolina Federation of Labor and Approved By The America n 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 Gompers. VOL. XVI, NO. 16 CHARLOTTE. N. C., THURSDAY. AUGUST 29. 1946 Subscription Price $2.00 Per Year LABOR DAY, 1946 v By WILLIAM GREEN, President of the American Federation of Labor' History will record 1946 as the year of transition. It is up to us to make 1947 the year of fulfilment. On this Labor Day let us forget for the moment the dtours and diffi culties we have encountered on the rocky road back to peace and pros perity and chat the progress we have achieved. Within a year after the fighting ended, America has almost com pleted the heavy and dispiriting task of reconversion. The way forward .should be easier and more rapid from now. on. The big reward ahehd is full production and full employment, the two essentials to a sound and prosperous economy. The troubles of the rest of the -world are still too much with us, but we cannat escape them nor dodge our respensobility for contributing to their solution. This year the American people *ave generously in time of scarcity to save the people of Europe and Asia from starvation. Hundreds of thousands of American boys are still stationed abroad to keep the peace so dearly won. It is part of our job to help the weaker nations to get back on their feet, and we wHl not count the price too high if by these efforts we serve the cause of lasting world peace. Above all, we recognize the truth that war is the greatest enemy of 1 mankind and that without enduring j peace the strivings of labor to raise the standard of life and work of the nation’s wage earners can be of no PfCSldcnt Green avail. During the early part of this year the members of the American Federation of Labor won substantial increases in wage rates to com pensate them for the loss of overtime pay which they enjoyed during the war production drive. However, the soaring cost of living has, to a large extent, cancelled these gains unless prices can be pushed back to their normal levels. This can only be accomplished by greatly ex panded production to end existing shortages. It is, therefore, to the interest of all American workers to boost production by every means possible. Fortunately, the mass unemployment which loomed threateningly j after V-J Day failed to materialize. Despite he return of millions of members of the armed forces to civilian life, jobs are plentifbl. As production hits high gear, the gateways to more and better employment opportunities will increase.. Unless the tide of inflation breaks bounds and engulfs our economy, the danger of a postwar depression will be -avoided. On the legislative front, labor has attained little progress during the year. We had hoped for broadening of our social security system and for the inauguration of national health insurance, but Congress failed us. We strove for the enactment of a long-range housing pro gram which would permit the construction of millions of homes during the next ten years, but Congress fell down on th job. On the other hand, labor was forced to defend itself against a series of hostile moves by Congress which would have undefmined the freeom of Amer ican workers and handcuffed the trade union movement. Fortunately, the worst of these measures were defeated or vetoed. In the year ahead, organized labor must concentrate greater effort to win public opinion to its side. The trade union movement enjoys the confidence of the Nation’s workers to a degree never before attained This is evidenced by increasing memberships and the results of collec ts bargaining elections. The membership of the Amercan Federation of Labor now stands at an all-time high of more than seven million. We believe that when the public generally understands the high goals sought by labor and the valuable services rendered to the Natkrn by the trade union movement, it will reject the flood of anti-labor propa ganda which reactionary forces have poured out against us. Our enemies are making a last-ditch fight to halt the clock of progress and revive Fascism in this country. They are backed by vast wealth and abundant resources. But the truth will overcome them. And the American people, endowed with good common s^nse, will recognize and understand the truth before long. Marine Unions Offer Aid Chicago.—AFL President Wil liam Green, meeting here with the Executive Council, received the fol lowing telegram offering aid to Buffering millions from the AFL Joint Marine Council of New Or leans: The AFL Joint Marine Council of New Orleans composed of affil iated unions of Seamen, Long shoremen, Teamsters, Masters, Mates and Pilots, Checkers, Car Loaders, Banana Carriers, Tow boatmen, Radio Operators and Warehousemen Carpenters, an nounced that they are submitting to the UNRRA the following offer: That they will man a ship with a full crew complement covering all licensed and unlicensed ratings from master to mess boy who wilt donate their services for any such relief voyage as the UNRRA may designate on any ship of any type the War Shipping Administration will allocate for such purposes. That the Longshoremen, Team sters and other maritime workers will donate their services in loading and preparing the vessel for the voyage. This offer is made with no qual ifications of any type whatsoever and the volunteer crew from the AFL marine unions will be the most skilled and efficient men In the industry. This movement was intiated by both licenses and unlicenaes sea men who, more than any other people, know the suffering of the millions of people in the war rav aged countries of Europe and Asia. They feel that their war services in the liberation of these people which resulted in the death of over six thousand American seamen, are not complete until the peace time war against starvation is won. This plan, initiated by the New Orleans AFL Joint Marine Coun cil, is expected to be adopted na tionally by the AFL marine organi zations. The council selected dele gates to attend the AFL Marine Trades Conference being held in Chicago August 16. The delegates, Steely White, HU. and Pat Ryan, AFL organizer, are leaving today by plane from Moisaat airport. Truman Salutes Labor BY HARRY S. TRUMAN (•resident of the United States This Labor Day is "tie of great importance. We can look into the future today with confidence, but net with tranquility. We still have a big job to do, and a long way to go, to assure the domestic prosperity and inter* national understanding necessary to prevent depressions and war. But we can do it if we keep in our minds constantly that people ure our most important asset. We must utilize them and conserve them. The largest part of reconver sion has been accomplished, and much of the credit for the job done goes to the w-orkers of this great Union of States and free peorle. Labor Day is a day set aside for labor by Act of Congress; a day tc review the accomplishments of working men and women, and to restate the aims and ambitions and needs of all those who work with their hands and minds. Since last Labor Day .these men and women have brought production to new peacetime highs. Their work has produced a flood of goods to meet the needs of the people who did without many essentials and most com forts during the war years. These consumers have upheld price and vent controls during the difficult postwar period of inflationary pressure, and at the same time, as industrial and farm and home workers, they have supported their stand with record produc tion. As a nation of working people, we can maintain and increase the large production and nearly full employment which we have attained, if we carry on together as we did during wartime. Labor, management and farm e s, with the help of government wherever it could be useful, have made this great start toward peacetime readjustment. If we continue to co-operate, to work, ( and to produce, we can attain a richness of life that will be a i red PRESIDENT TRUMAN it anti a benefit to all of us now living, and a real hope and promise to those who come after us. We must retain the safeguards against exploitation which labor won after the last depression. La bor must continue to have the op portunity. through free collective bargaining and free political ac tion, to improve the lot of workers and to increase their participation in public affairs. Labor, perhaps more than any other group, has consistently sup ported the objectives set forth in Franklin D. Roosevelt’s memorable “Economic Bill of Rights.” We must now move forward to full achievement of those objectives: I useful and remunerative jobs for all; incomes high enough to pro vide adequate food, clothing and recreation; freedom from unfair competition and domination ..by monopoly; adequate health protec tion; more effective social security measures; and educational oppor tunity for all. Labor, too, has been in the fore front of the battle to end intol erance and wipe out bigotries of race, creed and color. I salute the hosts of labor for their magnificent job in wartime and in the beginnings of peace, and urge them on to further efforts in behalf of the rights and dignity of mankind. Its Your Holiday-Enjoy It! The above picture is reminiscent of the war days when American workers were busily engaged turning out implements of war for their country. This is the scene of a rush for the gate when the whistle blew for a change of shifts. Having finished their day's duties they are homeward bound, to sup with mom and pop or wifey or sweetheart, whichever the case may be. This picture may also illustrate to some degree the need for the people of America laying aside their differences and getting together on some broad plan to keep the masses employed. A successful America most be kept busy with its enormous skilled man power in order that the needs of the country may get back to normal at an early date. A LABOR DAY MESSAGE BY GEORGE MEANY Secretary-Treasurer, American Federation of Labor Of all the days of the year, labor’s own holiday is Undoubtedly the most appropriate for workers to do some good hard thinking about the most precious possessin they have —freedom. On Labor Day, a full year after the defeat of our na tion's enemies, it is natural that sports, recreation and relaxation should have their place on the pro gram, but it is important—very important—that Labor Day should 1m* used also to ponder deeply the meaning and worth of American freedom. Before the war altogether too many of our citizens took this blessing for granted. Now again there are signs of recurring indif ference and complacency. This at titude is unjustified and very dan gerous. For always, in times of peace as well as in times of war, there are ugly forces at work at tempting to whittle away and ulti mately to wipe out the most fun damental and the most important of human rights—the right to live our lives as we see fit and not as some omnipotent dictator com mands. If the people of our country did not live under a system of freedom, there could not be such an organi zation as the American Federation of Labor—a democratic organiza tion through which, in a period of 60 years, the wage-earners of America have secured the highest standard of living in the history of the world. Organized labor has had many arduous struggles in the past and j it expects to have to wage many ! tough battles in the years that are to come. The worker and his union have always had to fight for eco | nomic advanc ement. Nothing ! worthwhile has come without a good deal of exertion on the part I of the labor movement. But the important point to re | member always is that we have j been free to organize, free to ap peal to public opinion, free to use 1 our economic strength, and that it ! has only been because of our free dom to act that the wage-earners of America are today so far ahead of the world’s economic procession. Without this freedom we would still be in the mire. With freedom we shall be able to map programs for further advancement and to Secretary Meaney take appropriate action to translate these programs into reality. What the workers of America have accomplished under the free enterprise system of our country is the envy of the world, yet we often read derogatory utterances concerning our economic system thnt emanate from the proponents of totalitarianism. Free enterprise proved its efficacy during the re cent war when, without enslaving labor, without giving away our cherished rights and liberties, American industry, in cooperation with American labor, outproduced and outfought the Axis. The war showed that the American system was not only the best from the viewpoint of wage-earners in peace time but likewise the best system for the defense of our national sov ereignty during the most terrible war of all time. On this Labor Day of 1946, the American Federation of Labor stands for the same ideals and principles that have been proven sound and constructive during all the years of its existence. All that we have accomplished, all that we hope to accomplish to bring more and more happiness into the lives of our families and communities— all this depends entirely upon the maintenance and extension of hu man liberty. Let us rededicate ourselves on this Labor Day to be alert always to the great value of this posses sion and to fight with all our strength against those who belittle it and wish to destroy it. Freedom is the foundation. Without it no sound human structure is possible. AFL Demands United Nations Halt World Trade In Slave Labor Goods Chicago.—A strong demand that the United Nations bar from world trade the products of forced labor was made by the AFL Executive Council. In a formal statement on this issue the Council declared: We face new dangers to our freedom as we deliberate on i.ew treaties of peace and decide upon new institutions and rules of world government. The new despotism would destroy faith in freedoom. It is a challenge which compels us to hold uncompromisingly to the ways and principles of freedom. If we do not resist we shall find our selves limited in the exercise of our freedom in the international field and at home. The need for insisting that the United Nations shall take an un compromising position against forced labor is made plain by these facts: Forced labor in the Soviet Union exceeds the entire labor force of the states of New York, New Jer sey, Pennsylvania, Connecticut, Rhode Island, Vermont, Massachu setts, and New Hampshire. The value produced by Soviet forced labor enters into a large number‘of Soviet export commod ities such as timber, gold, chrom and other metals. x. In the kind of of world foreshad, owed by the Charter of the United Nations, trade and economic rela tionships between all countries should be free and mutually sup plementary. Yet unless forced la bor is outlawed, competition be tween free and forced labor might grind all trade and production to the lowest level. The United States has proposed an international conference on Trade and Employment and has prepared proposals to be submit ted. The United States proposal, Section G, No. 6. ^states: “The un dertakings in this chapter should not be construed to prevent mem ben from adopting or enforcing measures relating to prison-mado goods.” We should demand an affirma tive position outlawing prison made and forced labor or slave la bor products. We should also insist that Congress should condition all increased capital for the Export Import Bank by a proviso outlaw ing the repayment of credits in goods produced wholly or in part by prison, slave, or forced labor. We in the United States insist that the United Nations bar to world trade all products of forced and prison labor and that member nations enact like legislation.
The Charlotte Labor Journal and Dixie Farm News (Charlotte, N.C.)
Standardized title groups preceding, succeeding, and alternate titles together.
Aug. 29, 1946, edition 1
1
Click "Submit" to request a review of this page. NCDHC staff will check .
0 / 75