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JOURNAL
Working For A Better Understanding Between
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A Newt paper 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
pmt, the labor movement
I would not be what it ia to
day. and any man who
trie* to injure a labor pa
per is a traitor to the
cause."—Samuel Gompera.
VOL. XVI; NO. 19
CHARLOTTE. N. C„ THUBS MY, SEPTEMBER 19. 1946
Subscription Price $2.00 Per Year
Bradley Asks Little Firms
To Give Disabled Breaks
i
Porltand, Ore.—An urgent ap
peal to small firms to make room
„1n their organizations for disabled
veterans was sounded here by Gen.
Omar N. Bradley, Administrator of
Veterans’ Affairs, before the Na
tional Convention of the Disabled
American Veterans.
The small employer, generally, is
slower to hire disabled servicemen
■“because he is less willing to take
what he mistakenly thinks will be
a financial risk,” Gen. Bradley told
the 1,000 delegates.
In most cases of this reluctance,
Gen. Bradley inferred, agencies
who try to stimulate the hiring of
physically handicapped veterans
had not got around to the employer
with the “proof” that it was “good
business” to employ them. The rec
ord showed, Gen. Bradley said, that
there was no basis for fears that
subsequent injuries were more like
ly to occur among the physically
handicapped.
Nor was it true, he went on, that
their employment would increase
the cost of workmens’ compensa
tion insurance to the employer for
np higher rate was charged because
disabled workers were employed.
Legislation in 38 states setting
up so-called “second injury” funds
to compensate partially disabled
workers who might becems totally
disabled through further injuries
moving fears of many small em
ployers, the General said, and he
urged further legislation of this
type.
He did so, he explained, despite
his own belief that the fears were
groundless.
“A man with two legs is a lot
more likely to grow careless at a
factory machine than the veteran
who carries with him the memory
of a leg lost through no fault of
his own in an enemy mine field,"
Gen. Bradley asserted.
“Nevertheless, second - injury
funds should be set up in all states,
so that employers will not be re
quired to incur an unreasonable risk
in hiring persons already partially
disabled.”
About 25,000 handicapped veter
ans now were employed, at least
(Ulease Tura to Page 3)
21 More Building Materials
Are Freed Of Price Control
Washington, D. C.—Price con
trols on 21 more construction and
industrial materials, with an annual
production value of $110,000,000,
have been suspended by the Office
of Price Administration.
As this action was being taken
here, spokesmen at the opening of
the annual convention of the Na
tional Contract Hardware Associa
tion and the American Society of
Architectural Hardware Consult
ants, in session in Chicago, de
clared that production of builders’
hardware will reach a peak in 1948
with output at the rate of $110,
000,000 annually.
Production of most of the items
freed from OPA control, the agency
said, should be sufficient to meet
present and future demands, and
these are regarded as not essential
to the Veterans’ Emergency Hous
ing Program.
The most important commodity
decontrolled was that of refrac
tories (glased ware). A $25,000,
000 annual production of refrac
tories was freed. This, taking into
account a $60,000,000 production
from which controls previously
were lifted, completed the suspen
sion of controls on all industrial re
fractories.
Other major commodities from
which controls were removed in
cluded the following: Day, flushed
an pulp color pigments, cadmium
pigments and ceramic colors and
decorating compositions with an
annual value of $31,000,000.
Vitreous enamel frit, which is
used in the enameling of iron, steel
and clay products, with a produc
tion valued at $15,000,000 a year.
Slags for commercial blast fur
naces and for chemical, industrial,
construction and agricultural uses,
valued at $12,000,000.
Price controls also were suspend,
ed on the following:
Calcimine, cement retarted rock,
clay chimney pots and tops, vitri
16 1-2 Cent Raise Urged
F or50,000W.U. W orkers
Washington, D. C.—Wage in
creases, for 60,000 Western Union
workers, who are members of three
AFL unions, were recommended to
Labor Secretary L. B. Schwellen
bach by a special fact-finding
board he appointed to study the
pay dispute.
The board proposed an average
hourly increase of 16 1-2 cents an
hour for telegraph workers and a
raise of 10 cents an hour for mes
sengers. This is in addition to the
12-cent hourly increase approved
for workers in the telegraph in
dustry December 29 by the War
Labor Board.
Immediately after receiving the
report Secretary Schwellenbsch
urged union leaders and company
officials to resume negotiations,
using the board’s recommenda
tions as a basis for settlement.
The three AFL unions comprise
the National Co-ordinating Board
for workers in the telegraph indus
try associated with the Commercial
Telegraphers’ Union.
Copies of the board’s findings
were mailed by Secretary Schwel
lenbach to W. Lee Cooney, presi
dent of the Telegraph Workers’
Union; J. A. Payne, chairman of
the Western Union Division; Hal
Swan, president of the Telegraph
Employes’ Union, and to officers of
the company.
i
The board found that the in*
crease granted in December under
the Little Steel formula was late
in arrival and trailed moat of the
other raises granted to major in
dustries.
The board recommended:
A general increase of 121-2
cents hourly for all nonmessenger
employes, and 10 cents an hour for
messengers. p
For the AFL unions, a sum av
eraging 4 cents per man hour be
added to an existing fund, to be
distributed after negotiations to
provide !an equitable and balanced
wage rate structure.
All adjustments to be retroactive
to last June 2.
With regard to the company's
major contention that it was finan
cially unable to pay any wage in
crease, the majority opinion said:
"The ability to pay principle
cannot be applied as an absolute
determinant of wages. To apply it
as an absolute determinant would
result in a wage scale that fluc
tiates with the rise and fall of
. business profits.”
I The majority opinion was signed
by Chairman Saul Wallen, former
chairman of the New England re
gional war labor board, and Thom
as Donahue, former chairman of
(the Michigan state mediation
’ board.
fied clay closet bowls and slop
bowls, metallic soaps, electrical
clay conduit, clay filter blocks,
floor hardeners, gypsum retarder, I
cement atone and paper mill stone, I
limestone, masonry waterproofing
compounds, pipe compounds, putty
and caulking compounds, and clay
segment blocks.
SAYS GOVERNMENT
‘STUPIDITY’ CAUSED
SEAMEN TO STRIKE
- I
Pittsburgh, Pa. — Government i
“stupidity” alone is responsible for
the seamen’s strike, AFL President |
William Green declared here in an j
attack on the Wage Stabilization i
Board.
In an address before the conven-!
tien of the Operative Plasterers
aad Cement Finishers International
Association, Mr. Green rigorously
assailed Government dictation in
■Otters which unions and employ*
crs attempt to settle between them*
“Here is an Instance,” he de
clared, “where responsibility for
interference with transportation
and production rests squarely with
an agency of the Government.
“What we need is less Govern
ment conrol in fixing wages. We
want to be free men who can sell
their labor under their terms and
not be compelled to work under
wages fixed by the Government.
“That is Communism, and we
dont’ have any Communism in the
American, Federation of Labor.”
Citing the gradual disintegration
of the CIO, he referred particularly
to “two great unions, which discov
ered they had made a mistake and
came back home.” He was making
reference, he added, to the United
Mine Workers and the Internation,
al Ladies Garment Workers, both I
of which returned to the AFL after !
an earlier affiliation with the CIO.
ILliWU PRESENTS J5.000
TO NEW VETS’ GROUP
New York City.—A check for
$5,000 has been presented by Presi. |
dent David Dubinsky of the Inter
national Ladies Garment Workers
Union (AFL) from his organiza
tion members to the American
Veterans Committee.
Mr. Dubinsky, a vice president
oi the AFL, expressed high praise
for the AVC and presented the
check in his New York office to
two members of the AVC’s admin
istrative committee—Franklin D.
Roosevelt, Jr., and Oren Root, Jr.
The AVC now has between 70,
000 and 72,000 members and is at
present conducting a drive for $1,
000,000 to finance its campaign to
raise its membership to 1.000,000
veterans of the second World War.
The ILGWU’s contribution was the
first to be donated by a labor or
ganization, which, Mr. Dubinsky
declared, would be followed by oth
er gifts from locals of the union.
The AVC, Mr. Dubinsky comment
ed, wag the only organization he
knew to have given a formal en
dorsement to a prolabor policy.
MORE TIN PLATE
Washington, D. C.—The Civilian
Production Administration has i
freed for general use an additional
15 per cent of tin plate production,
w hich earlier had been channeled to
the manufacture of cans for such
urgent items as perishable foods
and pharmaceuticals. The modifi
cation, effective September 30, was
adopted on recommendation of the
industry’s advisory, committee.
Carpenters Win
Election At Bost
Equipment Plant
*__
The Charlotte local of the Broth
erhood of C^tpenters and Joiners
of America ojbn an election at the
Bost BuildinR Equipment plant,
which was conducted here recently,
according to an announcement made
from the office W the Carpenters’]
local this weak. \he election was
supervised by Tasker Howard, Jr.,
for the government.
DELEGATES ARE URGED
TO WIRE FOR ROOMS
Delegates to the National Con
vention of the American Federa
tion of Labor, opening at the
Morrison Hotel in Chicago Octo
ber 7, are nrged to send in their
applications for hotel reserva
tions at once, to obtain confirma
tions.
Indications are that accommo
dations will be at a premium, and
they are being made on a “first
come, first-served basis.” Late
applicants will necessarily be
quartered in other hotels. Every
effort is being made to provide
maximum facilities for the con
vention delegates at the Morri
son.
Applications for reservations
should bo addressed to Harry E.
O'Reilly. Secretary of the AFL
Convention Committee, Chicago
Federation of Labor, 666 Lake
Shore Drive, Chicago.
Teamsters Sign
Rock Hill Bus
Drivers 100 Pet.
The Rock Hill bus drivers have
been signed up 100 per cent by the
International Brotherhood of Team
sters and Chauffeurs and Ware
housemen, according to an an
nouncement by local labor officials
here this week. An organization
campaign has been under way in
Rock Hill for some time and this
is perhaps the first union to report
a 100 per cent organization from
that city.
CONVENTION IN
CONNECTICUT RAPS
FEDERAL DICTATION
Hartford, Conn.—The Connecti
cut Federation of Labor (AFL), at
its convention here, voted against
continuance of jurisdiction by Gov
ernment agencies in labor disputes.
The resolution unanimously adopt,
ed by the delegates stated that ‘‘so
far as possible, labor and manage
ment should try to adjust their
differences without the interven
tion of a Government tribunal”
and that “facilities should be cre
ated making it possible for the
union and the company involved
to place issues before an objective
group of local, prominent labor
and industrial persons who com
mand the respect of all concerned
to mediate such disputes, and who
would have a better understanding
of conditions in the area than out
siders.”
HOME-BUILDING PUT FIRST
Washington, D. C.—The Civilian
Production Administration has re
jected 222 applications for $11,
000,000 of nonhousing construction
to channel materials into home
building.
MISS PERKINS APPOINTED
Washington, D. C.—Former Sec
retary of Labor Frances Perkins
was appointed by President Tru
man to the U. S. Civil Service Com
mission. She will be the only wom
an in the Administration who will
report directly to the President.
* Send in your subscription to The
Journal today. Yearly rate, $2.00.
Child Welfare Programs
Get Increased U. S. Funds
Operators Pay 2 1-2 Millions
Into UMW Pension Fund
JAP LABOR PROGRESSING
ALONG AMERICAN STYLE
Tokyo.—A basic law aimed at
elimination of “every trace of feud
alism” from Japanese labor has
been drafted, by the Welfare Min
istry. It features an 8-hour day,
48-hour week, minimum wage lev
els, a ban on hiring children under
15 and employing women or work
ers under 18 for night jobs in
mine pits.
The tentative draft of the new
labor charter follows by only a few
days the final report of the labor
advisory committee of Gen. Doug
las MacArthur's headquarters,
which paid high tribute Jto 'the
achievements in the labor field in
Japan since American occupation.
It noted, however, that “much re
mains to be done.”
“Remarkable progress has been
made in removing obstacles to la
bor organisations, establishing bas
ic rights of labor and otherwise
implementing sound basic policies,”
the ^report said. ’'Matters of top
priority have received primary at
tention.” 4 ,
Recommendations for the attain
ment of long-range objectives in
cluded the broadening and
strengthening of basic labor legis
lation and “thorough overhauling"
of the nation’s labor administration
machinery. The report also sug
gested education of both the public
and unions on “the functions of
labor unions, the nature of collec
tive bargaining and the importance .
of labor legislation.”
The committee approved the la
bor disputes adjustment bill now
before the Diet (Parliament) as
setting up proper procedure for
conciliation, mediation and arbitra
tion. It found the trade union law
a '‘practical success,” but felt that
it does not provide a clear-cut set
of rules to govern labor relations.
The report described man power
as ‘‘Japan’s only plentiful re
source” and emphasised the neces
sity of its effective use. It recom
mended a strong public works pro
gram.
“The advancement of labor is one
of the best guaranties against any
future revival of militarism and
aggression,” the committee said.
BOARDS TO STUDY
HIGHER PAY PLANS
New York City.—Boards now be.
ing named by State Industrial
Commissioner Edward Corsi will
consider higher wage standards for
350,000 workers in this state.
The boards will review the mini
mum wages now fixed by state or
der for 100,000 restaurant work
ers, 104,000 hotel employes, 35,000
laundry workers, 14,000 employes
in cleaning and dyeing establish
ments and 12,000 employed in
beauty shops.
The existing wage order in the
restaurant industry calls for a min
imum rate of 30 cents an hour and |
meals for employes whose wages |
are not supplemented by tips and '
20 cents an hour and meals for
those who receive tips in addition !
te wages. Overtime is figured at
the rate of time and one-half for
work over 45 hours a week. - S
CAR OPERATORS GET RAISE
Chicago, III.—District 900 of
the Amalgamated Association of
Street, Electric Railway and Motor
Coach Employes (AFL) have just
announced a wage increase of
18 1-2 cents an hour for 500 of the
North Shore and Milwaukee rail
road employes.
—
Washington, D. C.—The welfare
and retirement fund, provided un
| der the bituminous wage agree
ment signed hy the United Mine
| Workers <AFL) on May 29, al
i ready has accumulated <2,500,000,
j Admiral Ben Moreell, Federal coal
' mines administrator, announced
here.
The money represents the first
payment, on August 15, by coal
producers, of a contribution of 5
eents on each ton of their output
between June 1 and July 15. The
! next payment is due September 16,
and thereafter payments will be
made on a monthly basis.
The bituminous coal mines have,
been in Government possession
since May 22, when wage negotia
tions collapsed. In a preliminary
report. Rear Admiral W. J. Carter,
| Navy paymaster general and cus
. todian of the fund, reported satis
• fectory progress in collecting th«
fund levy. . >i
Admiral Carter will handle the
fund until three trustees are ap
pointed under the terms of the
agreement worked out by Secre
tary of the Interior J. A. Knag
and John L. Lewis, United Mina
Workers’ chief.
The fund is to be used for pay
ments to miners and their de
pendents or survivors for tempor
ary or permanent disabilities or
death and for retirement and other
welfare purposes. The payments
are intended to make up for lack of
insufficient compensation under
Federal and State laws.
No expenditures will be made
from the fund until the three trus
tees have been appointed and an
accounting has been made.
Under the agreement. Admiral
(Please Turn to Page Z)
Washington, D. C. — Increased
child welfare services throughout
the Nation were predicted here by
Miss Katherine Lenroot, chief of
the Labor Department’s Children’s
Bureau, in a statement accompany
ing a State-by-State announce,
ment of funds made newly avail
able under an amendment to the
Social Security Act.
For the fiscal year 1946-47,
Congress appropriated >3,500,000
as against a previous annual sum
of $1,510,000, more than doubling
the amount nationally available for
apportionment on a basis of a flat
sum of $20,000 to each State with
additional amounts in proportion to
the rural population.
Some of the new totals are: New
York, $115,980, an increase of $67,
004 over the previous annual
amount; Texas, $165,363, a $96,339
increase; Pennsylvania, $157,472, a
$91,646 increase; North Carolina,
$127,722, a $74,014 increase; Ala
bama, $102,028, a $58,724 increase;
California $103,194, increase $69,
415; Georgia $105,053, increase
$60,512; Illinois, $106,617. increase
SS1.442: Kentucky, $102428. Ut
crease $59,198; Ohio $115,806, in*
crease $66,547.
“With this extra help which all
the people through Congress, are
giving, we should see a major ex
pansion of these vital services for
neglected, dependent, and delin
quent children and for any chil
dren in need of special help," Miss
Lenroot said.
“This Is a welcome prospect, for
five out of six counties in the coun
try today have no full-time child
welfare worker paid from public
funds to lend skilled counsel and
guidance in protecting the well
being of the socially handicapped
child."
While states make their own de
cisions on how the funds will be
spent, it is expected that much of
it will go into salaries for full
time welfare workers to find foster
(Please Turn to Page 4)
14 State AFL Leaders
Appointed To Regional
Conciliation Groups
Washington, D. C.—Appointment
of two American Federation of La
bor members to each of seven re
gional labor-management advisory
committees was announced here by
Edgar L. Warren, director of the
U. S. Conciliation Service.
“Appointment of these regional
advisory committees,” Warren said,
“is part of our effort to decentral
ize responsibility for settling dis
putes. First responsibility in any
system of free collective bargain
ing rests with management and la
bor. If they are unable to settle
their own affairs, certainly they
can receive the best advice and
counsel from men in their own com.
munity.”
As their first assignment, War
ren requested each of the regional
committees to begin immediately j
the task of qualifying a panel ofI
impartial arbitrators from which
he can select men when called upon
to name an arbitrator in disputes.
Members of each committee will be
asked to- submit names for the ar
bitration panels. Each name st*h-:
mitted will he checked by all mem
bers of the committee for impar
tiality and other qualifications.
The AFL members appointed are
Region 1, Kennth I. Taylor, secre
tary of the Massachusetts Federa
tion of Labor, and Joseph M.
O’Rourke, secretary of the Con
necticut Federation; Region 2, Har
old Hanover, secretary of the New
York Federation, and James Mc
i
Devitt, president of the Pennsyl
vania Federation; Region 3, Carl
Mullen, president of the Indiana
Federation and Edward Wyler, sec.
retary of the Kentucky Federa
tion; Region 4, George L. Googe,
director of AFL southern organ
ising campaign, and E. H. Wil
liams, president of the Louisiana
Federation.
Region 5, Harry W. Acreman,
secretary-treasurer of the Texas
Federation, and Frank J. Murphy,
secretary-treasurer of the Missouri
Federation; Region 6, R. G. Soder
strom, president of the Illinois
Federation, and George A. Haber
man, president of the Wisconsin
Federation; Region 7, Neil Hagger
ty, secretary-treasurer of the Cali
fornia Federation, and E. M. Wes
ton, president of the Washington
Federation.
The first region will cover New
England; second. New York, Penn
sylvania, New Jersey, Delaware,
Maryland and the District of Co
lumbia; third, Ohio, Indiana, Mich
igan, West Virginia, and Kentucky;
fourth, Virginia, North Carolina,
rennessee. South Carolina, Geor
gia, Alabama, Mississippi, Louis
ana and Florida; ^fifth, Kansas,
Missouri, Arkansas, Texas, Okla
ioma, Nebraska and Iowa; sixth,
niinois, Wisconsin, Minnesota,
S’orth and South Dakota; seventh,
Montana, Wyoming, Colorado, New
Mexico, Idaho, Utah, Arizona, Ne
vada, Washington, Oregon and
California. .