Newspapers / The Charlotte Labor Journal … / Oct. 24, 1946, edition 1 / Page 1
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■ AFFILIATE - WITH YOUR CENTRAL LABOR UNION AND THE N. C. FEDERATION NOW! VOL. XVI, NO. 25 Unionists, Do Everything Within Your Power To Aid In the Southern A. F. L. Membership Drive Working For A Better Understanding Between North Carolina AFL Unions and Employers of Labor Charlotte Labor Joumal A New paper Dedicated To The Interests of Charlotte Central Labor Union and Affiliated Craft*—Endorsed By North Carolina federation of Labor and Approved By The American Federation of Labor, **Were it not for the labor preen, the labor movement would not be what it is to* day, and any man who trios to injure a labor pa per is a traitor to the cause.”—Samuel Gompers. CHARLOTTE. N. C„ THURSDAY, OCTOBER 24, 1946 Subscription Price S2.00 Per Year Washington, D. C.—Increasing indications are seen here that wage controls are slated for the discard and soon will take their place beside those which already have been abandoned with numerous other wartime regulations. In consequence, the eyes of labor and Government are pointed toward President Truman, who is expected to an nounce in the near future how quickly and to what extent wage controls will be dropped. Already wage limitations, like OPA ceilings, have been aban doned since VJ-Day in many fields. Generally, they are being removed from industries as price ceilings are abandoned. As an ex ample; when price controls on meat and livestock were termi nated automatically in the pack ing industry. However, the problem is not <|uite so simple as a flat drop of all wage controls, some who have given the issue close study re port. It is a complex problem in many respects, they said. Wage stabilisation is divided into both direct and indirect controls, and the controls are still exercised over the wage and salary rises in the building and conservation field, .over all wage decreases and rates established for new jobs or plants. Subject to the detailed regula tions of the Wage Stabilisation Board, direct control means the failure to obtain the board’s ap proval of wage changes coating within the above categories marks The WSB also is administering ■direct control of wage rates for war veterans, under the veterans’ training program. Its purpose is to prevent employers from pay ing unreasonably low wages to; former service men who are re ceiving government paymenta while in training. The WSB in a fell instances has disapproved applications for * low wage rates received while m training should bear some rela tionship to the pay which the veteran will receive when his training is completed. In addition to these direct con trols, the^WSB regulations estab lish indirect controls which extend to a much wider field but are being reduced in scope as price ceilings are terminated. The indirect controls specify that wage increases may not be used aa a basis for requesting higher OPA ceilings on prices or tents or as a basis for increased coat to the Federal Government unless they have the WSB’s ap proval. Several recent developments have weakened the WSB’s hold on wage controls and have im pelled the reconsideration of the eatire program. These included: 1. Overruling of the WSB’s decision by John R. Steelman, reconversion director, in the mar itime labor case involving AFL unions. The seamen were allowed • greater increase than the board would approve. 2. Resignation “of tVe two In dustry members of the board. Mr. Truman has not yet accepted their resignations, but study is being given to setting up a new board or agency which would abandon the tripartite plan under which labor, industry and the public are equally represented. 3. The decision to speed up the entire wage-price decontrol program as a reuslt of the re moval of ceilings from meat. Electricians Sign Pact With 2,000 Contractors Washington, D. C.*— Approxi mately 100,000 members of the fn teraational Brotherhood of Electri cal Workers (AFL) will benefit under the terms of an agreement signed by the union officers and officials of the National Electrical Contractors' Association, comprised of more than 2,000 contractors throughout the Nation. The new contract, signed in the office of Labor Secretary Lewis B. Schwellenbach, ®mbraced an em ployes' benefit agreement provid ing for employer contributions to an industry-wide pension fund of the union. Members of the union will contribute 60 cents a month each to the pension fund and this sum" will be matched dollar-for dollar by the employers. This will provide a retirement benefit of $50 a month to members of the IBEW when they reach 65 years after 20 years of continuous membership in the union. It is the first industry-wide pension agree , ment in the construction field. The agreement was signed for the union by International Presi dent Ed J. Brown, International Secretary Gus Bugniaset and C. F. Preller, a member of the Interna tional Executive. Council. Signing for the employers were NECA President Robert W. McChesney; E. C. Carlson, chairman of the Labor Relations Committee, and Paul M. Geary, executive vice pres ident. Commenting on the new agree ment the employers’ spokesman said: “There Is nothing mysterious about successful employer-employe relations. Given any normal prob lem of adjustment, it can be solved if employers to good faith bnto will to solve it in co-operation with the employes acting in good faith with the will to solve it. Much of the present problem of employe and employer relations has been shrouded in localities and high-sounding hocus-pocus. “The successful relations in the electrical contracting industry have been established over a period of more than a quarter of a century. They rest upon a simple formula of getting the facts, of analysing the facts, of arriving at the nature of the problem, and then doing something about it jointly, with kindness and reasonableness. "The long-time relationships be tween NECA and IBEW are dedi cated to the single proposition: Co operation is an art not to be had merely by wishing for it. It is not a static but a dynamic art and one that demands intelligence, honesty of purpose and just as constant at tention as any other department of the activities of both the union and the employers.” Discussing this statement of the contractors with reporters a short time later, Secretary Schwellen bach said: « “This is the best and most un derstanding statement concerning employer-employe relations that I have seen since I became Secretary t/i Labor. I think any employer would do well to study it.” VETS’ INCOMES LOW Washington, D. C.—Most former GI’s are not receiving incomes suf ficient “to properly care for their families,” it was indicated by a poll conducted by the American Veterans of World War II.* Of the 98 posts which reported, 81 stated their members were receiving in Building Ai Hold Histoi FREY SHARPLY CRITICAL OF BUREAUCRATIC ACTS IN JURIOUS TO LABOR. Chicago. — Delegates from three major divisions of the American Federation of Labor gathered here for their anneal * meetings which serve gs a cur tain-raiser to hte 63th AFL con vention opening here October 7. They included the Metal Trades, the Union Label, and the Bailding and Construction Trades Departments. All three were confronted with serious questions touching upon wages,, hours, climbing living coats, legislation covering many issues vital labor and relations with Federal agencies, la i comprehensive report to the Wtals Trades Convention John F- Fray, president, was sharply critical of some Government agen cies Mfcose authority extends into the Held of labor. He singled out Rivticularly the Nhtional La bor Relations board which, he said, had shown an anti-AFL bias. « Dia^ygeing the G o v e r nment’s part in labor matters, Mr. Frey said: “As there must be Federal agen cies wielding authority, it strikes the average man that Trade Un ionists eannot be protected unless there is action by Congress which would prevent such conditions as those against which hre have found cause to complain. “As the situation stands today, our welfare, our rights, and our opportunities rest largely in the hands of men given great authori ty, over whom we have no voice, for they do not hold elective of fice. It is our well-measured con id Construe y-MakingCI vietion that the existence of a bu reaucracy ia a definite menace to free institutions, and as they in crease in number, the menace ia increased.” Pursuing this Issue further, Mr. Frey told the delegates: “Government by law, which reg ulates and defines the authority of public officials, has been super seded by control over our every day activities by the Bureaus, Commissions, Boards, and other Federal regulation bodies which are controlled, at least in part, by their partisan views, the theories to which they are wedded, obvious prejudices and political objectives. Perhaps no greater problem faces our Trade Unioa movement today than this issue of bureaucratic controls.” Mr. Frey reported an exetnsive membership gain throughout the war period and added: “It is most gratifying to find that the present membership of • our International Unions is much larger than before the war and thpt friendly Relationships have been established with thousands of employers who %>rmerly were op posed to maintaining cordial rela tions. I “From one end of the country to I the other, AFL unions, early this ! year, negotiated wage contracts I which precluded an increase in j prices. Over three thousand of such agreements were entered into which carried no price increases.’’ Discussing the international la bor picture, Mr. Frey reported grave difficulties in reviving the ^International Metal Workers’ Fed eration in a manner which would restore its former effectiveness. “A free trade union movement does not exist in most of Europe,” tion Trades liicago Meet he said. “What was previously the largest trade union in Europe, that of Germany, has practically van ished." Mr. Frey said many obstacles had been encountered in the at tempts to restore free trade union ism in the allied occupied areas. “Russia,” he said, "apparently wants only the form of so-called trade unions which were permitted in Russia.” “As it is, the official hand in the French, British, and American zones in Germany has not proved itself to be either helpful or friendly,” he declared. Sounding grave warning to the delegates to be constantly on guard against infiltration by Red pgents, Mr. Frey said: “Since our last convention, Com munism in the United States has rapidly developed as an agency for Moscow. It now goes far beyond carrying out the party line. A well planned, active campaign has been launched by Moscow agents to secure a controlling place in the American Trade Union move ment.” 90 MILLION FOR VETERANS Washington, D. C. — Approxi mately $90,000,000 in compensa tion or pensions is being paid monthly to more than 2.135,000 living veterans of wars dating bark as far as the Indian War campaigns, the Veterans Adminis tration announced. ANOTHER GREEN BAY GROUP AFFILIATES WITH UAW-AFL Green Bay, Wis.—Employes of the Auto Parts Company of this city have become the newest unit to join the United Automobile Workers of America (AFL). Highlights Of Green's Address Chicago.—Following are lomc of i tha highlights of the address of AFL President William Green to the opening session of the AFL convention here: The war could not have been won except for the devoted service given by that army of production. I make answer without reserve* tion to those who have indulged in criticism and complaint, those who have found fault regardless of the near-perfect record that has been made and the transportation lines of the nation. Truly here was lo-j cated the arsenal of democracy. Opposes Continued Controls It is more than a year siqce VJ Day and we are disturbed because of the confused situatient that has developed, the tendency on the part of government to still exercise ! control over our economic life and to delegate even collective bar gaining to the rear and clothe a governmental agency with author ity to veto the collecive bargaining rgreements reached around the conference table between employ ers and employees. No Li flotation in Production We hear some complaints from some unthinking persons and indi viduals that labor is not measuring up to the economic requirements of the natiotl—that we are limiting production. All of that is untrue. The productive capacity of the in dividual worker has constantly in creased. As new means and new methods are developed out of the labors to rise and the scientific in vestigations of the nation, and as these new methods are applied, in dustry and the worker have be come more and more efficient. Fewer workers are producing more. Ask* End of Wage-Price Control On the question of price control we have been passing through a situation that has subjected us to very trying experiences. Fairly de cent governmental control was ex ercised by the government up to June 30, when the first govern mental control act was In opera tion. Then the Congress refused to continue the act in its original form. I am not sure that it was then suited for the changed condi tions that had come about, but ex amination of the act itself and the record leads to the conclusion that it was better at least than the act they finally poised. Instead of this act now in operation being a price control law, I would classify it as a profit promoting measure. Labor has -uffered as a result of it already. We are suffering now. We believe that some new way must be found, and with the exception of' perhaps continued control of rent and some other items comparable to that, we be lieve the time has come when price control, along with wage control, should be lifted by the govern ment. Hails Miners’ Welfare Fund I wish we had the facts of the mining industry. The development there has been remarkable. We are happy to know that they have a leader and leaders who stood up and uncompromisingly fought for the creation of a national welfare fund for the injured miners of the nation. That objective will be the objec tive now of organisations affiliat ed with the AFL. We nrast estab lish in this nation security in 1 every condition of life—old ace, illness and infirmity—and in ad dition we must provide hospitali zation and nut sine facilities and medical care for every man and woman in the United States, for human life is above material wel fare in this nation. Pledges Housing Aid Our Building and Construction Trades Department is making its contribution in a most wonderful way toward the development of housing. The veterans wjio came home are crying for homes. Many homes, but they want to rent homes and pay their rent every month. These veterans who of fered their lives on the battle fields of Europe ought to be ac corded a place where they can live back home in their own homeland in decency and in comfort. j Our building trades people are j Meeting this issue. Need Greater Social Security We are thinking about the pro i motion of social security legisla j tion. We centered our efforts in the state legislatures and in the; 1 federal Congress toward the enact ; ment of modern day social securi j ty legislation. If there is any one thing that serves to create a bet ter social order, it is to establish a feeling of security in the hearts and minds of the masses of the people. If they enter the sunset of 1 life feeling secure they will adjust themselves to every change in life in a better way than if they face > it with a feeling of distress and uncertainty. Labor Oppaaad to “Is am” The delegates at this convention, with one voice anti-Bad, will pro (CenUaaed an Page S) of them cannot buy Washington, D. C.—An early end of wage controls was strongly hinted by President Truman to match wholesale removal of price ceilings on foods and thousands of other items. Asked at a press conference about recent reports that wage controls would be dropped, the President avoided a direct reply but referred his questioners to his address cancelling meat ceilings. At that time he told the Nation: VVe all recognize the close relationship between wages and prices. If either one rises too high, the other is cer tain to be affected. Price control and wage control are virgely dependent on each other. “As we speed up the removal of price controls, the re moval of wage controls will also be accelerated. In this way we shall move steadily—and as quickly as we can_ toward a free economy and a free collective bargaining.” urA took its longest stride toward decontrol when it removed ceilings on all foods except sugar, syrups, molasses and rice, as well as a long list of nonfood prod ucts. At the same time the agency said a still broader decontrol order would b« issued soon lift ing price restrictions in virtually every product and service except such essentials as building ma terial rents, clothing, machinery, consumer durable goods and met als. The Administration drops a part of its wage control every time the Office of Price Administra tion frees something from price control. This is because War Stabilization Board exercises only limited authority over wages. These are the major controls which the WSB maintains over, the wage structure: 1. Wages of construction work ers are “frozen" except as in creases are allowed by the Wage Adjustment Board, a part of WSB. 2. Wage increases granted by employers, other than in build ing, must be approved by WSB only if the pay hikes are to be used as the basis for seeking ceiling price increases from OP A. 3. Wage decreases below a cer tain base must be approved by WSB. Representatives of both indus try and labor have expressed op position to the wage controls. Both industry members of the W SB have submitted their resig nations to President Truman but have continued to participate in board activities until he acts upon their resignations. Since then, both members—Coleman Barrett and Earl Cannon—have called up on the Administration to end all wage controls. The construction industry is the only one in which wages have re mained “frozen” since the end of the war. Except where board authorization has been given con struction wages cannot be changed from the area rate established on October 3, 1942. 1'he board, in general, has allowed increases not to exceed 37.6 cents an hour over the 1941 hourly rates. Rates of pay in other industries have forged ahead for two rea sons: The Administration has been lenient for higher wages and has bulged its wage line; and, ap proval of wage increases is nec essary only if price increases were sought. This means that those industries which are no long er subject to OPA price regula tions are free to grant wage increases without Government ap proval. The WSB still retains author ity over any wage decreases. The President has directed the WSB not to approve wage decreases below the highest level and be tween January 1, 1941, and Sep tember 16, 1942. But both the Stabilization order permits wage reductions below that level if nec essary to correct. Home Buyers Balk At Prices On Real Estate Washington, D. C.—A steadily increasing resistance by buyers to highly inflated real estate prices throughout the nation was revealed by an Associated Press survey in key cities. This report came simultaneously with other surveys, official and un official, indicating an oversupply of some materials for new build ing and a grave undersupply of other equally needed items of con struction. The Commerce Department fore cast that supplies of lumber, cast iron soil pipe and plumbing fix tures for housing and nonresiden tial construction “will remain short during 1947.” On the other hand, the depart ment said, supplies of brick, tile, concrete block, clay sewer pipe, warm air furnaces and cast iron and convector radiation are now nearing demand. Contractors complained that nails are gcarce in many areas, although glass is plentiful, but that they can’t nail two-by-fours together with glass. They protested, too, that they could build bathrooms, but can’t get bathltubs. Heres’ the outlook for 1947, ac cording to a confidential study made by the Civilian Production Administration: A surplus of 61,000 sinks Is to be expected, afte rhousing and other ■sods aye filled. Bat there’ll be an embarrassing shortage of 241,000 bathtubs, of 263,000 lass tories, of 231,000 water cloeet bowls.. Clay aewer pipe will be in sur plus by 167,000 tons. But cast iron soil pipe, every bit as necessary, will be hsort by 66,000 tons. People who manage to get their \ shelter assembled should thereaft er be able to keep warm. A sur plus of 44,000 warm air furnaces is expected, as well as a surplus I of .8 million suare feet of radla , tors. But there will be the preliminary difficulty of an anticipated 1947 j “deficit" of 1,341,000,000 board feet j of lumber, not to mention an addi tional lack of 282,000,000 board I feet of flooring. There’ll be too little asphalt roofing and siding, j by 200,000 square feet. The brick surplus will become almost monumental; it is expected to rise to 1,121,000,000 next year. The excess of concrete blocks above housing and other needs is reck oned at 56,000,000. And the sur plus of tile will mount to 220,000 tons, the Federal experts think. In the survey of he slump in real estate turnover, attributed to highly inflated prices, only Wash ington, D. C., nad San Francisco reported no slow down. Reports from other major cities showed a definite drp in sales, forcing a gradual levelling off in prices. As one real estate official ia Baltimore put it: “People have stopped reaching for the sky ia their efforts to buy v
The Charlotte Labor Journal and Dixie Farm News (Charlotte, N.C.)
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Oct. 24, 1946, edition 1
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