AFFILIATE
WITH YOUR
CENTRAL LABOR
UNION
ANB THE
N. C. FEDERATION
" NOW! '
Unionists, Do Everything Within Your Power To
Aid In the Southern A. F. L. Membership Drive
t
Working For A . Better Understanding Between
North Carolina AFL Unions and Employers of Labor
0
Charlotte Labor Journal
x To The Mereeto of Charlotte Central Labor Union and Affiliated Cratt^Endoroed By North
Carolina Federation of Labor and Approved By The America n Federation of Labor.
199
CHABLOTTE. N. C, THURSDAY. JANUARY
z
“Were it not for the labor
press, the labor movement
would not be whaV-ifla to
day, apd any man who
tries to injure a labor pa
per is a traitor to the
cause.’*—Samuel Gumpers._
Subscrintion S2.00 Per Y
par
Statje Of Nation Speech
Favorably Received By
Democrats • Republicans
The following* excerpt from
President Harry Truman’s address
to Congress this week, and which
pertains to Labor-Management
relations, isoprinted for the bene
efit of Labor Journal readers:
Labor-Management Relations
The, year just past—like the
year* after Wirst World War—
was marred *by abor-management
strife.
Despite this outbreak of eco
nomic warfare in 1946, we are to
day producing goods and services
in- record volume. Nevertheless,
it .is essential to improve the
methods for reaching agreement
between labor and management
and to reduce the number of
strikes and lockouts.
We must not, however, adopt
punitive legislation. We most
not, in order to punish a few la
bor leaders, pass vindictive laws
which will restrict the proper
rights of the rank and file of la
bor. We must not, under the
stress of emotion, endanger our
American freedoms by taking ill
considered action which will lead
to results not anticipated or de
sired. |
We must remember, in review
ing the record of disputes in 1946,
that management shares with la
bor the responsibility for failure
to reach agreements which would
have averted strikes. For that
reason, we must realise that in
dustrial peace cannot be achieved
merely by laws directed against
labor unions.
During the last decade and a
half, we have established a na
tional labor policy in this coun
try based upon free collective bar
gaining as the process for de
terming wages and working eoa
‘ ditions.
This is still the nations! policy.
It should continue to be the na
tional policy.
But as yet, not all of us have
learned what it means to bargain
freely and fairly. Nor have all
«f us learned to carry the mutual
responsibilities that accompany
the right to bargain. There have
been abuses and harmful prac
tices which limit the effectiveness
of our system of collective, bar*
gaining. Furthermore, we have
lacked sufficient governmental
machinery to aid labor and man
agement in resolving differences.
Certain labor-management prob
lems need attention at once and
.certain others, by reason of their
complexity, need exhaustive inves
tigation and study.
We should enact legislation to
correct certain abuses and to pro
vide additional governmental as
sistance in bargaining. But we
should alsoV concern ourselves
with the basic causes of labor
management difficulties.
In the light of these consider*- }
tions, I propose to you and urge
your co-operation in effecting the ^
following fourpoint program to
reduce industrial strife:
Point Number One i*- thw early
enactment of legislation to prC-|
vent certain unjustifiable prac- j
tices I
First, under this point, are
jurisdictional strikes, "'^dn such
strikes the public and the employ
er are innocent bystanders wno
# : >
Ns
are injured by a collision between
rival unions. This type of dis
pute hurts production, industry,
and public—and labor itself. I
ecnsider jurisdictional strikes in
defensible.
„ The National Labor Rela^pns
act provides procedures for de
termining which union represents
the employes of a particular em
ployer. In some jurisdictional
disputes, however, minority unions
strike to compel employers to deal
with them despite a legal duty
to bargain with the majority un
ion. Strikes to compel an em
ployer to violate the law are In
excusable. Legislation to prevent
such strikee is clearly desirable.
Another form of inter-union
is ther jurisdictional
strike involving the question of
which labor union is entitled to
perform a particular task. When
rival unions are unable to settle
such disputes themselves, provi
sion must be made for peaceful
and binding determiantion of the
issues.
A second unjustifiable practice
is the secondary . boycott, when
used to further jurisdictional dis
putes or',to compel employers to
violate the National Labor Rela
tions act.
Not all secondary boycotts are
unjustified. We must judge them
»n the basis of their objectives.
For example, boycotts intended to
protect wage rates and working
ronditions should be distinguished
from those in furtherance of jur
isdictional disputes. The struc
ture of industry sometimes re
tires unions as a matter of self
preservation, to extend the cea
diet beyond a particular employ
er. There should be no blanket
prohibition against boycotts. The
appropriate goal Is legislation
which prohibits secondary boy
cotts in pursuance of unjustifiable
objectives, but does not impair
the union’s right to preesrve its
own existence and the gains made
in genuine collective bargaining.
A third practice that should bo
corrected is the use of economic
force, by either labor or maaage
ment to decide issues arising out
of the interpretation of existing
contracts.
Collective bargaining agree*
menu, like other contract*, should
be faithfully adhered to by both
parties. In the most* enlightened
union-management relationships,
disputes over the interpretation
of contract terms are settled
peacefully by negotiation or ar
bitration. Legislation should be
enacted to provide machinery
whereby unsettled disputes con
cerning the interpretation of hn
re
existing agreement may be
ferred by either party to flh^l and
binding arbitration. f
Point Number Two/ls the ex
tension of the facilities within the
Department of Labor for assisting
collective bargaining.
One of our difficulties in avoid
ing labor strife arises from a lack
of * order in the collective bar
gaining process. The parties often
do not have a dear understand
ing of their responsibility for set
tling disputes through their own
negotiations. We constantly see
(Plea** Tara t* Pag* S>
/
I
FIGHT .
I NFANTIIC
PARALYSIS .
tr.# w
• » "Join the
January 15-30
IH£ NATIONAL FOUNDATION FOR INFANTILE PARALYSIS
Labor Issue At Top
Congressional Action
.
PRESIDENT HAS REQUESTED A JOINT CONGRES
SIONAL STUDY OF LABOR-MANAGEMENT
PROBLEMS.'
Washington, D. C.—The 80th
Congress opened its session in
an atmosphere apparently hos
tile to organised labor.
Influential leaders of the new
Republican majority in both
houses of the new Congress em
phasised their determination to
enact legislation to restrict the
right to strike and to hamper the
activity of trade unions as the
first order of business.
However, it was reported that
President Truman, in his State
of the Union message to Con
gress, would not recommend any
changes in the Wagner National
Labor Relations Act.
He is expected to limit his re
quest for labor legislation to a
proposal giving the Federal Gov
ernment authority to intervene in
strikes creating a national emerg
ency.
The Republican program on la
bor legislation may be drafted
by Senator Taft of Ohio, slated
i for chairmanship of the Senate
I Labor Committee, and Senator
, Ball of Minnesota. Ball is a co
jauthor of the Burton-Ball-Hatch
; bill, which got nowhere in the lait
j Congress.
Taft said he would urge the
! new Congress to re-enact the
J Case Bill, passed last' year but
vetoed. This measure was con
demned bitterly by AFL Preai- j
dent William Green and other la
bor leaders.
The policy to be followed by
the AFL with regard to the new
, legislative proposals on labor to
, be sumbitted to the Congress in,
i the next few weeks will be for
■- . '' • \
■ • ’ -
warded from tha AFL Executive
Council, which trill convene in
Miami January 29 for its mid
winter meeting. This communi
cation is expected, in general, to
«TP°se legislation repressive In
character and which would deprive
American workers of their bask,
constitutional liberties.
The strategy for bringing about
defeat of anti-labor proposals will
be determined at the Executive
Council meeting.
Meanwhile, President Truman
was reported by Louis Stark, vet
eran labor writer of the New
York Times, to have no illusions
that amendment of the Wagner
Act would assure the Nation of
labor peace, and that he is fully
aware that this law is limited to
protecting the right of employes
to bargain coHeetively and to
minimise disputes before they
break into strikes, if possible.
Mr. Stark reported that it is
regarded as quite possible that
the President may call for a Con
gressional study of labor rela
tions, but whether he. will do so
at this time is uncertain. In ve->
toing the Case Bill, he stated
such a study might be advisable.
This time, if be suggests it at
ail, it is felt probable he would
propose u study by a Joint Con
gress to decide the details.
Grave warning against imposi
tion of restrictive curbs on labor,
on grounds that they might lead
to' a fresh wave of strikes, was
sounded by F. P. Fenton, prevent
ed by illness from addressing the
42nd annual meeting of the
<Continued an Page 4)
J. J. Thomas b
Now A Captain
President J. J. Thomas of the
Charlotte Firemen’s local, was a
visitor to the Thursday night
meeting of Charlotte Central La
bor Union and when asked if he
had a nice Christmas he replied
that he had a fine one. As The
Labor Journal scribe questioned
him' a little further as to what
Santa had left in his sock he re
vealed that his sock' had been
umed wide open on the 24th of
December from his boss, the Hon
orable Chief Hendrix Palmer.
What? Did he give you a hew
automobile—or truck—or— (the
scribe ventured to ask) No! he
elevated me from a private! to a
e-a-p-t-a-i-n— Captain Thomas
bellowed! “Great and congratu
lations to you!” ye scribe shouted.
Brother/ Thomas seemed so
overjoyed over his promotion that
one could not help but feel a part
of hia joy and share with him
n*® wfWwwiw ^nnsvinw' rot
really he had some of the Christ
mas spirit left over even past the
new year’s birth.
Mr. Thomas started out with
the Charlotte Fire Departmnet 20
years ago and naturally he has
witnessed and participated in
many fires and also has seen
many changes take place in city
affairs since be has been a fire
man. His stories no doubt would
fill several books and would be
interesting reading.
Following Mr. Thomas’ eleva
tion to the* position of a captain
he was given an assignment at
Morris Field by Chief Palmer and
now is in charge of the station
out there. The Morris Field sta
tion has been assigned one truck
and seven men. It is housed in a
nice building which was construct
ed by the Army during the war
days and the alarms coming in to
the station are made via tale
| phone. Fire hydrants dot the lit
tle city and with Captain Thomas
and his firemen on the job out
there the veterans, and business
firms, and others may rest as
sured that they will have the best
fire protection to be had.
The Labor Journal joins the
firemen, Charlotte Central Labor
Union delegates and others in ex
tending sincere congratulations
and best wishes to Captain
Thomas in his new position and
assignment.
J. J. THOMAS
President of the Charlotte Fire
fighters Local, who was recently
promoted to a captaincy by Fire
Cjhief Hendrix Palmer of the
Charlotte Fire department.
<L
However, AFL Head
Say-s Proposals Will
Receive Further Study
Labor Peace Ma’or
! Key To Production
New York City.—Analyzing 61
wage and employment-guarantee
.plans, the National Industrial
Cjmference Board declared that
companies with successful plans
have usually had a long history
of harmonious labor relations.'
Employe-security plans have
marked another step in a liberal
program of employe benefit*, the
board said.
As to operational success, half
the plans studied had been dis
continued—most of them after
less than five years’ trial. TRu
of the * {nmgriims, on th* M
hand, are., still in effect 20 yean
after initiation.
‘ Implicit employer-employe con
fidence and co-operation are of
prime importance to, the success
ful operation of an annual-wage
plan, the board observes, adding:
"During a period of depression,
where it may be necessary to re
strict the plan’s provisions to
keep it operating, tnere will be
employe suspicion and unrest un
less the workers have confidence
in the motives of management
' “Even though a guaranty plait
makes a valuable contribution to
employe security, it probably will
not attain its maximum effective
ness unless the plan is thorough
ly explained to the wage earners
concerned. To this end the board
finds that all media of employe
communication within the organi
zation should bo used.
“Several of the plana surveyed
were unsuccessful simply because
they were announced to employes
without preliminary discussion of
the aims and details of the pro
gram. The problem, as executives
see it, has been to educate'the
employes as to the benefits of
such programs, particularly those
younger employes who never ex
perienced the work spreading and
layoffs prevalent during the thir
ties.”
Experience hap shown, tho sur
vey notes, that tho company
which has a collective-bargaining
agreement may do well to consult
with union representatives in the
formulation of the plan and ob
tain their support. In some com
panies, plans inaugurated with
out previous consultation with the
union have met with suspicion and
fear that management was insti
tuting this measure' as a means
of undermining the union.
TYPOGRAPHICAL UNION’
HELD MEETING 4AN. 5
Charlotte Typographical Union
No. 338 held its regular monthly
meeting Sunday afternoon, Janu
ary &, in Labor Temple. A nice
crowd was present. Routine busi
ness was transacted and the re
port of/the local commercial shop
scale committee was heard. Ne- j
?otiations are underway in the
commercial shops for a new con
tract for the year 1947.
The applications of several new
applicants were received for con
sideration.
Washington, Jan. 6.— William
Green, president of ‘the American ,
Federation of Labor, said .rtiw^yrf
week at the objectives outlined
in President's Truman”s' message
to Congress "should be indorsed T
by all the American people."
"However, ‘two big questions/
confront' organized labor,f b«
added.
"The first is whether Congress’
will see lit to enact it as it stands
and as a whole, or whether the
lawmakers will reject the con
structive recommendations and
limit their actions to the passage
of restrictive legislation, perhaps
far more sweeping than the Presi
dent suggests!
carry the light for his program
as a whole.
"These mstters must be given
due weight before the trade union
movement can make any final
commitment."
"" Green said that “the need for
a greater measure of industrial
peace is unquestioned.
As the President stated, indus
trial peace cannot be achieved
merely by laws directed against
labor unions. Nor can it bo
achieved^ Green said, if ‘our gen
•eral democratic freedoms' are on- **
dangered by ‘punitive legislation.'
“In emphasizing these funda
mental principles, the President
has shown real statesmanship and
has rendered the nation a gnat
service,” Green said. “Hasty and
ill-considered action by Congrssa
in a spirit of revenge will accom
plish mors harm than good.”
He said ths organisation shared
Mr. Truman’s view “that juris
dictions! strikes an indefensible
and his insistence that such dis
putes be settled by peaceful
I means.”
"Whether prohibitory legislation
is the answer to this problem is
a question which will requin fu
ture study. The same is true
with respect tq the recommenda
tions on secondary boycotts and
compulsory arbitration of disputes
arising from differing interpre
tations of existing collective bar*
gaining contracts.”
The recommendations will bo
placed before the AFL executive
council on January 29 in Misipi
for determination of the AFL’s*
future policy.
CIO President Philip Murray, in
New York, had no immediate com
ment. Nor did John L. Lewis,
president of the United Mine
Worker*.
PRINTING PRESSMEN
ELECT NEW OFFICERS
The regular monthly meeting
of Charlotte Local of the Inter
national Printing Pressmen and
Assistants’ Union of North Amer
ica was held Wednesday night la
Labor Temple and new officers
for the cpming year were elected, *
it is understood. Routine matters
were disposed of during the ses
sion. The Pressmen have con
tracts with the newspapers
several commercial shops and
their membership is growing.
I “The