Schwellenbach Regards
Stabilization As A Major
Industrial Peace Factor
Washington, D. C.—Health and level of output, and the prod
welfare fund clauses in collective ucts of industry must be equit
bargaining contracts were ap- ably distributed among those who
proved by Labor Secretary
Schwellenbach in his annual re
port to Congress as “an effective
and flexible means of providing
greater social security through
collective bargaining.”
In his report to Congress Mr.
Schwellenbach summarized the
year’s developments in labor leg
islation and emphasized that
stabilization of the economy
would help more than any other
thing to promote industrial peace.
He stated that under stabilized
conditions, “collective bargaining
can best play its creative role in
advancing the standard of life
of the workers and in protecting
their status as human beings.
Lack of stability, however, may
provide the basis for a renewal
of the industrial strife that
characterized much of the first
post-wab year.” ,»
It was in connection with his
discussion of stabilized industrial
conditions that he spoke approv
ingly of the increasing use of
health and welfare funds in union
contracts. *
While he felt that the general
economic outlook for the imme
diate future is favorable if price
stability is quickly achieved, Mr.
Schwellenbach’ felt that “the test
for the postwar eonomy wll come
when the deferred demand of the
war years for capitalgoods and
equipment has been met?*^
He added that “our economic
health must depend mainlV of
course, upon the foresight and
adaptability of labor, manage
ment and farmers in working to
gether through their organiza
tions and their Government for
general, sustained prosperity.’
The Secretary urged that “sta
blity must be assured at a high
this Sign
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co-operate in their production.
We need a clearer understand
ing of the fact that farm income
and the welfare of farmers are
inseparably linked with earnings
and real incomes of city workers.
“There is general agreement
that . steps to improve efficiency
and increase the flow of goods
in short supply is vital alike to
the success of the new price con
trols and to the advancement of
wages and living standards.”
Turning to the question of labor
disputes, the Secretary ‘‘warned
against the dangers of punitive
legislation enacted in haste and
without omprehensive study, and
pointed out that industrial strife
is actually a symptom of basic
economic maladjustments.”
“Insecurity is £ primary cause
of industrial unrest,” he declared.
“In a period of reconversion, with
rising prices, scarcity of commod
ities and the consequent threat to
workers’ lving standards, peace
ful adjustments are much more
difficult to attain. Hence the
problem of labor-management dis
putes could not be Solved by leg
islation limited to the establish
ment of techniques for the ex
peditious settlement of such dis
1 putes.”
MEAT CUTTERS IN GEORGIA
GRANTED WAGE INCREASE
Columbus, Ga,—The Amalga
I mated Meat Cutters and Butch
er Workmen has ■ a new contract
with Wilson Co. interests here. It
provides for an allowance of 50
cents each week for work clothes
and 10 minutes each day compen
sation time for changing into
them.
The contract also provides an
11 1-2 cents an hour increase
across the board and the night
shift differential is upped from 5
5 pep cent to 7 per cent.
The total of all new wage in
crements provided in this con
tract means an annual increase
to these workers of (323. Three
years ago, when this group was
organized, they were getting 40
cents an hour, and the hourly rate
is now 92 cents.
RAILWAY CLERKS IN
„ CANADA WIN RAISES
FOR TWO GROUPS
Ottawa, Can.—Members of the
Brotherhood of Railway Clerks
won ten cents an hour wage in
creases for two groups of its
organization, -the Railway Ex
press Agency employes in Canada,
and Employes of the Canada
Steamship Lines, a subsidiary of
the Government-owned Canadian
National rail system.
The increases were granted by
the National War Labor Board
after extensive hearings. The
award to the express employes is
retroactive to June 1, 1946, and
the other to August 8.
In the express case, the Broth
erhood sought a raise of 18 1-2
cents an hour, the increase won
by the Clerks for similar employes
in the United States. The board
said “No,” on the ground that
the Express Agency has always
paid lower wages in Canada.
A few months ago the unions
won 10-cent boosts for almost
all Canadian rail workers.
SHELL-FISH WORKERS WIN
RECOGNITION IN VIRGINIA
,; Atlanta, Ga. — Recognition
agreements have been secured by
the Amnlagamated Meat Cutters
and Butcher Workmeh in the shell
fish and oyster processing and
packing Industry along the Vir
ginia coast yrith the following
companies: Ballard -Fish and
Oyster Co., J. H. Miles A Co.,
aiid F. H. Ayers A Son, all of
Norfolk, Va. Approximately 1,
000 workers are involved fat these
agreements and the potential will
run to many thousands more.
The International has estab
lished a labor rate of 72 cents
and 75 cents an hour, 75 to 86
cents per gallon for shucking
oysters, and 11-25 per 100 pounds
for dressing fish. .
CAHTtRIAS
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Garment Union
Votes pensions
New York City.—The Interna
tional Ladies’ Garment Worker*
Union, (AFL), which has been
seeking employer-financed pen
sion plans far all its 350,000
members, decided to set an ex
ample for industry by establish
ing a retirement fund for its own
paid officers.
David Dubinsky, president of
the union, said benefits ranging
up to 50 per cent of their regular
salaries would be paid to men re
tiring at The age of 60 and wom
en retiring at the age of 55. The
union will pay two-thirds of the
cost of the retirement system and
ihe officer-beneficiaries will con
tribute the remaining one-third.
Officers who are voted out of
office or decide to leave volun
tarily before reaching the retire
ment age will receive a full refund
of their direct contributions to
the pension system. A similar
refund will be' made to the fam
ilies of those who die before re
tirement. In cases of total dis
ability resulting from' accident or
illness, the retirenient allowance
will become payable at once with
out regard for age.
" The pensions will be geared to
length of service, with two per
cent of normal salary being al
lowed for each year up to a max
imum of 50 per cent for 25 years.
The first retirement payments
from the fun^ will be paid Jan
uary 1, 1949, Mr. Dubinsky said.
About 700 officers of the inter
national union and its affiliated
locals and joint boards are cover
ed by the program. Each will
Contribute 6 per cent of his week
ly pay t»> .the fund. The local
union will contribute an amount
equal to 7 Vi per cent and the
international office the remaining
'l Vi per cent. The full 10 per
cent will be paid by the parent
union for those on its own staff.
Mr. -Dubinsky asserted- that it
was the basic responsibility of
government to provide all citizens
with a sufficient income for their
old age but that the inadequacy
of the present social security
system made it necessary for un
ions ’ to seek ways of providing
supplementary benefits.
We have placed the problem
of retirement payments to all the
workers in our industry on the
union’s’ agenda, and have already
secured a retirement fund for the
35,000 mem and women employed
in the coat and suit factories in
New York.
“The officers’ retirement fund
which we are now establishing in
our union is prompted by the
same considerations. The men and
women who are devoting their
lives to the service of their fel
low-members are certainly en
titled to a substantial measure of
old-age security. I am confident
of its successful operation and I
am certain that it will be ac
cepted as an incentive to loyal
and consistent service to the
cause of labor.”
WORKERS DIVIDE ON
BOOM OR BUST
Chicago, III.—The United Auto
Workers (AFL) here polled its
250,000 members on the prospects
of “boom or bust,” and found
them almost evenly divided on the
question. Fifty - nine percent
voted "boom” and 21 per cent of
these thought it would last for
two years, while 20 per cent
thought it would go on for live
years, and 8 per cent saw long
term prosperity ahead. Of the
41 per cent who predicted a
“bust,” 33 per cent believed it
would be upon us in a year and
16 per cent saw it holding off for
two years.
The workers thought the best
way to combat inflation was by:
1. Intensified buyers’ strikes.
2. High excess profit taxes.
3. Restoration of price con
trols.
4. More production. 1
5. Competition.
Fifty-six wanted guaranteed
regular employment, leaving out
the wage issue,' more than any
thing else.
12 INSURANCE LOCALS
ESTABLISHED IN SOUTH
Atlanta, Ga. — In the South,
many group* of wag* earner* are
working up to the solid benefit*
of AFL organisation. Among
them are the industrial insurance
agents, and 12 local* ' have been
established 'since August in the
following cities: Baton Rouge and
New Orleans, La.; Biloxi, Miss.;
Tampa and, Orlando, Fla.; At
lanta, Augusta, Savannah, Ma
con and Columbus, Ga.; Char
leston and Columbia, S. C.
THE MARCH OF LABOR
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ANTI-TRUST LAW
IN463 A.IX.
p
One-tenth or our
POPULATION HAS No
SAVINGS, while the
TOP TENTH HAS €0%.
\
At the peak of wartime
EMPLOYMENT THERE WERE
3,000,000 WORKERS MOUS
ING JOBS WHO ORDINARILY
mould not have been in the
labor force. Since then,
ABOUT 5.000,000HAVE GOME
back home.
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-me Pfttci is -me uniom label, look. ,
f^>«. it oioea -me sweatBamo J ,
Central Labor Union
Condemns Proposed
Anti-Closed Shop Bill
(Continued From Face 1)
cificnlly House l-Jill No. 229.
which I have been informed is
coming before the General As- [
senibly soon.
The resolution was passed, at
the regular weekly meeting of
Charlotte Central l.ahor Union
February 6th and is as follows:
“Be it resolved. That Char
lotte Central Labor Union and
its affiliated American Federation
of Labor Unions hereby vigor
ously condemns and brands as
absolutely unAmerican House
Bill 229 which is to come before
the 1947 session of the North
Carolina General Assembly, or
any other proposed anti-closed
shop, measure which may be in
troduced later, and
“Be It Resolved. That it is the
sense of Charlotte Central Labor
Union that there is absolutely no
need for such a law in North
Carolina, due to the past record
of employer-employe relations in
which differences have been set
tled through genuine collective
bargaining, and
“Be It Resolved, That Gover
nor Gregg Cherry in his message
to the opening session Of the
General Assembly said that labor
management relations in North
Carolina during the past have
been very harmonious, which
speaks highly favorable for labor’s
ability to settle its problems with
its employers, thereby making a
great contribution to the nation aa
a whole, and
“Be It Further Resolved, That
the Mecklenburg Senator and
nenbera of the House of Repre
sentatives be notlfed at once of
Charlotte Central Labor Union’s
action, and that they each he
furnished with a copy of thin
aM^uiLui **
I feel certain that Mecklen
burg county’s delegation will not
tie stampeded into voting favor
ably for any anti-closed shop
measure, in view of the splendid
labor-management relations which
have always existed in North
Carolina. 3 Sjuch a law on the
statute books would reflect un
favorably upon the State until it
were nullified and it is our sing
cere belief that such a law would
have a tendency to create un
favorable labor conditions instead
of the harmonious conditions that
now exist.
Therefore, we petition you aa
our representatives to oppose all
ill-designed, proposed bills that
may promote bad relations in
itfid of the rood.
(Signed) STERLING L. HICKS.
President Charlotte Central
_ Labor Union.
In another action Charlotte La- ,
bor Union unanimously passed a
motion authorising President j
Hicks, Vice President Scoggins
and Dan Anderson to appear be
fore the Latfor Committee in Ra
leigh when this proposed bill
comes up for a hearing. *
The Secretary was instructed
to send a copy, of these actions
to each affiliated American Fed
■ration of Labor Union in Char
lotte and surrounding territory.
Routine matters were acted up
on and reports from local unions
were heard.
The Thursday ' night; meeting
was one of the best attended ses
sions of CLli in several weeks
and President Hicks thanked
those present for the splendid
enthusiasm displayed and the
'arge attendance.
A communication was* read
from the- speakers’ bureau of the
Charlotte Chapter of the Amer
- can Red Cross asking for a date
'.hat a speaker could be sent to
appear before Charlotte Labor.
The matter was turned over to
former President J. J. Thomas
and he was instructed to co-ope
rate with the Red Cross in work
ing out a suitable time for its
representative to appear before
the CLU. X
Send in your renewal to
The Labor Journal today!
Attend your Union meeting!
Albany. N. Y.—Legislation to
prohibit the closed shop has been
introduced in the State Assembly
here by Representative Frederic H.
Bontcou, Poughkeepsie Republi
can, and was disavowed imme
diately by Governor Thomas E.
Dewey and other Republican
leaders. #
Indications were tty»t the meas
ure would Me ov^whelmingly de
feated.
Should New York State accept
such a bill it would, be the 13tb
State to have passed legislation
■ither banning oP imposing sharp
limitations on the closed shop.
Definite bans have been invoked
by Arizona, Nebraska, South Da
kota. Florida, and Virginia, and
limitations have been approved in
Alabama, Colorado, Kansas, Lou
isiana, Texas, Wisconsin and Ark
ansas.
Leaders of the State Federa
tion of Labor were sharp in their
condemnation of the new bill.
Harold Hanover, secretary of the
State AFL group charged Bon
tecou was merely a pawn” in the
hands of enemies of labor, and
added:
“The Federation of Labor re
garded Senator Bontecou as
friendly toward the programs of
labor, and in 1946, at the solici
tation of his constituents, who are
members of the Federation, we
wrote a letter of approval of his
record on measures favored by
the AFL unions.”
The New-York State Federation
of "Labor represents a member
ship of 1,600,000 — the largest
membership in any State AFI.
group.
A spokesman for Governor
Dewey, in the absence of t the
governor, took pains to point out
to newspapermen that Dewey was
not consulted on the anti-closed
shop bill and knew nothing of it.
ft was the Senator's bill, and his
alone, the spokesman said, and
not a measure introduced with the
consent or knowledge of the gov
ernor'.
Thomas A. Murray, president of
the State -Federation of I^tbor,
declared:
“Senator Bontecou had evident
ly not read the governor’s mes
sage to the legislature in - which
the governor was proud of the
relations existing in this State be
tween management and labor, and
in which the governor also de
clared thait the labor relations’
machinery employed in this Stats
Was second to that of none other
in the nation.
“I am convinced that the Sen
ator is not capable of introducing
legislation of this type without
the aid of enemies of labor, who
20.000 ON AIR NETWORKS
BENEFIT BY CONTRACTS
(Continued From Page 1)
“One of the new provisions Is
j the appointment of an AFRA
ID Management committee, to b*
1 composed of representatives from
I the four nations! networks r.nAi
; from A FRA. which will meet dar
ing the coming months to consid
er all matters pf difference be
tween the. industry etWci the anion
with a view to arriving at recom
mendations which shall be submit
ted to the industry and AFRA
on matters of principle looking;
toward amicable settlement of all
differences.”
The decision to put “represen
tatives from the four national
networks” on the conmwtee fol
lows the refusal of the National
Association of Broadcasters, the
industry-wide trade organization
in broadcasting, to commit itself
to any joint action with the union.
The new contract affecting both
commercial and sustaining pro
grams covers actors, singers, an
nouncers and sound effects mem
on the radio. The signatories t»
the union agreement are the Na
j tional Broadcasting Company, the
Columbia Broadcasting System*,
the American Broadcasting Com
pany and the Mutual Broadcast
ing System. j
TWO WESTERN UAW UNIONS
REPORT IMPORTANT GAINS
Milwaukee, Wis,-~An announce
ment has been made of many new
pains by units of Chicago Amal
gamated Local 286 AL’W-AFL.
Members of the Illinois Lock unit
have been awarded a 10-cent gen
eral increase, a closed shop,
check-off, six paid holidays, and
standard overtime and vacation
clauses,
j ~ A second, general wage increase
( in six months was also obtained
by the Dixie Company workers,
another Local 286 unit. This
raise was accompanied by an i n
proved merit system permitting
even higher earnings.
NASHVILLE UNIONS GAIN
Nashville, Tenn. — A gain of
622 new members in 10 local un
ions was reported here for ,De
cember. * |
quite evidently have made hiv
their pawn.”
Leaders of other labor groups
equally resentful, sharply at
tacked Bontecou for his anti-labor
views and asserted that his pro
posals, if they could succeed,
would “turn the clock back to tbr
18th century.” ,
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