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VOL. XVI; NO. 43 7
Working For A Better Understanding Between
North Carolina AFL Unions and Employers of Labor
Charlotte Labor Journal
A New*paper Dedicated Ta 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
press the labor movement
would not be what it ia to*
day. and any man who
tries to injure a labor pa
per is a traitor to tho
cause."—Samuel Gompera.
CHARLOTTE. N. C, THURSDAY, MARCH 6. 1947
Subscription $2.90 Per Year
■>ays Authors Of Anti-Labor Legislation
resent ‘Defeatist And Negative’ Attitudes
!
I
Disputes Panel
jsSelected
Washington, D. C.—Announce
ment by the Labor Department
of selection of a panel of 160
labor • arbitrators, cleared for
competence and impartiality by
both labor and management, was
hailed in industrial circles as a
definite step toward motf wide
spread acceptance of voluntary ar
bitration throughout the Ameri
can industrial Held.
The announcement, made by
Edgar L. Warren, director of the
U. S. Conciliation Service, was re
garded as a long stride toward
further advancement of the prac
tice broadly accepted during the
jevar of umpire settlement of la
*bor-management differences. Cre
ation of a pool of accepted arbi
trators, spokesmen, for both sides
in the labor-management picture,
said, was one of the most marked
advancements toward voluntary
arbitration. It is expected to
eliminate charges of Labor De
partment bias. Warren said.
This panel is made up entirely
of men recommended by regional
labor-management advisory cem^
tnittees operating tat the i^fen
legions of the Conciliation Service
and by the National Labor- Man
agement .Advisory Committee.
Almost M percent of the agree
ments between labor and manage
ment, it is estimated, include
clauses providing for the use of
an arbitrator whenever the parties
are unable themselves to settle
differences arising over the inter
pretation of the language of their
contract. The General Motors,
Ford and Chrysler contracts, the
garments trades’ agreements, and
many others provide for impartial
umpires.
The use of voluntary arbitra
tion to settle disputes over new
contract terms, however, is still
comparatively new.
“When an employer and a un
ion have agreed voluntarily to
submit their dispute to arbitra
tion but are unable to. agree on
the arbitrator,” Warren ex
plained, “the Conciliation Service,
<m joint written request of both
parties, will select an arbitrator
for them from the natonal panel
of arbitrators. In this way, both
parties can be confident; that the
man selected for them will have
received bipartisan approval as a
competent and impartial arbitra
BRADLEY ASKS LIMIT •
ON VET ALLOWANCES
TO AVERT ABUSES
Washington, D. C. — Vstorans
Administrator Omar Bradlsy has
advocated a limit to subsistence
allowances for veterans. While
testifying before the House Com
mitee on Veterans Affairs, Gen*
eral Bradley declared that such
allowances “can be exploited as a
bonus” unless they are limited
to on-the-job training in “ac
tual courses within the meaning
of the law.”
The General advocated that
Congress establish a ceiling on
the payment of subsistence to
veterans and testified that other
wise the Veterans' Administra
tion “is given power actually to
determine national policy.”
“I believe it unwise to concen
trate that power in the hands of
one man,” Bradley said, and add
ed, “one man could conceivably
commit the Government to the
expenditure of hundreds of mil
lions of dollars in excess of that
envisioned by Congress.”
Tells House Labor
Committee Bills Aim
At Collective Dealing
Washington, D. C. — AFL President William Green
charged before the House Labor Committee that sponsors
of anti-labor bills have taken a “defeatist” and “negative”
position in attempting to penalize unions throughout the
Nation because of scatttered disputes.
Empatically denying that labor leaders have shown any
reluctance to cooperate with law makers in the discussions
of preparation of legislation affecting workers, Mr- Green
declared: ,
“Opposition to legislation that is ill-considered, that will
produce incalcuable harm to our national economy and wel
fare, is the affirmative duty of every constructive citizen
and group. The truth is that the sponsors of this anti*
labor legislation, in their defeatist and negative attitude,
proceed on the completely repudiated premise that the
organized American worker is callously indifferent to his ob
ligations. But we have faith in the American worker and
it is fully justified by his record.”
Legislative proposals offered in the House to ban the
closed shop, secondary boycotts, the union dues check-off
plan, impose cooling-off periods, require registration and
financial accounting by unions, forbid minority strikes, out
law jurisdictional disputes, ’ emasculate the Wagner Act
sad . to require compulsory* arbitration were rigorously
condemned by Mr. Green.
Mr. Green emphatically chal
lenged “the very basil on which
such legislation has been pre
sented to the country,” and de
clared that such measures “are
claimed to be a remedy against
strikes—they are not.”
Such legislation, he told the
committee, is directed, not against
strikes, but against the process
of collective bargaining.
"Does this legislation deal with
the causes of industrial unrest
that haa awept the country since
V-J Day?” he demanded. “Does
it reach the issues that were be
hind the disputes through, which
we have gone? The answer is
categorically—No.”
Reviewing the major bills one
by one, Mr. Green opened his dis
cussion with an examination of
the Smith and Miller measures
to outlaw the unkm shop, even
hi cases when 100 per cent of
the workers involved had select
ed a union and desired to Work
under union conditions.
Sponsors of such legislation,
the AFL chieftain declared, “por
tray a profound ignorance of ec
onomics and economic philosophy
and a deep misunderstanding of
the purposes and functions of the
union-security principles.”
“There is probably no right
other than the right to strike
which organised labor deems more
consecrated or more indispensable
to Ui continued maintenance and
well being. It treasures its right
to seek and obtain union-security
agreements through collective
boycotts Mr. Green declared:
“Only an enraged and vindic
tive determination to pqniah la
bor, no matter what the effect on
labor’s and the entire public's wel
fare will be, can explain this ob
jective. It simply ignores and
confounds the most elemental
realities of the free enterprise,
competitive system."
The proposal to forbid further
use of the union does check-off
system, Mr. Green asseged, ap
peared to him of doubtful wis
dom “since there has been no
serious criticism of this system
on moral or other grounds,” lad
would risk the automatic termi
nation of so many collective
agreements which assure stability
in industrial relations and contin
ued producton of necessary com
modities.” |
Mr. Green declared that or
ganised labor “takes strenuous ex
ception” to proposals to force a
“cooling-off period” during peri
ods of labor disputes while gov
ernment agencies are mediating
such differences. He explained
in detail why labor opposes such
legislation, including the fact that
it is an unwarranted invasion of
an essential liberty and a viola
tion of the ISth amendment to
the Constitution “prohibiting in
voluntary servitude.”
Hie proposal to require labor
organisations to obtain govern
ment licenses, “and thus exist
only at the sufferance of the
Government,” and to make re
ports on their internal affairs,
including finances, Mr. Green es
corted, would be impractical. Al
though he expressed no great ob
jection to the matter ei regis
tration, he took a firm stand
against the finance reporting,
which would give employers a
full view of a union’s financial
position and might have an effect
upon the employer's willingness
to enter into collective bargain
ing and show good faith la mak
ing counter proposals to those
submitted by union leaders.
TRUMAN SEEKS IMINMU
TO MKKT U. 8. PAY RAISES
Washington, D. C. — Congress
has been asked by President Tru
man to provide $S6UM,6SS to
pay the cost of the several laws
that raised the salaries of Federal
workers as of last July 1. The
total cost of the acta, according
to the President, is $698,986,000
which breaks down as folloers:
Coat of the flat 14 per cent
raise for the less than a million
white-collar employes is $417,066,
660; bat 66 per cent of this
amount was absorbed with avail
able funds.
The acta gave postal employes
a flat $600 increase.
PATRONIZE
JOURNAL
ADVERTISERS
Ask For
* Inquiry
Washington, D. C.—A sweeping
congressional investigation into
military encroachments on civili
an employment in the Government
service was urged by the Execu
tive Council of the American Fed
eration of Government Employes
■ AFL), in season here. The
ICouncil authorized James B. Burns,
national president, to make imme
diate representations as seem ad
equate to the executive agencies
concerned.
The council adopted resolutions
condemning the use of military
personnel in civilian positions, the
employment of decommissioned
personnel in high grade civilian
positions after dismissal of career
employes through reduction in
force procedure without giving
such civilian employes the op
portunity to compete fairly for
such positions, and the widespread
reduction of aalaries and wages
of civilian employes of the Army
and Navy without giving the em
ployes the opportunity to be
heard in connection with such so
called reclassification programs.
ft Was pointed oat in the reso
lutions that not only career em
ployes, but veterans generally, are
discriminated against in the util
ization of decommissioned per
sonnel without any basis of fair
competition.
The council condemned these
practices as arbitrary and dis
criminatory, destructive of the
morale of all employes, unfair and
un-American, and contrary to the
principles of good personnel ad
ministration and to the letter and
spirit of the civil service merit
system.
national president Burns is in
structed to take any appropriate
steps necessary to stop these “in
iquitous practices,” including a
request of Congress that a full,
investigation be made and repre
sentations to the departments
concerned that the practices be
discontinued.
Mr. Bums also was instructed
to seek inclusion of prohibitory
provisions in appropriation mea
sures against employment of mil
tary personnel in civilian posi
tions.
The council commended Sena
tor Langer’a recent speech in the
Senate in which be came out
strongly against fndlocrimniate
firing and indiscriminate abuse
of Government employes, point
ing out that such tactics under
mine employe morale. The coun
cil also commended the American
Federation of Labor for a simi
lar stand taken at its convention
in Chicago last fall.
WOULD LET THE
TEEN-AGER8 TOTE
Washington, D. C.—A proposed
Constiutional amendment which
would give all United States citi
sens of 18 years or older the
right to vote, has been offered by
Senator Arthur til. Vandenberg,
Republican, of Michigan. The
voting age is now 81, except in
the State of Georgia, where it is
18.
"MADE IN JAPAN” PRODUCTS
Washington, D. C.—The United
States Commercial Co., a govern*
ment subsidiary of the Recon
struction Finance Corporation, has
announced that goods stamped
“Made in Japan,” which were
barred by public opinion from
American stores since Pearl Har
bor, will begin to appear this
Spring.
>11J:«
CARD
fpu or Your family will Meed Your
Social Security Card to Apply A
for Social Security Benefits. A
£&&£» GofUtdt
^ur Union Social Security Committee.
Nearest Social Security Office.
Federation Attacks
Extension Of Laws
To Import Workers
Washington, D. C. — Vigorous
opposition to pending legislation
which would extend for one year,
until June 30, IMS,' the emergency
law permitting importation of
foreign farm labor into the United
States, was expressed'before the
House Agriculture Committee by
two leading spokesmen for the
American Federation of Labor. |
Walter J. Mason, AFL national
legislative representative, and
H. L. Mitchell, president of the
National Farm Labor Union,
sharply condemned the proposal
as unwarranted, an injustice to
veterans seeking work, and a plan
which would prove extremely cost
ly to American taxpayers.
“The American Federation of
Labor is firmly opposed to this
or any other legislation providing
for the importation of foreign la
bor, particularly at a time when
unemployment is increasing daily
and is mow well over the two mil
lion mark,* Mason told the com
mittee. Mlt is our considered
judgment that it will be a men
ace to labor in this country aad
become a serious threat to ear
entire economy.
“Since IMS Congress has ap
propriated over *1P0,00©,P00 to this
program. The coot of recruiting,
transporting, bousing and guar
anteeing of wage to foreign work
ers for another year would cost
in the neighborhood of $28,000,000
to $60,000,000. Surely, it is not
tenable two years after the end
of hostilities to spend this addi
tional sum on a vra^thne emerg
ency problem which no longer
exists, Particularly is this tree
in view of the fact that the major
1 portion of foreign labor recruited
under this program is provided
for large corporate farmers, beet
sugar industry, and to some ex
tent commercial processors.
“The farm wage rates for tbs
entire country on January 1, 1*47,
averaged $4A3 per day without
board. Rates per day without
board were about $8 in the Pa
cific states and averaged less than
$4 in the South. The lowest
rates are paid in the east-south
central states, whree they aver
aged $3.28 * per day without board.
(Farm Labor Bulletin January
13, 1P47, United States Depart
ment of Agriculture.)
“Although the Department of
Agriculture maintained that this
> program has not brought about
I a reduction in wage rate*, there
ia no assurance that the,contin
uation of this pniraak^ill not
preserve a statua quoybflow the
wages that might Wobtained by
domestic farm labor if normal
competition were permitted.
“The supporters of thia bill are
organisations representing large
commercialised farm interests of
this country. They expect Con
gress to continue a program
which will subsidise large scale
farm operations at the expense
of Unemployed domestic farm la*
borers. This would make it pos
sible for them to maintain a sub
standard wage in this industry
through a threat of bringing ia
foreign laborers. •
“It is the opinion of the Amer
ican Federation of Labor that
serious consideration should be
given to the possibility of utilis
ing the funds and provisions of
this bill to recruit and furnish
domestic labor from depressed
rural regions for use in peak sea
sons in areas of scare labor sup
plies.”
Mitchell, echoing Mason’s warn
ing, told the committee:
“This Mil, which would permit
continued importation of foreign
labor for exploitation on the large
scale industrialised farms of the
nation, is the most wasteful and
extravagant piece of legislation
i that this Congress may bs called
upon to consider.
“During the war there could
be some justification for bringing
in workers from Mexico, the Brit
ish West ladies, and other for
eign countries, to help out ia
arena where severe labor ahor
“Over a million American ex
servicemen are now back on the
farms and available for such em
ployment as may be offered to
them. Surely Congress ia not
going to continue a program that
will take jobs away from these
ex-servicemen and give them to
foreign nationals instead.”
NEBRASKA CLOSED SHOP
BAN IS CHALLENGED
BY THE A. F. L.
Lincoln, Nebr. —•, A test suit
challenging the constitutionality
of Nebraska’s anti-closed shop
amendment, approved last Novem
ber, has been filed here by the
American Federation of Labor.
Vote Bans
Pay Suits
Washington, D. C.—Legislation
declaring “null and void” the |5,
786,000,000 Nation-wide accumula
tion of portal-to-portal pay claims
—and prohibiting any further
such portal pay actions—has been
approved by a Senate Judiciary
subcommittee. It is expected to
go before the Senate within a '
week.
The subcommittee, acting unani
mously, declared Congress should
act promptly to “cure the situa
tion” which it said threatens
“financial ruin” of many employ
ers and serious effects in Federal,
State and local revenues.
Tho bill would outlaw present
claims arising from activities per
formed outside the working day
as understood by contract, custom
or understanding, and bar such
claims in the future. ~
Besides prohibiting what it calls
windfalls,” the bill would require
that all claims for wages and
overtime under the Wage-Hour
Act must be instituted within
three years after the claims arise.
The hill is in two main parte:
' 1. Barring the portal 'suits.
2. Making them unprofitable.
The second part was written,
Wiley explained, as insurance
against the first part being
knocked out in court, it would
be inoperative otherwise.
But if it is invoked, the second
section would:
1. Bar collection of extra dam*
2. Require that euita be filed
by * workers individually, rather
than in croups.
3. Relieve the employer af
paying the claimant’s attorney.
4. Shift the buaden of proof
to the employe.
6. Recognise past settlements
and permit future ones.
The subcommittee, which also
included Senators Cooper (R*
Ky. and Eastland (D., Mias.),
said it believed the retroactive
section would stand the test in
court.
In addition, the report said, it
is clear that Congress can cut of
future portal pay claims, la that
connection, the group laid down
this fyiwfflstios
"In general, time spent by an
employe in activities engaged in
before the commencement of and
after the tormiaation of his
scheduled work day will not bo
compensable working time in the
future unless compensable by
reason of a contract, custom,
practice or understanding."
The report made it clear that
portal time of the United Mine
(Workers will not be affected by
the bill because it is covered by
contract.
The bill does net attempt to
define what constitutes work, but
the sub-committee gave seeso
clarifying examples of the effect
of its provisions.
JANUARY FIRE LOS8ES
SHOW SHARP INCREASE .
New York—The National Boned
of Fire Underwriters report a
sharp increase in fire looaea in the
nation during January. The esti
mated looses fop the month to
taled $57,180,000, an increase of
1441 per cent over the same month
in 1945.
Waste by fire in the year ♦»>«*
ended with January was $568,- '
859,000 or 23.5 per cent greater
than in the previous twelve
months and 77 per cent greater
than in 1939. It was the I
yearly increase since 1939.