Newspapers / The Charlotte Labor Journal … / April 10, 1947, edition 1 / Page 1
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AFFILIATE WITH YOUR fr CENTRAL LABOR) UNION AND THE N. C. FEDERATION NOW! Working For A Better Undent tending Between North Carolina AFL Unions and Employers of Labor Charlotte Labor Journal A Ni Dadteatod 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 at* for the labor prooo, tko labor amanl wo«M aot bo wbat it ia to* da y, a ad aaj aiaa who trioo to lajorr a labor po* ptr b a traitor to tho VOL. XVI; NO. 49 CHARLOTTE. N. C„ THURSDAY. APRIL 10. 1947 Subscript ion |2j00 Per Y< Government Employe The American Federation of Government Employes at its regular meeting this week voted to hold an open house meeting in the Mecklenburg County Courthouse on Wednes day night, May 14. According to plans made at this week’s session several prominent speakers will be invited to be present and acldress the organization and its friends and it is hoped to have among the group a vice president ■of the AFGE from either Atlanta or Washington. All members of organized labor in Charlotte are in_ S, . • present and President C. A. Fink of the NortW Carolina Federation of Labor will bo extended a apodal invitation to bo present. President Belch of the local AFGE also told a Labor Journal representative this that ho will extend an iavMtion U both the National Prseidoat and Na tion Secretary of f|p Federation «t~ ployes to come to Ch^ tte .{or this occasion. This week’s meeting of the AFGE was held in its meeting hall in the Charlotte Labor Tem ple and following the regular business session of the lodge re freshments consisting of ice cream and wafers were served to the members and visitors and ye scribe can testify to the fine spirit of fellowship displayed by this American Federation of La bor affiliate. The Charlotte local of the AFGE was reformed during the war days and government workers at the Quartermaster depot and in other assignments in Charlotte swelled the ranks to a large local lodge. Since the close of the war some of the members of the war days have left Charlotte, but the ledge yet has a sizeable Membership- However, President Belch says that renewed efforts will bo launchd at the May 14 meeting to launch a membership drive that will bring all local government employes into the Charlotte lodge. The Charlotte local is composed of both men and women members. It is not part of the local postal employes locals, but is a separate organi sation for all other employes of the Federal government. , President Belch has requested that all officers and members of AFL unions in Charlotte be pres ent for the May 14 open house gathering. afl battles laws IN 4 STATES to ban CLOSED SHOP PLAN Atlanta, Ga.—A stern challenge to the constitutionality of law* in four Southern State* outlawing the cloned shop was an nounced by Southern leaders of the American Federation of ta bor. The court tests will be made in Georgia, Tennessee, Arkansas and North Carolina, George L. Googe, AFL Southern Campaign Direc tor, told the press. A similar four-year-old ban is being fought in the Florida courts. In Georgia, Mr. Googe declared, a fight would also be made to demand employer compliance with existing contracts on the ground that the State Constituion pro hibits any retroactive law “im pairing the obligation of con «w*ts” f „ _ AFL SPOKESMAN FffltY MTS ACRQSS BOARD ROT INCREASES Washington, D. C.—Testifying before the House Committee on Banking and Currency on the ex tension of rent control, Boris Shishkin, Secretary of the Hous ing Committee of the American^ Federation of Labor, took a firm stand against any across-the board increase in rent ceilings and against premature termination of the present rent control law. He recommended: “1. Complete elimination of ceilings on all rental units rent ing in excess of $160 a month. “2. A 10 per cent increase, ef fective July 1, in rent ceilings on apartment hotels and residential hotel units where maid service and other personal services are provided. “3. A study to be instituted by the Office of Temporary Con trols of changes in income and the cost of operation of those units in which heat, hot water, switchboard and other utilities and services are provided by the landlord. “4. Full retention of the ex isting rent control powers until July 1, 1948, with the view of terminating Federal rent control in most communities by March 81, 1948, and, where necessary, au thorising transfer of rent control and its enforcement to the local authorities after that date. “5. Transfer of rent control administration to the office of Temporary Controls as the most logical and best equipped agency to administer this strictly tem porary program. The American Federation of Labor has full con fidence in Brig-Gen. Philip B. Fleming, Administrator of the Office of Temporary Controls, as a man of wide administrative ex perience and a capable and fair administrator. "Labor is strongly opposed to the adoption of the Wolcott Bill as extremely misleading and whol ly unworkable. The Wolcott Bill would mean immediate termina tion of effective rent control, bringing untold hardship to mil lions of American families. It leaves the enforcement of rent control to the courts and pro vides no safeguard against im mediate eviction. "Tenants, put nut on the street with no place to go, would gain no comfort from their empty right to begin lengthy litigation which most of them could ill afford.” Mr. Shishkin also rutommmend ed that the rent control legisla tion be enacted in a separate bill and divorced from any hous (Continued on Page 4) WAGES ROSE 14 PER CENT IN '46; PRICES ROSE 4 PER CENT HIGHER Washington, D. C.—Pay of pro duction workers in manufacturing industries increased 14 per cent during 1946, while consumer prices were rising 18 per cent, the Bureau of Labor Statistics re ported. The bureau ’ said^mverage earn ings of these workers increased almost |6 a week. The greatest increases, amount ing to more than 20 per cent, were in the lumber and textile groups. At the start of 1947, however, workers in those indus triea^lll averaged leas than MO [a week, according to the bureau. Reporting for the month of February on the basis of prelim inary estimates, the bureau said production workers’ earnings av eraged $47 a week for the third successive month. Telephone workers averaged $43.19 a week in January, the last month for which Anal figures are available. The average work week in the industry was 38.5 hours, and average hourly earn ings $1.13. The average weekly earnings for all manufacturing was $46.79; the average work week was 40.2 hours, and average hourly earn ings was $1,166. Among the non-manufacturing industries soft coal mining main tained the lead, with average weekly earnings of $69.58. The average soft coal work week was 46.8 hours, exceeded only by the (Continued on Page 4) .•* BRIGHTER LABOR VISTA Washington, D. C. — Paul M. Herzog, chairman of the National Labor Relations Board, believes labor-management relations "may be sailing on better waters from now on." . He told the House Appropria tions Committee that he was con fident “the great strikes that oc cur after the war will not be re peated.” HOUSE UNIT APPROVES PROPOSALS FOR 1NJIMC TIONS TO OUTUW STRIKES Washington, D. C.—Legislation authorizing the Government to re sort to the injunction process to prohibit strikes regarded as af fecting national welfare was ap proved by the House Labor Com mittee, 16 to 3. The measure, authorized by the committee chairman. Rep. Hart ley of New Jersey, was reported by some observers as doubtful of passage. They regarded it as aimed primarily at the threatened walkout of telephone workers. As finally cleared by the com mittee, the bill would strike at one of the most senstitive points in labor legislation by1 weakening the Norris-La Guardis Act for bidding the use of the injunction in labor disputes. Whenever a strike in interstate communications, transport or util ities injured or "threatened" to injure public “health, safety or interest,” the President would be authorized to have the Attorney (Continued an Page 4) 1 * . MOLOERS REPORT PROGRESS IR WAGE RAISES AND BENEFITS Cincinnati.—Important grains in wages and working conditions were reported by Harry Steven son, International President of the Molders and Foundry Work ers Union of North America. The settlement in the stove in dustry, with which the union has hfd a contract for 57 years with no strikes, was marked by a 13 cent across-the-board hourly wage jump for all day workers, and proportionate increases for piece workers. In the Cincinnati district, known as the Miami Valley, the foun dries and the union reached an accord by which workers there will receive a 13-cent hourly raise. This agreement covers Cincinnati, Dayton, Hamilton, and smaller towns throughout was reached covering much of New England under which the workers will re ceive a 13-cent hourly raise and will have the enjoyment of three paid holidays. Thousands of members are covered in the Bos ton agreement. Negotiations in the Philadel phia area| involving some 40 foundries, reached an amicable settlement when the companies agreed to an increase of 13 cents an hour with paid holidays. The 13-cetit-an-hour- increase slso was granted in Newark, with provision for six paid holidays. Settlement of negotiations ia Elisabeth, N. J- for the 13-cent rise was reported, too. The gains registered in recent months, Mr. Stevenson reported, are spread from coast to coast, and have beneiltted some 23,000 members of the union. APL OFFICE UNION FIRES S OAKLAND LEADERS FOR LINKS WITH REDS Chicago. — Expulsion of tbroo persons was upheld unanimously at the convention here of the Of fice Employees International Un ion (AFL) on grounds that they were Communists or Communist sympathisers. The three expelled members were officers of Local 29, of Oak land, Calif., and included Tom Bol ster, president; Herbert Kalman, vice-president, and Muriel Ker ehen, business representative. The expulsion decision was tak en on March 6 by nine members of the board. An appeals com mittee of five recommended to the convention that the decision should be upheld. The convention delegates unani mously adopted the resolution, putting the union squarely behind the pronouncement condemning Communism, which was adopted at the AFL convention here in October, e Newark,‘N. J.—-Employers and qnion representatives affiliated with the AFL have opened a series of meetings to prevent a tie-up of breweries in this area. The AFL locals represent 3,000 bottlers, warehousemen, drivers and deliverymen^ As The Labor Journal goes to press this week the nation wide telephone strike remains unsettled, but information coming out of Washington via press dispatches indicates that perhaps some plan has about been negotiated between the telephone company and the national Federation of Tele phone Employes whereby the long lines of dilute may soon be submitted to arbitration. However, this plan doe3 not affect the entire nation-wide telephone tieup, accord ing to John J. Moran, president of the Long Lines Union. AFL TEACHER! REGISTER GAINS IN CHARTERING OF 72 LOCAL CHAPTERS Chicago. — Widespread gains throughout the Nation in estab lishment of local teachers’ un ions, was announced here by Irvin R. Kueasli, National 8ecretary etation of Teachers <AFL). Despite strong opposition from many quarters, it was revealed, 72 new locals already have been granted AFL charters In the cur rent school year, and indications are that the number of new units will pass the 100 mark before the end of June. Commonting on the rapid ex pansion of the AFL teachers organisation, Mr^/Kuenzli assert “The last school year, when 72 new teachers’ locals were chart ered, represented the greatest period of progress in the history of our union. So far this year we eive chartered almoet as many locals as were chartered during the whole school year 1946-47. “The teachers of the Nation have learned in recent efforts for salary increases and other ben efits that independent non-union associations have little profession al strength and are turning to the AFL for help. Mr. Willard Givens, National Bexecutive Sec retary, stated recently that ‘teachers usually Join unions in desperation.’ There is a great deal of sound observation in this statement, since teachers have usually organised only after their non-union associations have failed them completely. “As a rule, independent teach ers’ associations are so controlled by the school administration that desperate circumstances are re quired before teacher* break their bonds and form unions. “The fact that teachers in near ly 400 cities and towns from coast to coast have now formed AFL locals is one of the most wholesome signs in American de mocracy. "Despite heavy losses to the armed forces and to war induc tion, and despite the fact that thousands of teachers have been leaving the profession for in creased income, the membership of the AFL has increased ap proximately 75 per cent since the beginning of World War II. “The „ international union has had a net gain of nearly 20,000 members since Pearl Harbor. This figure represents one of the larg est gains in membership—if not the largest—among the white col lar4 unions. “Matthew Woll, Chairman of the Permanent Education Com The telephone tieup has been general all over the Nation since last Monday morning, with the walkout effective in almost' every locality but in States where anti strike laws are in force, prevent ing walkout in public utilities. The phone workers are asking for increased wages to meet the greatly increased cost of living and their demands amount to about $12 weekly on an average. The Charlotte telephone eipr ployes, with the excopdoiTr supervisors, are all said to be out and they have had* picket Unea around the local installations of the telephone company since the strike began last Monday. There appears to have been no progress made here in the situation, but word comes from Atlanta that some progress has been made there in talks between union and company officials with the meet ings between the two continuing As a result of meetings held in Washington this week a pro posed agreement for settling the Long Lines tieup was handed to the Policy Conunittee of the Na tional Federation of Telephone Workers and it is understood to provide for submitting wages to arbitration on a national level, with other major points to bn settled on n local basis, which include leaves of absence for un ion officials, vacations, definition of duties of traffic operator as cheek off sad jurisdiction of week. AFL TEACHERS REGISTER GAINS IN CHARTERINO OF 7$ LOCAL CHAPTERS mittae of tho AFL, has pointed out that tho AFL is ono of tho most rapidly-growing white col lar unions in tho world today. “Thorn are now AFL locals in all of tho 25. largest cities of tho Nation, with tho exception of one city—Houston, Tex. There are also locals in approximately three-fourths of the cities of tha Nation, with populations of more than 100,000, and in some 300 cities and towns with less than 100,00 population."
The Charlotte Labor Journal and Dixie Farm News (Charlotte, N.C.)
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April 10, 1947, edition 1
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