WIRE tr MITE te Tnr Cngressaei it Prated Agiiut Ml MTI-LMOI Bifl*! vm vvil- NO 3 CHARLOTTE, N. C„ THURSDAY, MAY 22, 1947 Subscription $2.00 Per Year AFL President Asserts Labor Now Is Facing Battle for Survival Cincinnati, O. — Grave warning that “everyone who works for a living today faces a desperate fight for self-preservation" under the anti-labor bills pending in Congress was sounded here by AFL President William Green in an appeal to all workers to plead for a Pres idential veto. Addressing a convention of the Railway and Steam ship Clerks, Mr. Green em phatically condemned both the Hartley Bill, approved by the House, and the Taft Bill passed by the Senate. Analyzing the bills in de tail, Mr. Green told the con vention : “As we study these bills care fully, we reach the inescapable conclusion that they are the prod uct of anger and hate, rather than reason. In many instances, this legislation would defeat the very aims claimed for it. Instead of promoting industrial peace, it will unleash chaos upon America. It will eventually prove oppres sive to employers as well as to labor. It will undermine and de stroy the American standard of living and lower the wages of every man and woman who works for a living. It will dry np pur chasing power and lead to low er production and mass unem ployment. It will weaken the structure of our social justice leg islation and stifle economic**and social progress in our land. “For these reasons, as well as because of the principles which he has repeatedly enunciated, I do not see how President Truman can approve this legislation. The bills adopted by the House and Senate are now in conference. In all probability the conference re port will be a compromise between the extreme Hartley Bill and the only slightly milder Taft Bill. There is no chance at all that the legislation can be liberalised jn the conference. “Therefore, it behoove* every working man and woman in Amer ica today and all their frier.ds and every advocate of the liberal cause in our country to mak^ their individual and collective voices heard in Washington now. Tremendous pressure will be brought to bear upon President Truman to sign this legislation. In the press and over the radio, he will be warned constantly of political reprisals if he vetres it. “Now as never before it is up to us, the great mass of the American people, to make our voice heard, to let the President know that we want him to veto this legislation in the best inter ests of our country.” The union scrapped a consti tutional provision existing since the founding of the union in 1893 by granting to Negroes the full rights of membership. “We are not trying to set up social equality, we are trying to establish economic equality,” said George M. Harrison, president. He urged the delegates to ap prove a change in the constitution removing the word “white” wher ever it abrogated the full right of members of any race to member ship. In the end the opposition voted about 1,000 to 50 in favor of the change. Off the floor a high official in ■ union circles on the Missouri Pa-; eific Railroad said that more than j half of his delegation would “tear up their union cards" if they were forced to “sit in a meeting, rubbing shoulders” with Negroes. J. B. Jesse of Louisville, Ky., chairman of a 54-man special committee which studied the prob lem prior to its presentation on the floor, made no effort to de (Please Tara Ur Page I) Urge Labor to Act Now! AFL President William Green and Secretary George Meaney call upon ALL Labor to protest passage of anti-union bills by Congress. ---£ - To All Union Members: On April 17, 1947, the House of Representatives by a vote of 308 to 107 adopted the Hartley Bill and on May 13, 1947, the Senate by a vote of 68 to 24 adopted the Taft Bill. Both of these bills have been, are and will be opposed by the Labor Movement and by all right-thinking Americans. These two bills are now referred to a conference com mittee of both Houses of Congress to attempt to har monize the difference between the provisions thereof, and report to both Houses one bill for adoption or rejectin and, if adopted by both Houses by majority vote of each House, then referred to the President who must within ten leg islative days approve or veto the bill, or after ten such days it becomes a law. It is estimated the Conference Committee will report a bill in about a week or about May 28, 1947. The efforts of the proponents of the Taft-Hartley bills now are to-get a biU reported out if conference and passed by both Houses of Congress by such large majorities that the President will fear a veto will be overridden. It is the hope of the proponents that they can pass this legisla tion over a veto of the President, should the final confer ence bill be vetoed. To defeat the conference report in the House a ma jority must vote “No.” The membership of the House is 435 and if all members are present and voting at least 218 will have to vote “No.” Onlv 107 voted “No” on April 17, 1947. If the President vetoes the bill that veto can be overrid den in the House only if two-thirds of the membership present and voting vote against the position taken by the President, thus at least 16 members of the House must vote to support the President’s veto. In the Senate there are now 95 members and to defeat the Conference Report 48 or more Senators must vote “No,” and if there is a Presidential veto, same will be overridden if 64 or more Senators vote to override such veto. To sustain a veto at least 32 Senators must vote to sustain. In event of a Presidential veto, the bill is defeated unless two-thirds or more of the members of both the House and Senate present and voting vote to override the veto. If either House fails by at least a two-third majority to vote to override the veto, the bill is defeated. To insure that a Presidential veto is sustained, at least one-third of either House of Congress must vote to sustain the veto, that is at least 32 Senators or at least 146 Rep resentatives. Only 24 Senators and 107 Representatives voted against this legislation on passage in each House. This is the most important issue before the Trade Union Movement. Those who are behind this legislation are de feated they will succeed in inflicting serious injury, if not practical destruction, on the Free Trade Union Movement and untold damage on the people generally. After fully considering the situation as it exists we strongly recommend: 1. That all officers of all affiliated and co-operating or ganizations be immediately assigned to and directed to