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CHARLOTTE
LABOR JOURNAL
VOL XVII: NO. 5
CHARLOTTE. N. C- THURSDAY. JUNE 5, 1947
Subscription $2.00 Per Year
Meany Charges Republican Party Platform Violated
RAHWAY CLERKS OPPOSE ANTI-LABOR BILL
l
SEES ONLY CONFUSION AND NEW STRIFE IF PEND
ING PROPOSALS BECOME LAW
Washington, D. C.—In one of the most sharply-worded
attacks upon the pending Taft-Hartley anti-labor bill.
George M. Harrison, President of the Railway Clerks Union
and a Vice President of the AFL served formal notice on
Congress that railroad employes are vigorously opposed
to the slave labor legislation.
Mr. Harrison asserted that both the Taft and Hartley
slave labor programs were especially designed to weaken
the working people of the United States, and expressed a
deep conviction that such legislation could result only in
fresh confusion and stir new industrial strife.
Hitting the proposed legislation as a direct attack on
labor in what he regarded as a “surface manifestation"
of labor’s foes’ objectives, Mr. Harrison said that “the real
end that the sponsors of the Taft-Hartley Bill seek Is a
return to the so-called ‘good old days’ of the economic
royalists.’ ”
“This is what American monopoly sought and hoped for
at the last election and this is what the professional politi
cal representatives of reaction proposed to deliver,” he de
clared.
Continuing, Mr. Harrison said:
“The political reactionaries are
out to drain the American people
of their resources in whatever
form they exist—the savings and
earnings of consumers every
where, of workers, salaried em
ployes, the corner grocer and the
small farmer.
“The reactionaries are out to
consolidate big business monop
oly in their domination over the
economic, social and political lives
of the people. They are out to
raise prices in the interest of
~ monopoly by every expedient pos
sible to push profits up to such
levels that an economic collapse
will become inevitable.
“The monopoly interests repre
sented in Congress by reactionary
^ Republicans with the aid of some
stooges from among the southern
Democrats, are concentrating their
first attacks against labor. If
they can weaken the labor move
ment, they thus weaken the abil
ity of working men and women to
resist an employer - onslaught
against wages and working con
ditions. If the unions can be
destroyed, wages can be slashed,
and if the unions are destroyed,
wages will be slashed.
“Inordinate profits for the
greedy, subsistence wages for the
people who work—this is the first
goal in the drive against labor.
The final purpose is the destruc
tion of all social gains which th*
American people have achieved
in the last fifteen years—in tne
years of dynamic resurgence
based on the principles of social
welfare.
“The program of Republican
reaction is a conspiracy against
the American people,
“Make no mistake about it. The
Hartley-Taft anti-labor bills are
not all that is in store for us.
They are only the beginning of
reaction. If this reaction is per
mitted to crystallize to the point
of initial success by the enact
ment of those bills, then reaction
will be in the saddle.
“The first consequence will be
Harding ‘normalcy*—a price level
; that will exhaust the economy and
a level of wages so slashed that
a collapse will come. If this
comes we will have the basic con
, ditions for a large-scale depres
sion.
“We are at the crossroads in
oar destiny. The choice so far
. as Republican reaction gives os
a choice, is either those funda
mental freedoms which our his
tory shows are the only basis
for advancing the welfare of the
American people. or the black
nightmare of American fascism
"The sponsors of the Taft
Hartley bill axe trying to malm
you believe that working people
—your friends and neighbors—
the people who do the work and
make the wheels of industry go
’round—have become so danger
ous and powerful that they must
be curbed, regimented and en
slaved.
“It is indeed a sorry and de
TWtful picture that the sponsors
of this legislation have drawn of
free American workers. Do not
forget that the real sponsors of
the Taft-Hartley bill are the most
reactionary interests of America.
“They include the so-called
Committee for Constitutional Gov
ernment, which cloaks its selfish
objectives with a pious name. This
committee waged unremitting
warfare against the late Presi
dent Franklin D. Roosevelt and
is still trying to tear down the
great body of social justice re
forms which he established. This
committee hired high-pressure
propagandists to coin ‘hate’ slo
gans against labor and to pin
the charge of ‘monopoly’ against
labor unions. What a mockery!
To make such an accusation
against labor organizations dedi
cated to the promotion of the
greatest good for the greatest
number! And when the charge
comes from a group intent upon
preserving big business monopoly
for the benefit of the few and
against the interests of the Amer
ican people as a whole, it begini
to look as though the sponsors ol
this legislation are adopting Hit
ler’s propaganda technique — the
Big Lie.
“Even more prominent amona
the supporters of the Taft-Hart
ley bill is the National Associa
tion of Manufacturers — bettei
known as the NAM. The NAM,
which is dominated by a tight lit
tle group of reactionary indus
trial barons, haq spent muct
money for propaganda to curt
unions and to destroy labors
gains. This is the same organi
sation that promised the Ameri
can people that price* would come
down if only the OPA was killed
—and then proceeded to make s
killing at the expense of every
one of us. This is the same or
ganisation—the NAM — that has
consistently opposed every forward
and progressive step for the ad
vancement of human rights —
from the Child Labor Amendment
to Social Security.
RETAIL WORKERS HELPED
Albany, N. T. ~ A minimum
wage of UK cents an hour, over
time rates, and other protective
regulations for over MMOO re
tail trades employes in New Yerk
State, have become mandatory.
Employers Strike At
The Taft Hartley Bill
ELECTRICAL CONTRACTORS
CITE 27 YEARS’ PEACE
WITH AFL WORKERS
By Robert W. McChesney, Presi
dent of the National Electrical
Contractors Association
Our free enterprise system
thrives best when there is bal
ance between the conomic factors
of supply and demand. We call
this- healthful condition “stabil
ity."
We, therefore, are vitally con
cerned with the stability of la
bor. We are acutely sensitive to
factors and conditions that? affect
the stability of labor. For if
labor loses any considerable de
gree of stability we suffer, and
what hurts us in the electrical
contracting industry has a great
impact upon electrical living and
electrified production —- conse
quently upon the public.
For almost su years, my or
ganization, the National Electrical
Contractors Association, has co
operated with the International
Brotherhood of Electrical Work
er! of the AFL. In the pulsat
ing economic readjustments that
followed World War I—very much
similar to those of today—far
sighted men in the electrical con
tracting industry—both employer
and employe — looked upon the
chaotic conditions of the time.
These practical men forged an
instrument out of their hard ex
perience in industry—experience
that had taught them that strikes
were not the way to settle labor
disputes. This instrumentality was
the Council on Industrial Rela
tions for the Electrical Contract
ing Industry. It was and it is
today a system of voeintary ar
bitration, functioning under the
mandate of collective bargaining
agreements, as a court of justice
for employer and employe alike.
Where for the past 27 years
(Continned oa Page 4)
LABOR ARBITER WARNS
PUNITIVE LEGISLATION
IS WRONG APPROACH
By Harry Uviller, Impartial Chair
man and Administrator of the
Oresa Industry
After thirty years’ experience
in industries, daring which I have
handled thousands of cases as a
representative of employers and
passed upon thousands of cases as
an umpire, I am convinced that
the proposed Taft-Hartley legisla
tion will not reduce industrial
strife nor result in stabilizing
management and labor relations.
On the contrary, such legisla
tion will introduce irritating fac
tors and will keep the parties di
rectly concerned in a constant
state of mobilisation, with more
i numerous and tnore bitter indi
vidual contests than would have
occurred without the legislation.
As the untimely, complete elim
ination of the OPA resulted in
great inequities in many instances
and subjected our oconomy to
serious danger, so will penaliza
tion or weakening one of the par
ties to the process of collective
bargaining result in dangers to
some, hardships for most and a
strain on our social system. The
Taft-Hartley Bill will accomplish
that. .
The proposed legislation does
not remove the causes tor strife
nor does it attempt to strengthen
or reinforce the institution of col
lective bargaining. It makes a
general attack, which will intro
duce competition on labor stan
dards within the shop, among
plants and between unions, de
spite the fact that stability and
fair competition in industry are
in a great measure dependent
upon equalized, comparable labor
standards.
Our belief that fair competition
is an essential part of our free
(Please Turn Tu Psge 4)
URGES AFL STATE GROUPS TO ASSIST HANDICAPS
A strong plea that all State Federations of Labor exert
every effort to obtain establishment of special State de
partments for promotion of work, opportunities for the
physically handicapped was made by AFL President Wil
liam Green in a message to all State groups. -
The letter pointed out the deep interest the American
Federation of Labor has shown over a long period of years
in the problem of training and placing physically-handi
capped persons, and its full co-operation with programs of
this nature established by the Federal and many State
governments, Mr. Green added: '
'The American Federation of Labor co-operated fully
with, the Federal and State employment agencies in the
achievement of this purpose. During the war period the
employment service was administered by the Federal Gov
ernment. Now the employment service has been returned
to the States. For that reason I earnestly request that
the officers of your State Federation of Labor confer with
those in charge of the State employment service and ar
range to co-operate and work with said agency fully and
completely in all the efforts put forth to secure job place
ments for the physically handicapped.
“I suggests that efforts be put forth to create a depart
ment in the State employment service for the purpose of
specializing in the promotion of work opportunities for
those who arc phsically handicapped. This department
in each State would devote its time and effort exclusively
toward the creation of job placements for the phsically
handicapped.
"I respectfully request and urge that the officers of all
State Federations of Labor confer with representatives of
the employment seervice in each State requesting them to
create a department within thq State employment service,
the objective of which will be to secure job placements
for the physically handicapped.
"This would be a humane and noble purpose, the achieve
ment of which should be sought earnestly by the offioers
and members of «1I State Federations of Labor.
SECRETARY OF A. F. L.
CHALLENGES POSITION
OF G. O. P. LABOR FOES
Washington, D. C. — The
attempt of Big Business and
its Republican Congressional
collaborators to sell the idea
of ‘•capital, government dom
ination and control, as a
means of industrial peace,
is insulting to the intelli
gence of every American
worker.”
This was the firm declara
tion of A. F. L. Secretary
Treasurer George Meany in
a discussion on pending anti
labor legislation in a nation
wide address over the facili
ties of the National Broad
casting company, in which
he formally challenged as
sertions of Republican lead
ers that punitive labor leg
islation was a Republican
Party mandate.
“Such a mandate has never
been handed to the Republi
cans in our Congress,’* Mr.
ttgjK.-assnred the Nation.
Analysing the anti-labor legisla
tion, which ia in conference at
this time, Mr. Meany told the
workers of America to disregard
declarations of Senator Taft of
Ohio and Representative Hartley,
co-authors of the measure, that
the Republican victories of last
November constituted an order to
crack down on unions and to place
the entire organised labor move
ment in a straitjacket of punitive
and restrictive legislation.
“We are told by the official
spokesman of the Republican
Party in both Housess,” Meany
said, “that the prohibitions and
restrictions on trade unions in
the Taft-Hartley bills are in com
plete harmony with the labor
policy of the Republican Party.
These premises are completely
false.”
“Even a casual, examination of
the record gives the lie to any
contention made that the Taft
Hartley NAM program of re
pression and restriction against
labor represents the official policy
of the Republican Party,” Mr.
Meany declared.
“Did Senator Taft, or any other
responsible spokesman for the
Republican party, tell the voters
that the Republican leadership in
the Senate would write anti-labor
laws along lines suggested by
employers?” he asked.
"Senator Taft » has admitted
that his bill contains three-quar
ters of the matters strenuously
pressed upon him by employers.
He has refuesd to divulge the
names of these employers.
"But I cannot recall the Amer
ican voters being told prior to
last November’s election that em
ployers were going to be allowed
to dictate legislation to control
the lives of workers. If there
was a mandate to enact legisla
tion such as that proposed by
the Taft-Hartley program, it must
have been a secret mandate. I
am sure the great mass of the
voters who went to the polls last
election know nothing of any such
“There is evidence that the vote
last year of the American elec
torate was a protest against the
very type of regimentation and
control which the Taft-Hartley
Bill now seeks to impose on la
bor. It was a protest against
the failure of the Administration
■ (Continued on Page 4)
DECLARES PENDING SLAVE - LABOR LEGISLATION
COMPLETELY REPUDIATES RECOMMENDATIONS
CONTAINED IN TRUMAN’S JANUARY MESSAGE
Washington, D. C.—AFL President William Green called
on President Truman to veto to Taft-Hartley slave labor
bill.
Speaking over the Mutual network, Mr. Green declared
that the sjninsors of this legislation completely ignored the
advice of t»he President to refrain from passage of punitive
and vindicative measures and flouted the Chief Executive
on every point Mr. Truman made in his address to the
opening session in January.
Citing three major reasons why the President should
veto the Taft-Hartley Bill.^Mr. Green asserted:
“1. It is against the public interest because it would
throw’ labor-industrial relations into chaos and result in
depressing the American standard of living.
"2. The Taft-Hartley Bill violates the basic freedoms
of American workers and seeks to destroy the security
and effectiveness of their unions.
“3. The measure repudiates and flouts the President’s
own recommendations to Congress.”
Analyzing the Taft Hartley Bill
in detail, Mr. Green showed quite
clearly how it differed with the
position taken by the President in
his message.
“Mr. Truman told Congress,”
the labor leader declared, “that
‘during the last decade and a half
we ham established a national
labor pnHdjy-N this country baaed
upon free collective bargaining
as the process for determining
wages and working conditions. It
should continue to be the na
tional policy."*
But this policy, as set forth
in the National Labor Relations
Act, "the magna carta of la
bor," would be ‘‘virtually repealed
by the Hartley Bill, and the Taft
Bill admittedly rewrites it from
beginning to end and distorts its
meaning," Mr. Green said.
On the issue of President Tru
man’s caution against approval
of punitive and vindictive legis
lation, Mr. Green declared that
the White House was completely
ignored.
“The Taft-Hartley bill is sweep
ingly punitive,” he said: "One
of the sponsors. Congressman
Hartley, asserted on the House
floor it was intended to break
unions down to the local levgl.
Senator Taft said in a public ad
dress that three-quarters of the
provisions were pressed on Con
gress by employers.
“The President said in his mes
sage that there should be n«
blanket prohibition against boy
cotta, but both the Taft and Hart
ley bi|ls do contain blanket pro
hibitions against boycotts.
"Finally, President Trumat
urged Congress in his message t<
institute a fact-finding invest!
gation into the underlying cause!
of labor-management disputes be
fore trying to legiplate upor
them. This Congress flatly re
fused to do, as it refused time
and again laat year.
“This astonishing fear of the
facts shown by the proponents ol
anti-labor legislation betrays the
entire weakness of their case.
Labor does not fear a fair and
impartial examination of the facts
about the underlying causes of
labor-management disputes. We
would welcome such a fact-find
ing investigation. We do not be
lieve it would be possible for
Congress to adopt any intelli
gent and practical legislation
dealing with such important prob
lems without first determining
the facta.
"I have cited enough outright
conflicts between President Tru
man’s recommendations and the
Taft-Hartley program to make it
evident that the legislation repu
diates the basic policies laid down
by the Chief Executive. But X
would like to call attention to
the official policy of the Repub*
lican Party, as approved at the
last National Convention, which
asserted th^ Republican Party
was ‘the historical champion of
free labor.’ Does that sound like
the Taft-Hartley BilIT’’
Mr. Green summed up Ameri
can labor’s indictment of the
Taft-Hartley Bill in five points,
which declared it would increase
industrial strife, damage the na
tional economy by weakening labor
and lowering the American stan
dard of living, imperil the free
dom of American workers, outlaw
the closed shop and create a hate
philosophy, directed against work
ers “and give comfort to those
who wish to divide this Nation
against itself and promote elaafi
warfare in the United States.”
“For these reasons,” Mr. Green
concluded, “for the best interests
of our country, and in justice to
the principles which he has re
peatedly enunciated and long up
held, the workers of America con
fidently expect and strongly urge
President Truman to veto the
Taft-Hartley Bill.”
MORTGAGE APPEALS TO FHA
AT RECORD HIGH IN APRIL
Washington, D. C.—Setting a
record, applications for FHA
mortgage insurance climbed to
52,960 dwelling units during
April. Commissioner Raymond M.
Foley said. This is a new post
war record and indicates contin
ued active housing construction
in the next several weeks, he ex
plained, as actual construction
usually follows the applications
within a fairly short period.
Of the new-home applications
received during A\>ril by FHA
field offices, 14,313 units were to
be in multi-family rental housing
projects. The others were to be
houses for one to four families.
During the first four months
of this year, applications on mul
ti-family rental housing projects
covered 36,298 new dwelling units,
close to a third of the total of
116,095 new units of all type*
to be financed through these ap
plications under the FHA pro*
gram.
- 1
CLERKS SIGN CONTRACT
Oswego, N. Y. — Office Em
ployes International Union (AFL)
members here have been awarded!
a new contract with employe of
the Pierce Butler Radiator Corp.
Wage increases ranging up te IS
cents an hour and retroactive to
Oct. 16k 1944, have been granted
all office employes, and an eight
hour day, 40-hour week, time
and-a-half for Saturday work and
double-time for 8undeys, are
features ft the contract.