VOL. XVII; NO. 8
CHARLOTTE, N. C„ THURSDAY. JUNE 26, 1947
Subscription 82.60 Per Year
AFL CHIEF PREDICTS POLITICAL DEFEAT
OF SPONSORS
Washington, D. C.—The Taft-Hartley Act, acknowledged
to be the most vicious anti-labor club in modern American
history, became the law of the land when the Senate voted
to override President Truman’s veto by 6$ to 25.
AFL President William Green immediately announced
that a drive will be launched for the prompt repeal of the
law.
Warning of the grave consequences of this repressive
legislation, Mr. Green predicted ft will prove such a boom
erang, that its sponsors and' supporters “will be voted out
of office by the American people next year.’’
Labor’s last hopes of heading off the obnoxious legisla
tion were dashed when the final test came up in the Senate.
A combination of reactionary Republicans and southern
Democrats, ignoring President Truman’s fervent pleas for
the defeat of the measure, rolled up a safe margin of six
more than the two-thirds majority required. Previously
the House of Representatives had voted to override by an
almost four to one margin.
The result was in doubt up to
the last minute as a dozen key
Senators declined to commit
themselves in advance. In an ef
fort to sway them, President
Truman sent an emergency ap
peal to Senate Minority Leader
Barkley in wUch.he said:
“I feel so strongly about the
labor bill which the Senate will
vote on this afternoon that I wish
to reaffirm my sincere belief that
it will do serious harm to our
country.
“This is a critical period in our
history and any measure which
will adversely affect our national
unity will render a distinct dis
service not only to this nation
but to the world.
“I want you to know that such
would be the result if the veto of
this bill should be overridden.
“I want you to know you have
my unqualified support, and it is
my fervent hope for the good of
the country, that you and your
colleagues will be successful in
your efforts to keep this bill from
becoming law.”
in tne race oi mis message
from the President of the United
States and the head of their
party, twenty Democratic Sena
tors—every one of them from
the South—voted along with forty
eight Republicans to over-ride
Only three Republicans joined
twenty-two Democrats in voting
to sustain the veto.
Two major portions of the bill
—the amendments to the National
Labor Relations Act and the cre
ation of a new Federal Mediation
and Conciliation Service to re
place the existing U. S. Concili
ation Service—will not go into ef
fect until sixty days. The rest
of the Taft-Hartley Act becomes
effective immediately.
Among these provisions are:
1. Emergency strikes. v Strikes
or threatened strikes which are
held to endanger the national
health or safety may be banned
by court injunctions for a period
of eighty days during which a
board of inquiry will investigate
the dispute and the workers will
be polled on acceptance of the em
ployer’s “last offer” for settle
ment.
2. Restrictions on administra
tion of health wad welfare funds
and regulations governing the
checkoff.
S. Banning of strikes by Gov
ernment workers.
4. Appointment of a Coagree
sional Committee, ostensibly to
study the causes of labor-man
agement disputes and to recom
mend new legislation, but actually
to serve as a Congressional
“watchdog1* on the adadaiai i a
. tion of the new law and to as
sure its harsh enforcement.
The latter point was made evi
dent when Senator Taft indi
cated that his preference for the
chairmanship of the committee
would be Senator Ball, who" con
sistently advocated even tourher
amendments to the Taft-Hartley
Act.
A further Congressional check
rein is provided in the expansion
of the National Labor Relations
Board by the appointment of two
additional members. These ap
pointees must be confirmed by
the Senate and the Taft-con
trolled majority has served notice
that it will not confirm anyone
who does not meet its reactionary
standards.
GREEN SUPPORTS IVES
CHAVEZ ANTI-DISCRIMI
NATION BILL
Washington, D. C.—AFL Presi
dent William Green, testifying
before the Senate Committee on
Labor and Public Welfare, gave
strong support to the Ives-Cha
vez Bill to prohibit discrimina
tion in employment because of
race, religion, color, national ori
gin or ancestry.
Declaring that discrimination
is subversive to the true prac
tice of democracy in a free so
ciety, Mr. Green said:
“We consider the enactment of
this measure a matter for far
reaching national,'and indeed in
ternational importance. America's
ideals of freedom and democracy
are today pitted against world
wide influences of dictatorial op
pression. The communist dic
tatorship, which offers no free
dom and no opportunity to any
one, attempts to appeal to op
pressed minorities. This the
Congress must recognise clearly
and realistically.
“Unity among the people who
make up our great nation, means
more to our strength than mili
tary weapons. Even with the
most powerful of weapons, once
divided, our people will be power
less against a subtle subversive
attack upon our way of life and
our institutions. It is the clear
duty of the Congress to assure
the great and numerous minori
ties among us that the whole
people of the United States stand
indivisibly in their purpose to
make real equal opportunity for
all to enjoy the full rights of
their labor and through their
productive contribution to earn
equally their full share in the
American standard of modern liv
ing.”*
Calls For Labor-Management To
Assist In Labor Law Enforcement
President Harry S^Jrai
• -Washington, June 26.—Pres
ident Truman railed on labor
and management today to com
ply with the Taft-Hartley labor
act and promised to administer
It aa fairly and effectively as
he can.
The President pledged himself
to do all in his power to see
that the Taft-Hartley act “is
well and faithfully adminis
tered" as the AFL decided to
battle it in the courts and to
ffght its backers at election
time. The AFL high command
turned thumbs down, however,
on a general protest strike.
Mr. Truman’s statement noted
that the act was passed over
his veto “in accordance with
the constitutional processes of
our government and declared
that “we must all respect its
provisions."
“Insofar as management and
labor are concerned.” he contin
ued. “there is a vital responsi
bility upon them to comply with
the law in a spirit 'of tolerance
and fair play. Neither man
agement nor labor will achieve
any long-range benefit by seek
ing to use the provisions of this
act to gain the interest of Troth
to maintain steady production
at fair wages while the effect
of the new act is being tooted
by experience. At this time, as
at all others, they will serve
their mutual welfare best by
working together with full rec
ognition by each of the legiti
mate right* of the other.
"I rail upon labor and man
agement, therefore, to exercise
patience and moderation in ac
commodating themselves to the
change* made necessary by the
act.
"Industrial strife at this crit
ical time can result only* in ec
onomic dislocation injurious to
all of us. If it should reach
serious proportions it would
threaten the stability of oar
economy and endanger the peace
of the world.
“We cannot afford such a re
sult. It is our solemn duty to
make every effort to maintain
industrial peace under the pro
vision* of the new law.
We mast all de ear pert.**
The Roll Call Vote
Washington, D. C.—The vote
by which the Senate overrode
President Truman's veto of thd
Taft-Hartley Bill follows:
FOR OVERRIDING—
Aiken, Baldwin. Ball, Brewster,
Bricker, Bridges, Brooks, Burk,
Bushfleld, Butler, Cain, Capeheart,
Capper, Cooper, Cordon, Donnell,
Dworshak, E c t o a, Ferguson,
Flanders, Gurney, Hawkes Hick*
enlooper, Ives, Jenner, Kem,
Knowland, Lodge, McCarthy, Mar*
tin, Millikin, Moore, Reed, Rever
comb, Robertson (Wyo.), Salton*
stall, Smith, Taft, Thye. Tobey,
Vandenberg, Watkins, Wherry,
White, Wiley, Williams, Wilson,
Young.
Democrats—20
Byrd, Connally, Eastland, El
lender, Fulbright, George. Hatch,
\
Hoey. Holland, Maybank, McClel
lan, McKellar, O’Conor, O’Daniel,
Overton,' Robertaon (Va.), Rus
sell, Stewart Tydings Umstead.
AGAINST OVERRIDING—25
Republicans—1
Langer, Malone, Mone.
Democrats—22
Barkley, Cheve*. Downey, Green,
Hayden, Hill, Johnson (Colo.),
Johnston (S. C-), Kilgore, Lucas,
Magnuson, McCarran, McFarland,
McGrath, McMahon, Murray.
Myers, O’Mahoney, Pepper,
Sparkman, Taylor, Thomas
(Okie.).
Senators Wagner and Elbert D.
Thomas did not vote bat were an
nounced as being against over
riding. Senator Wagner wfs pre
vented from voting by illness and
Senator Thomas is in Geneva,
Switaerland, attending the Inter
national Labor Conference.
PRESSMEN) IN ST. LOUIS
GET SUBSTANTIAL RAISE
St. Louia, Mo.—Union pressmen
here have accepted a $7.50 week
ly wage increase on three local
newspapers. They are members
of the International Printing
Pressmen’s Union (AFL), Local
38. _
A $5.50 basic increase was retro
active to February 20. An addi
tional $2 a week was agreed
upon to meet the rising coat of
living. The cost of living section
of the wage is keyed to the Bu
reau of Labor Statistics index
and may be adjusted every 00
days under a clause providing
for a 50c increase or decrease for
each point of change in the in
dex.
The cost of living adjustment
is believed the first such provision
in any pressmen’s contract. The
agreement runs for three years.
Lea Act Regulating Radio
Broadcasting Stations Is
Upheld By Supreme Court
Washington. D. C. — The Su
preme Court, in a 5-3 decision,
ruled" that the Lea Act, regulating
practices itr~the radio broadcast
ing ndustry, is constitutional.
The constitutionality was tested
by the American Federation of
Musicians which struck against
WAAF in Chicago when the sta
tion refused the union’s request
to hire additional record librari
ans. Officials of the station con
tended that the employes were not
needed to carry on its business.
Mr. James C. Petrillo, president
of the union, called 8, strike and
picketed the station in a test
case. Federal Judge Labuy in
Chicago upheld him and ruled,
The Supreme Court decision
merely affirmed the authority of
Congress to pass the Lea Act.
it left to the United States At
torney in Chicago to determine
whether Mr. Petrillo should be
prosecuted under the law.
In overruling the Chicago Fed
eral Court, Justice Black, speak
ng for the majority, said that it
was not necessary for Congress to
prohibit “all (practices) within
ts power to prohibit” in order to
egislate against some practices.
It had been charged by the union
hat the act unconstitutionally
tingled out broadcasting employes
’or regulation while leaving other
■lasses of workers free to engage
in the practices forbidden radio
worker*. y
The provis'ons of the Lea Act
which Mr. Petrillo was charged
with violating states that it shall
be unlawful to force a broadcaster
to employ “any person or per
sons in excess of the number of
employes needed by such licensee
to perform actual services.”
Justice Black admitted that
Congress might have been clearer
and more precise in expressing
what it meant by “number of
employes needed.” But no better .
language had been suggested, he
said,' adding:
“The language here challenged
convey^ sufficiently definite warn
HirSi the proscribed conduct
when measured by common un- ^
derstanding and practices. The
Constitution required no more.”
Justice Reed, in a minority dis
sent concurred in by Justices
Murphy and Rutledge, agreed
with the union and the lower
court judge in the belief that the
law was “too indefinite in its
description of the prohibited
acts.
Mr. Reed concluded that the
disputed section of the act should '
be declared invalid on the prin
ciple that criminal statutes “must
be so written that intelligent men
may know that acts of theirs will
jeopardize their life liberty or
property.” '
THE PEOPLE’S MANDATE
Washington, D. C.—Eben Ayers,
assistant White House press sec*
retary, said the President re
ceived 1,000 telegrams, all con
gratulating him on the veto of the
Taft-Hartley Bill. There has been
insufficient time for letters to
get in, he added.
Mail and telegrams received up
to the time of the President’s
veto message ran flve to one in
favor of veto, Mr. Ayers said.
He estimated that 180,000 letters,
57$,000 cards and 30,000 telegrams
were received.
BUILDING WORKERS RAISED
Kansas City, Mo. — A 32-day
■ tieup of commercial building end
ed here as five major AFL build
ing crafts won 15 cents' hourly
wage increases. Home-building
was unaffected.
i
Unions involved in the settle
ment were the carpenters, labor
ers, operating engineers, lathers
and cement finishers. Electricians
and sheet metal workers signed
earlier agreements for the same
boost while boilermakers, glazi
ers and painters settled for 12 1-2
cents an hour.
JOBS, EARNINGS AT NEW HIGH
Washington, D. C.—The Bureau,
of Labor Statistic* reported high
levels for production and em
ployment with no down-turn in
sight. Employment for May held
steady at record levels and weekly
earnings In manufacturing indus
tries reached an all-time hign.
On the basis of preliminary
data it was estimated that weekly
earnings in May averaged $48.86,
compared with $47.50 in April.
The average work week was down
to 40.4 hours, compared with the
wartime average of 46 to 47
hours. Hourly earnings were
estimated at $1.21 in May, com
pared with $1,186 in April.
Ewan Clague, Commissioner of
Labor Statistics, said "the two ,
fields of activity which are cur
rently the most vulnerable—con
struction and the textile and ,
clothing groups — again showed
the usual seasonal changes in ,
■ay. Sustained demand for la- :
»or, arising from continued c
strength of consumer income and
expenditures as well as from sea
sonal expansion in outdoor activi
ties, was more than sufficient to
offset the slight edging off which
occurred in a number of manu
facturing Industries.
“Consequently, for the third
successive month, the total of
wage and salaried workers in non
farm jobs stood firm at the record
level of 42,000,000 after allow
ance is made for work stoppages.
Unemployment, at the same time,
fell to less than 2,000,000, equal
ing the post-reconversion low
achieved last fall.
"The seasonal pick-up in con
itruction which began last March
nrill continue throughout the
tummer months,” Mr. Clagoe said,
‘but construction employment will
Fall considerably short of the ree
>rd which had been anticipated.
Although building has flattened
>ut much sooner than expected,
.947 will still be one of the beet
[instruction years in our history.*