Newspapers / The Charlotte Labor Journal … / July 17, 1947, edition 1 / Page 1
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eets In Wilmington Aug. 11-12-13 WIRE or WRITE to Tsar Ceafrsssma to Protest Agsinst Ml RRTI-UROR Rills! CHARLOTTE LABOR JOURNAL VOL. XVII; NO. 11 Subscription $2.00 Per Year — L EMERGENCY CONFERENCE ADOPTS UNANIMOUSLY 6-POINT PROGRAM CALLING FOR ACTION IN COURTS AND WITH BALLOTS Washington, D. C.—Top officials of all AFL national and international unions resolved unanimously to fight for the repeal of the Taft-Hartley Act and for the ouster -from office of all members of Congress who voted for it. Summoned to an emergency conference by AFL President Green, 200 representatives of the 105 AFL affiliates adopted a 6-point declaration of purpose prepared by a committed of AFL vice-presidents. “The repeal of this notorious legislation shall be our fixed ob jective,” the declaration said. “We regard the measure as vicious and destructive to labor's constitu tional right." Maintaining that many of the Act’s provisions are unconstitu tional, the report proclaimed, “we shall exhaust every legal recourse at our command in the efforts we put forth to teat the validity of this Act." The union chiefs resolved to defeat at the polls every member of Congress who voted “in favor of final enactment of the Taft Hartley Bill.” The statement recommended that, as protection against damage suits and other “vexatious and destructive litigation’4 under the law, “no-strike” provisions be “ omitted front all future “Ugive* ments, written or oral. The committee proposed that AFL affiliates set aside next elec tion day as a holiday to be de voted solely to election purposes. The committee’s report recom mended that the AFL Executive Council “give full and complete consideration to the declarations of this Conference” and prepare a definite program of action for consideration by the AFL Con vention to be held next October at San Francisco. AFL President William Green opened the meeting with a brief address. He said the “notorious” Taft-Hartley Act' was the result * of a determined attack by labor’s enemies to weaxen ana aeii.rujr unions. Urging • ceaseless at* tack upon the measure, he pre dicted that the “voice of labor’’ will be heard again. The Act * gives labor an impetus to united purpose, he declared, Mr. Green named the following committee to draw up the pdiey statement: Vice-Presidents Mat thew Woll, David Dubinskyf Wil liam Hutcheson, Daniel Tobm and AFL Secretary-Treasurer Georg* Meany. Most' of the conference was de voted ‘to an exhaustive analysis of the main provision of the Taft Hartley Act presented by Chief Counsel Joseph A. Padway. Mr. Padway • declared govern ment interference in labor mat ters “is now a reality." Framers of the law, he said, deliberately designed the provi sions protecting labor’s rights to ' be “ unworkable,” but the restric tions against labor can be en forced effectively. Mr. Padway predicted that with the additional work assigned the National La bor Relations Board it would fall at least five years behind even if it had 50 members. Labor will be penalised by this inability of She NLRB to function efficiently, he said. ' The new law, the AFL attorney declared, cuts the heart out of the Wagner Act and creates greater dangers for unions seeking its protection. “If unions could bypass the NLRB and do without it, I an* here to state they will be better off,” Padway maintained. , He referred briefly to the pro (Contiaued oh Page S) New Laws “UnwkiUe". Provisions Deliberately Designed; Says Padway Washington, D. C.—In an ex haustive analysis of the outstand ing provisions of the Taft-Hartley Act. Chief Counsel Joseph A. Pad way told the delegates to the AFL's emergency conference Just how drastically their unions and their members will be affected. Government interference in la bor matters “is now a reality,” Padway warned the officers of the 105 national and international un ions assembled at the Washington Hotel. Those who framed the law, be said, deliberately designed it to i be “unworkable” so far as * the. concerned, but the restriction! against labor can be enforced ef fectively. So much work has been piled upon the National Labor Rela tions Board, the AFL attorney de clared, that even if the Board, had fifty members it would be bound to fall at least five years behind in the handling of cases. This, he continued, was a clever scheme on the part of those who drafted the Act to make the NLRB machinery break > down. Employers would be benefited, Padway pointed out, by the in ability of the NLRB to function effectively. ^ The new law, Padway empha sised, cuts the heart out of the original Wagner Act and creates greater dangers for unions than they stand to gain from seeking the protection of the Act. “If unions could bypass the NLRB and do without it, I am here to state they will be better off,” Medway maintained. The obligation upon employers to bargain collectively is rendered “absolutely worthless,” Padway (Please Turn to Page 4) AFl Broadcast ScMft Washington, D. C.—Discussion topics for the next three APL radio programs broadcast over the nationwide network of the Ameri can Broadcasting Company are as follows: July 19th—“How Can We Get More Housing?” Speakers in clude Representative John A. Car roll of Colorado, J. C. Turner, Housing Representative of the Washington, D. C., Central Labor Union, and Boris Shishkin, AFL economist. July 26th—“Is Another Depres sion Coming Soon?" Participants will be Leon H. Keyserling, mem ber of the President’s Council of Economic Advisors; Russell Smith, Washington Representative of the National Farmers Union and Boris Shishkin, AFL economist. August 2d—^How Does Labor View the Record of the 80th Con gress?” Speakers include Robert J. Watt, AFL International Rep resentative;’ Henry Jfaiser, AFL Associate Counsel, and Phil Pearl, AFL Information Director. The AFL broadcasts originate in Washington at 6:46 p. m. Eastern Daylight Time. /Consult your local newspaper for the ex act time of the broadcast in your community* « v 1947 CONVENTION CALL TO ALL AFFILIATED UNIONS, GREETINGS: You are hereby notified that, in pursuance of the Con stitution of the American Federation of Labor, the Sixty - sixth Convention of the American Federation of Labor will be Jield in the Civic Auditorium, San Francisco, Calif., beginning at 10:00 o’clock Monday morning, October 6, 1947, and will continue in session from day to day until the business of the Convention shall have been completed. For almost two years, since the close of World War II, the workers of our own country as well as of those through out the world, h^ve waited patiently for the conclusion of world peace negotiations. They crave world peace and security. _ Unfortunately the conferences of the Big Four representatives which have been held since V-J Day have failed to conclude an agreement providing for world peace. How long shall the disagreement between representatives of the Big Four continue? That is the question the work ers are asking now. We insist and demand that bickering shall cease, that selfishness shall be eliminated, that, a basis of accommodation shall be found and a world peace agreement concluded without further delay. During the past year a concentrated drive for the enact ment of anti-labor legislation in a number of states as well as in the Congress of the United States, was launched by the united enemies of our organized labor movement. As a result highly objectionable anti-labor legislation was en acted in tpore than a dozen states and by the Congress of the United States. We were able to behold, as the pic ture unfolded, that the scattered enemies of Labor became united, centering their efforts to secure the enactment of anti-labor legislation. Much of this legislation enacted in the different states is of the same pattern. Most of it was directed against union shop agreements and the exercise of the right on the part pf employers and employes to en gage in free collective bargaining and to enter into wage agreements mutually' acceptable. We can not and will not become reconciled to the acceptance of this vicious anti labor legislation. We are still seriously affected by the economic arid in dustrial changes which followed the close of World War II. Rising prices continue, and black market conditions prevail to some extent at least. We are constantly faced with a housing shortage and a demand foY higher rents. These, together with other economic, social and indus trials problems must and will be considered by the dele gates in attendance at the convention. In characteristic and traditional fashion, the delegates present will grapple and deal with all these probleaas and will express them selves regarding them in a constructive, brave and courag eous way. * WILLIAM GREEN, President. GEORGE MEANY, Secretary-Treasurer. AFL won an election among employes of Arvoala Buckingham State Company, Inc., at Arvonia, Va. State Workers Local 180 was certified, having received 84 out of 35 ballots cast. The same local won another election the same day at the Le Sueur Kieh* m’ond State Corporation at Ore Bank, Va., receiving 81 out of 84 ballots cast. Tulsa General Drivers Local 523, Teamsters, AFL has been certified for over-the-road drivers and warehousemen of Griffen Goodner Grocery Company. United Textile Workers Union, AFL, won aa election at Fair mont Mills, Greenville, S. C., on June 4. There are approximately 400 employes and the vote was decisively in favor of Che union. BULLETIN NO. 1 (This i* the second installment of the first bulletin issued by the American Federation of Labor explaining the Taft-Hartley Act. It was prepared by the office of its General Counsel. Joseph A. Padway.) 4. Are unions immediately li able for engaging in boycotts, jurisdictional strikes or breaches of collective bargaining? Yes. Boycotts and jurisdictional strikes are dealt with in two dif ferent titles Of the law, Title I and Title III. Under Title I they are made unfair labor practices vhich may be prohibited by the Labor Board, and, also tfie Labor Board is required to seek an im mediate injunction restraining them. Under Title III any per son who is injured by such boy cotts and jurisdictional strikes may sue for damages. Title I does not become effective until August tt. 1947. But Title III becomes immediately effective. Therefore, boycotts and jurisdic tional strikes prohibited by the law exposes unions to immediate suite fur damsgns * Similarly, suits for breach of contract are dealt with in Title III and hence they, too, will sub ject unions to immediate suits in the federal courts. Accordingly, ■nd for the further reason that the, ability of unions to police their agreements by disciplining employes engaging in Wildcat un ions hereafter refrain from agree ing to no-strike clauses in collec tive bargaining agreements. We give this advice reluctantly, but the restrictions placed upon labor organisations under the new law leave us no* alternative. It should be noted in connection with the question of boycotts and jurisdictional strikes that the law does not prohintt every Kina ©i boycott and every kind of jurisdictional strike. Specifically, the act outlaws any atrike or in ducement to strike against aa em ployer, or refusal to work on or handle hid goods, if an 'objoct of such action is any of the follow ing: 1. To require any employer or' a self-employed person to join a labor' or employer organisation. 2. To require any employer tg cease using, selling or transport ing the products of any other employer, or to cease doing busi ness with any other person. 3. To require some other em ployer to bargain with a labor organisation which has not been certified by the Labor Board as the representative of, that other employer’s employes. 4. To require any employer to bargain with a labor organisation whej-e another labor organisation has already been certified by the Labor Board as the representa tive of his employes. 5. To require any employer to assign work to one particular la bor organisatton rather than to --•other (unless the • employer is failing to* comply with an exist ing certification). The foregoing is a summary of what kind of Jurdisdictional stiikes and boycotts unions can not engage in. Other strikes against employers for pure eco nomic objectives, such as im provements in wages and working conditions, engaged in by the un ions representing the employes of such employers, are not restricted by the pew law except to the ex tent that they might involve na tional emergencies and except with respect to notices discussed below. , In respect to what type of jur isdictional strikes or Boycotts un ions may now engage in, in spite of the provisions of the new law, it is possible at the present time to state only as follows: 1. A union may strike or pick et a particular employer for rec ognition as the representative of .hat employer's employes if no other union has been certified as the representative of such em ployes. If another union has been certified for only some of the em ployer’s employes in ope unit, a union may strike to obtain repre sentation rights in respect to the other employes in other units. 2. Union members may, acting individually or through their un .on, refuse to purchase the prod ucts of an unfair employer and advjpe and request others to re frain from purchaaing such prod ucts. This can be accomplished by appeals in the form of hand bills, radio, speech, or picketing addressed solely to the consuming public, requesting1 the public not to purchase* unfair products. A Members of a union mhiefe, has been certified as the bargain ing representative may engage in a jurisdictional strike if the em ployer assigns their work to any other group of employes. 4. Other types of customary boycotts involving peaceful pick eting and peaceful refusal to work, on or transport non-union made goodk or unfair products, are apparently outlawed by the new law, but the constitutionality of su/U a prohibition is in doubt. Test cases will undoubtedly arise in the near future, and the Amer ican Federation of Labor will co ordinate and assist in such cases. In the meantime, unions are warned that violations subject them to lawsuit* for damage*. The question of what boycotts and jurisdictional strikes are un lawful is a very complicated one. It will be further discussed in an other bulletin to be issued in the near future. For the present the foregoing will suffice. S. When should unions serve written notice upon employes ef the proposed termination or mod ification of collective agreements? Title I of the new law requires any party to a collective agree ment to give written notice to the other party of any proposed termination or modification 60 days prior to the expiration date of the agreement. Where the agreement has no fixed expiration date, the notice must be given 60 days prior to the time it Is pro posed to terminate or modify. Parties to .labor agreement* are also required to give notice to the Federal Mediation and Con ciliation Service and to any State Mediation and Conciliation Agency within 30 days after the notice to the other party if within that; time no agreement has been reached. Failure to give these notices constitutes an unfair labor prac tice, and any strike during the 50-day period causes every strik-1 ing employe to lose his statue ns an employe, and hence his protec tion under the act. Unions having agreements which will expire within 69 days after August 22, 1947, are faced with an immediate problem. Techni cally, none of the amendments la ntle I of the act become effec tive until Aqgust 22, 1947, and, therefore, some may suggest that: no notices will be required until, August 22. However, if a union (Ceatiaued on Page 3) REPORT SAYS LAW WILL WEAKEN AND DESTROY LABOR UNIONS Washington, D. C.—The text of the policy statement adopted unanimously by a special confer* ence of national and international officers follows: A strong moving desire on the part of working men and women for the realization of higher stan* dards of living has served to establish and stimulate' the growth and the expansion of labor unions. The progress and development of labor unions have run parallel to the steady ever* increasing demand of the work ers for higher wages, improved conditions of employment, secur ity and social justice. Time and experience have shown that the labor union is the instrumentality which served to promote the economic, social and industrial welfare of the workers everywhere. Even nonunion work ers have been the beneficiaries of the gains made by the organised labor movement. The organisation of working men and women means the mobi lisation of their economic strength so that they may substitute col lective action for individual action. Xtw material, education, and cul tural well-being of all classes of people depend upon an adequate financial income. To workers that means wageq high enough to en able them to maintain themselves in decency and comfort and to establish a standard of living commensurate with the require ments of American citizenship. This is a noble objective. It squares with the American way of life. Workers everywhere should be encouraged, not hampered or hindered. In their efforts to real* ize euch a high and lofty purpose. Such an economic and social order would serve to perpetuate our free democratic torm of govern* ment, to prevent the spread of Communism, or the acceptance of any totalitarian philosophy and to serve as a guarantee of the preservation , of our free enter prise system. Apparently the authors and supporters of the Taft-Hartley anti-labor law ignored all these facts. Their actions must be in terpreted as meaning that strong serviceable laboi1 unions must not be permitted to exisf within our economic and social life, that only weak and impotent labor unions shall be allowed to mirvive and that labor may have a shadow of a labor movement but not the substance. This fact is reflected in every word, line, sentence and para graph of the notorious Taft-Hart ley law. It seeks to weaken, render impotent, and destroy la bor unions. It does so by strik ing a vital blow at free collec tive bargaining and substitute a process of government domina tion over employer-employe rela tionships. The negotiation of closed shop agreements are for bidden and the regulations, lim itations and prescribed methods which must be followed regard ing union membership are all de signed to make it impossible for labor unions to live and function effectively. In addition to the classification of Unfair Labor Practices in this Act, some stated and others vague, which employers charge against labor unions, the Act. provides that damage suits may be instituted for alleged violation of contracts, and there is re established the adhorrent prin ciple and practice of government by injunction. The purpose of those who supported the Tafts'
The Charlotte Labor Journal and Dixie Farm News (Charlotte, N.C.)
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July 17, 1947, edition 1
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