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ANTI - LABOR Bills!
LABOR JOURNAL
VOL. VXII; NO. 18
L'HARLOTTE, N. C± THURSDAY. AUGUST 7. 1047
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REITERATES PLANS TG
Session Record Of Congi
s Dismal For Workers
SPECIAL INTEREST GROUPS
FORCED MEASURES
AGAINST LABOR
Washington, D, C.—The 80th
Congress, the first under Repub*
lican control since the advent of
the New Deal, closed its first ses
sion. ‘The record shows it to have
been a most reactionary Congress.
Progressive social reforms were
eliminated, modified or quietly ig
nored at this session which has
seen the special interest groups
riding roughshod over the* inter
ets of the American wage earner.
The 80th Congress forced a new
concept of labor-management re
lations upon the nation when it
adopted the notorious Taft-Hart
ley measure which had the whole
hearted support of the National
Association of Manufacturers.
Over - the repeated warnings of
labor spokesmen, enlightened in
dustrialists and other public fig
ures, the cause of labor was ham
strung and the government placed
right in the middle of labor-man
agement relations. This was pre
cisely what the labor and' busi
ness leaders who realised that
legislation' cannot settle labor dis
putes, recommended against.
The 80th Congress. tried to re
duce taxes, not for the relief of
thoee most in need hat for thoee
already in the high income
brackets. Not content with ost
veto susUined by the House, the
determined GOP leadership tried
again on a post-dated basis in an
effort to make good on a cam
paign pledge to cut the tax re
ceipts of the Federal Government.
The President immediately sent
through a second veto message
which was sustained in the Sen
ate. •
The 80th Congress will be re
membered more for what this
first session did noV accomplish
than for any legislative progress
which it made.
No action was taken on pro
posals to increase minimum wage
levels despite the crying need for
an upward adjustment to com
pensate for the increases in the
cost of living.
Social Security benefits were
not increased, nor eras thd cover
age of the law broadened. In
stead, the Congress frose the
present payroll tax rate at its
present level until 1960, making
it virtually impossible to liberal
ize payments.
Despite the existence of a se
vere housing crisis, the long
range program 'embodied in the
Taft-Ellender Bill was shelved
without actipn. The only measure
touching upon the housing prob
lem was the new rent control law
which permits landlords to in
crease rents under “voluntary”
agreement with tenants.
Various health1'measures never
reached the flooiftof either house.
With the recognised need for a
health insurance program to fur
nish complete medical care to
workers and their families, action
by the Senate committee consid
ering this legislation was slowed
by the introduction of the Taft
Bill designed to provide, medical
care on a charity basis to those
families 'who successfully passed
a means test.
President Truman requested
legislation to further social prog
ress in his Message to Congress
last - January and reiterated the
need therefor in his recent mes
sage transmitting his mid-year
economic report.
The first session of the 80th
Congress failed to heed his re
quests.
The North Carolina Federation of Labor convention for 1947
will open in Wilmington Monday. August 11, for a three-day
session and, according to the program released by the Wilming
ton committee on arrangements. the meeting will ho honored by
the presence of a goodly sprinkling of high American Federa
tion of Labor officials who will address this the most important
session of the N. C. Federation to bo held in at least 10 years,
which carries aa back to 1937. when the AFL-CIO split took
AFL PRESIDENT
j_William Green
AFL SEC. TREASURER
William Green, George Meaney,
I. M. Orabum and Frank P. Fen
ton, AFL officials, have been in
vited to be present, but thia
week it is reported that perhaps
Mr. Green will not be able to at
tend. However, it is thought that
the other AFL officers may be
able to be present. George L.
Googe, suotnern AFL director, is
also an invited guest and will de
liver a speech Tuesday morning,
beginning at 11:45 o’clock. In
this ad'lres Mr. Googe will have
much to tell North Carolina un
ionists relative to the current
(Continued on Page 4>'
LABEL DIRECTOR
i
L M. Omburn
I. A. SCOGGINS
First Vice Present North CareHaa Federation of Labor
Brother Scoggins is also vice president of the Charlotte Central
Labor Union, secretary-treasurer of his local electrical workers
union, and a hard working unionist in every respect. Mr. Scoggins
served as head qf the Charlotte Rationing oRke daring the war,
being chairman. He is a past president of Charlotte Central Labor
union.
PRESIDENT
SECRETARY-TREASURER
SOUTHERN DIRECTOR
Ci A. Fink
to. G. Fiafier
George L. Googe
Convention Program
RECREATION CENTER—SECOND AND ORAlfGfc STREETS
WILMINGTON. N. C.
Monday Morning. August, 11. 1*47
Convention called to order 9:00 A. M. by C. B. Kornegay, President
Wilmington Central Labor Union.
Invocation . Reverend Carl Lewis
Pastor Sunset Park Baptist Church
Pledge of Allegiance to the Flag of the United States, of America,
by all Delegates present.
“I pledge allegiance to the Flag of th^'United
States of America and to the Republic for
which it stands, one nation, indivisible, with
Liberty and Justice for all.”
National Anthem . ...Richard G. Woods
Address of Welcome .. ®. L.. White
Mayor of City of W'ilmington
Address of Welcome ... H. Winfield Smith
New Hanover County Recorder
Response .. ..f. A.' E. Brown
Chaplain of N. C. State Federation of Labor
Presentation of Gavel to C. A. Fink, President of the N. C. Federa
tion of Labor, and the President's Opening Address.
Convention duly < pened for the consideration and transaction of busi
ness.
Appointment of-Committee on Credentials and Committee on Rules
of Order.
’ t 11:15 A. M.
Address ... Forrest H. Shuford
N. C. Commissioner of Labor
12:00 NOON
Address ... .- William Green
President, American Federation of Labor
1:00 P. M.
Recess for Lunch.
Monday Afternoon—2:00 o'clock
Report of Credentials Committee.
Obligation and Seating of Delegates.
3:00 P. M.
Address .. Frank F. Fenton
Director of Organization, American Federation* of Labor
4:00 P. M.
Address ... .... I. M. Ornburn
Secretary-Treasurer, Union Label Trades Dept.
Introduction of Visitors.
Report of Rules Committee.
Appointment of Committees. •
Announcements.
5:00 P. M.
Adjournment.
Tuesday Morning. August 12—• o’Clock
Invocation _ .~. A. E. Brown
Chaplain,' North Carolina Federation of Labor
Reports of Officers.
Introduction of International Union Representatives.
10:00 A. M.
Address ..John O’Hara
President Tobacco Workers International
11:00 A. M.
Address .. ... Nick Collins
Vice-President United Textile Workers of America
11:45 A. M.
Address ........George L. Googe
Southern Director of the American Federation of Labor
1:00 P. M.
Recess for Lunch.
Tuesday Afternoon—2 KM ©’Clock
Reports of Committees.
2:15 P. M.
Address .......—...T. A. Wilson j
_ Chairman Industrial Commission
3:00 P. M.
Address...........„.... C. H. Williams
RegionaT Director, U. 8, Conciliation Service, of Atlanta, Georgia
Nomination of Officers, S \
(Continued on Page 4) 1
building activity up
Washington, D. C.-rThe U. S.
•arena ai Labor Statist*** «rw
porta that a 10 par cent inerqase
in construction activity poshed
building expenditures to 91429,
000,000 in Jon# and gave jobs to
1,760,000 workers. The BLS indi
cates that this is a 19 per cent
increase in inancial outlay and a
Imost at a quarter-mill ion in the
number of workers over June,
1946.
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CHALLENGES EMPLOYERS
WHO SEEK TO DESTROY
TRADE UNIONS
Sacramento, Calif.—AFL Secre
tary-Treasurer George Meany de
clared vigorously that “labor is
not going hack to the conditions
which existed prior to 1933“ de
spite the Taft-Hartley law and
the vicious intentions of all its
proponents in and out of Con
gress.
In an address before the con
vention of the California State
Federation of Labor, Mr. Meany
said the American Federation of
Labor intends to continue to main
tain its organization as an “ef
fective instrument of the. nation’s
workers in their light for ^ bet
ter life."
While indicating a desire to
bargain in good faith with any
employer, Mr. Meany warned the
reactionary business groups. He
said:
_ *'T« these essployess whe test
the Taft-Hartley law is going to
enable them to dictate at will the
terms and conditions of employ
ment without regard to the wel
fare and desires of their em
ployes we say—if you want in
dustrial warfare—we accept the
challenge.”
The AFL leader reiterated the
position taken by the American
Federation of Labor in announc
ing a campaign to be undertaken
(Please Turn to Page S)
CLAUDE L. ALBEA
» Pre*idt*t of the Charlotte Central Labor Union
Mr. Alboa la a member of the International Typographical Ui
and for many yearn served aa president of the Charlotte local ei
ITU. He is a former rice president of the North Carolina F< *
tion ad Labor, aad has served many terms aa president of the
lotto Contra! Labor Union. Mr. Albea served 12 years on
Charlotte City Connell aad in Juno of this year rag again
as a member of the Charlotte City Council by a large vote,
widely known throughoat North Carolina Labor circles.
State Federation
12-13