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CHARLOTTE
LABOR JOURNAL
VOL. XVII; NO. 24
CHARLOTTE. N. C.. THURSDAY. OCTOBER 23. 1917
Subscription $2.00 Per Year
TRUMAN PRAISES
LABOR; W ARNS OF
BUILDING CRISES
San Francisco. — In praise of
American workers, President
Truman said that “without the
patriotic support of the workers
of America” the nation’s recent
victories over tyranny abroad
and want in this country would
not have been possible.
Mr. Truman declared we are
enjoying a prosperous period
which has brought full employ*
ment and new levels of produc
tion, but he warned that the
housing and inflation crises must
be solved before we “can main
tain a stable and prosperous
economy.”
In a message of greeting to the
AFL’s convention here, the Pres
ident said the AFL, in addition'
to the welfare of its own mem
bers, is vitally interested in the
welfaie of the nation as a whole,
in the broadening of the social
security system, and in the
establishment of an adequate
health insurance system.
A part 6f the President’s, mes
sage was devoted to the “criti
cal conditions which threaten the
well-being of the entire world.”
He expressed assurance that la
bor could be depended upon “to
co-operate with an all-out ef
fort to .help feed the hungry
across the seas in the months
ahead.”
The text of the President’s
message follows:
“Please convey my greetings to
American Federation of Labor in
attendance at the 66th annual
convention of your organisation.
I wish them and you a success
ful meeting.
“Since your lirst convention,
the United States has grown in j
power and prestige until today i
we are the most powerful and
, prosperous nation in the world.
That power and prosperity bring j
with them added responsibilities
not only to our own people, but
to the needy and oppressed peo
ple in other lands. Our eco
nomic and political problems and
those of Europe are now inter
locked in a manner undreamed
of in the early days of your or
ganization.
“People in many parts of the i
world are looking to us for aid |
until they can again become self
supporting members of the com
munity of nations. I feel sure
that the working men and women
of America do not begrudge our
sharing of our abundance with
those less fortunate, especially
in view of the fact that our pro
duction today is greater than
ever before in peacetime.
“I know, too, that labor and
industry, recognizing the serious
ness of the situation abroad, will
co-operate to raise the production
level still further to help meet
the critical conditions which
threaten the well-being of the
entire world. I feel sure that
America can depend upon its
workers to co-operate fully and
generously in an all-out effort to
help feed the hungry across the
seas in the months ahead. The
need for grain in many countries
in the year ahead will be even
more acute than in the past. The
United States must export large
amounts of food if this need is
to be met—but to do so will re
quire the conservation of food
by every American. The Presi
dent of the American Federation
of Labor is a member of the Cit
izens Food Committee which is
helping the government plan ways
and means of conserving essential
food, and I am sure that the
members of your unions are
squarely behind the effort to pro
vide the food that will enable
p|^p|| other countries %©
♦— their rehabilitation.
•We la the United States have
(Ceataoed On Pagt 4)
.1
COUNCIL RESTATES
VETERANS POLICY
San Francisco.—The Executive
Council declared that public policy
concerning veterans should not
only adjust their legitimate griev
ances but should create an atmo
sphere of goodwill in which both
veterans and non-veterans receive
equal treatment as citizens.
‘•Veterans arnd non-veterans
alike must realize that this coun
try will prosper only if all groups
are prosperous,” the Council’s re
port declared.
“For the American Federation
of Labor, we urge that every ..pos
sible action be taken to cement
friendly relations between vet
erans and organized labor. .Al
though much progress has been
made in this, it is important to
realize that any substantial drop
in employment is likely to create
new tension.
“A return to the era of unem- j
ployment and job competition will
be disastrous to all workers. But
the veterans will look upon it as
their betrayal. If this natioft neg
lects its responsibility of main
taining full employment. the
“bonus marches” of 1932 are cer
tain to be repeated on a greatly
magnified scale.
"Soldiers and sailors of yester
day are Workers and citizens of
today. As workers and as citi
must make common
cause*'with organized labor in
furthering policies which would
avert another depression and help
build a nation strong in peace,
able to yield a.better life to all.”
The Council reviewed the pol
icies of the AFL towards the prob
lems involved in the veteran's re
integration into civilian life and
discussed the work of the AFL
Veterans Committee. It said:
"The American Fed era ion of
Labor Committee on Veterans,
composed of Vice-President Woll,
Secretary-Treasurer Meany and
Robert J. Watt, translated these
objectives into specific policies
and procedures adopted bv vir
tually all of our unions. Initia
tion and reinstatement fees have
been waived or drastically re
duced, membership in good stand
ing maintained without dues, ben
efits paid, apprentice training re
quirements relaxed, and special
contract clauses written in order
to make the transition period
easier for the veteran and to give
him better protection on his job.
“Through the mechanism of the
collective agreement, the veter
an’s right to his job and all im
provements in terms of employ
ment secured by the union in his
absence have been protected. Spe
(Continued On Page 4)
LIBERALS PUN DRIVE
DN TUFT-HARTLEY UW
New York City.—Leaders of the
Liberal party announced the start
of an intensive campaign for re
peal of tha Taft-Hartley law and
preparation for the 1948 national
election.
Party leaders, including David
Dubinsky, president of the Inter
national Ladies Garment Workers
Union, conferred with labor of
ficials for the purpose of estab
lishing political units in the var
ious unions and their locals. The
units will not be identical with
the union organisations thus avoid
ing any possibility of violating
the Taft-Hartley law’s ban on
political activity by unions.
As part oSf their activities the
Liberal party organisation plans
an intensive drive to register all
eligible voters. Unions have co
operated in this endeavor by dis
tributing literature and cards
pledging the signers to register.
Jill. J iiwnririfi'infiiiir -mr i;'. ' .. *■&■■■ ■
RUSSIAN TACTICS
CALI FOR PLAIN
TALKING, SAYS AFL
San Francisco.—The Executive
Council declared that labo^ must
interest itself in “national for
eigji policy” and called for “plain
speaking” in our relations with
Soviet Russia which nation has
blocked all efforts toward world
peace and security. •
In a section of its report deal
ing with foreign policy the Coun
cil declared:
“The time is past when the la
bor movement of any country can
safely refrain from interesting
itself in national foreign policy
and maintaining positive standards
by which that policy should be
determined. We can no longer
be satisfied merely with the ab
sence of w^r, for while war is a
catastrophe we earnestly wish to
avoid, we have learned that only
in alert and tireless planning to
maintain peace lies security. We
are constantly made conscious of
how national policies are related
to foreign policies and how for
eign policies impact on national
policies.”
Criticizing Russia for her ob
structionist ’tactics in blocking
European recovery and other
moves toward world peace, the.
Council said:
we nave wiinessea .soviet. i»c
tics in preventing even formu
lation of the Austrian peace
treaty; in blocking action in the
Security Council on a security
military force to enable that body
to perform its duties under the
charter; in attempting to block
investigation of obvious efforts at
aggression in the Balkans, etc.
Such eperiences have brought our
government to a realization of
need for positive action to assure
democratic countries opportunity
for economic and hence political
recovery.
“When it became obvious that
Soviet Politburo intended to ex
tend its control by pressure on
Greece and Turkey, the President
asked for appropriations to enable
us to safeguard these key states.
The purpose of tne President’s
plan were later embodied in Sec
retary Marshall’s proposal for ec
onomic recovery of Europe.
“However, the USSR refused to |
co-operate and has effectively
forbidden its satellite border na
tions to participate, thus dividing
Europe.
r>ince tne roisaam vumcicutc
in V945 there have been no furth
er conferences between the heads
of the United Nations and no
further conferences between the
officials responsible for policies
since the Moscow conference of last
spring which the Soviet repre
sentatives made futile by obstruc
tive and dilatory tactics. It is
obvious that the USSR does not
want peace in Europe and either
does not understand democratic
procedures with the give and take
necessary to reach agreement or,
finds the methods of force and
aggression more suitable to its i
objectives.
“In United Nations meetings,
the agents of the USSR have 11
times blocked majority decisions by
use of its veto power. Such abuse
of power which was intended for
reluctant use in serious situations,
makes plain that the Charter must
be amended or become a farce.
“The American Federation of
Labor is gratified to note the ex
tent to which our government has
abandoned a policy of appease
ment and adopted a policy of
plain speaking.”
Turning to ^ discussion of the
United Nations the Council’s re
port urged amendment of the
Charter of the United Nations to
“abolish the veto power of the
five nations and to substitute ma
jority rule for all determinations.”
The Charter should be amended
further, the Council declared, to
provide for direct participation of
labor in the United Nations to
prevent its development* as a bu
reaucracy responsible only to tho
governments of the member na
tions. The report stated:
“The American Federation of
Labor believes that the work of
(Coattaaed ea Page 2)
\RIZONA FEDERATION
BACKS CO-OP MOVEMENT
Tucson, Ariz. — The Arizona
State Federation Of Labor went
on record in sifljport of * the co
operative movement and set up
committees in each local to study
wtys and means of furthering
it.
The annual convention of the
federation adopted a formal res
olution declaring the co-operative
movement to be the only practical
method in sight which will bring
a “semblance of democracy to our
economic order.”
PROBERS UR6E CURB ON
FOOD SPECULATION; ASKS
PROFITS TAX, WAGE LAW
New York City.—A joint con
gressional subcommittee, probing
into the causes of rising living
costs urged President Truman to
take decisive action to curb spec
ulation and margin buying on the
nation’s food commodity ex
changes.
At the hearing conducted by
the committee the Congressmen
heard William Collins. AFI, Re
gional Director, urge similar ac
tion by Congress as a means of
stifling the upward trend in food
prices.
Mr. lomns testmed on behali
of the Central Trades and Labor
Council of Greater New York.
He portrayed vividly the losing
battle being waged by the aver
age American worker against the
ever-rising price level and put
forth a concrete program for halt
ing inflation.
He urged congressional action
to curb commodity speculation, the
encouragement of consumer co
operatives to reduce excessive
profits reaped in t& distribution
of products, a vigorous campaign
against wastage of food, reim
position of the excess profits tax.
and immediate passage of. a 75
centg an hour minimum wage law.
Members of the committee hit
at speculation in basic foods,
terming such action a “crime
against our civilization" and "ri
liculoui.” After consultation, fol
lowing the hearing, they dis
patched the following tetegram
*o President Truman:
“It has become clear to the
members of the Eastern subcom
mittee of the Joint Committee on
Prices that grain and commodity
speculation is accentuating mar
ket fluctuations instead of de
creasing them, \nd that presently
it is supporting food prices at un
justifiable levels.
"we tnereiore urge tnat your
Administration use every means
within its power to restrain this
dangerous activity. In so doing
you will have full support. It is
incredible that so large opera*
tions in the necessities of life
should be permitted on such small
cash margins. These margins
could be greatly increased to the
benefit of consumers’ food prices,
if special provision were made
for normal millers hedging opera
tions.
“We also urge careful study of
the manner and timing of govern
mental food purchased, whether
for foreign relief or for the armed
forces, in order that their specu
lative effect may be minimised.”
Signing the telegram were Sen
ators Ralph E. Flanders of Ver
mont, Raymond E. Baldwin of
Connecticut, and Francis J. Myers
of Pennsylvania; and Represen
tatives Robert F. Rich of Penn
sylvania, Clarence E.. Kilbum of
New York, and Edward J. Hart
of New Jersey.
NAVY PER DIEM WORKERS
TO GET PAY BOOST SOON
Washington, D. C.—The Navy
Department, said wages of its
200,000 per diem employes will
be raised within the next few
weeks.
The wage increases are expect
ed to match salary increases giv
en employes in private industry
who do similarwork. Under the
law, theNavy Dept, is required to
pay its per diem employes the
same private industry rates pre
vailing in the areas where Navy
installations are located.
TRANSPORT WORKERS
.. WARY OF JOINING
RED-DOMINATED WFTU
Washington, D. C.—The Inter
national Transport Workers Fed
eration does not intend to allow
itself to he' swallowed up by the
World Federation of Trade Un
ions which is dominated to a large
extent by Russia.
The executive committee of the
iTWF meeting here for one of
its regular executive sessions
adopted a declaration indicating
its reluctance to become affili
ated with the WFTU on terms
set out by the later organization.
In a statement the committee,
represening some 3,000.000 work
ers in many nations, said negoti
ations carried on since 1946 “have
not contributed to narrowing the
gap between the divergent points
of view.”
The ITWF has resisted stead
fastly efforts on the part of the
WFTU leadership to force affilia
tion of the two groups under reg
ulations promulgated by thi
WFTU and submitted to the
ITWF and other international
group s for ratification. The
ITWF maintains that "the ques
tion of international organization
| by trade or industry is one to be
decided by the individual organi
i zations themselves.”
inf action ianen uy me nwr
executive committee may be sup
ported by some lfij similar inter
national labor organizations com
prising more than 35,000,000
workers in many fields, all of
which face the same problem of
preserving their autonomy when
considering affiliation with the
WFTU.
These organizations have had a
long existence in Europe but
American unions have been alow
to affiliate with them. The bodies
comprise workers in specific crafts
and occupations, united on an in
ternational basis to further their
economic interests by raising
standards of wages and working
conditions.
The Transport Workers Federa
tion, for example, consists of rail
way men, dock workers, seamen,
and road haulage workers. The
General Secretary of the federa
tion is J. H. Oldenbrock o^ Hol
land.
In the background, but not dis
cussed in negotiations, is the fear
of many officials of the various
international labor groups that
Russia may gain an upper hand,
on the basis of claimed member
ship, in the activities of their or
ganizations if they affiliate with
the WFTU. This parallels the
stand taken by the American Fed
eration of Labor when it refused
to have anything to do with the
WFTU on the grounds that the
Russian trade unions are not free
trade unions, but are merely tools
of the Soviet governmyit.
I ui lino i vaavn inv »» »» •
been wary of affiliation with the
WFTU. Meanwhile, it hag built
up its strength by welcoming into
its fold 1,500,000 American rail
way employes, members of the
Railway Labor Executives Asso
ciation. Discussions have also
been held relating to the possible
affiliation of the AFL’s teamsters’
organization.
The I FT also welcomed the 350,
000 German railway workers in
the United States, British and
French zones. This was done de
spite the Russian policy of form
ing only a single, unified labor
organization in all the occupied
zones. - • *.
RY CARMEN EXTEND
BARGAINING RIGHTS
Chicago, 111.—Bargaining rights
of the AEL’s Railway Carmen
on Hie Burlington have been ex
tended to another group of em
ployes within the union’s juris
diction, those in the railroad’s
stores department at Havelock,
Nebr.
A poll by the National Media
tion Board showed a substantial
majority wanted ne presentation
by the Carmen, and the board,
threefore, amended a previous
certification of the Brotherhood
to include the additional unit.
AFL CALLED ON
TO INTENSIFY
HOUSING WORK
♦
DENHAM ISSUES COMPLAINT
AGAINST TWO AFL UNIONS
Washington, D. C.—Robert N.
Denham, general counsel for the
National Labor Relations Board,
utilized tht* powers given him by
the Taft-Hartley law and swung
into action against two AFL un
ions. •
Two complaints issued under
Denham's direction^ charged the
International Typographical Union
with refusal to bargain, and the
United Brotherhood of Carpenters
with staging a secondary boycott.
Both of the actions alleged in the
complaints are illegal under the
Taft-Hartley law.
In Baltimore. Maryland, the
NLRB regional director issued a
complaint against Typographical
Union No. 12 on a charge made
by The Graphic Arts League, an
organization of 22 employers
formed for the purpose of con
ducting negotiations with the un
ion. ,
The complaint alleged thaULo
cal 12 and the international union
“have at all times since on or
about August 26, 1947, refused
and continue to refuse to bargain
collectively in good faith with the
Graphic Arts League, acting on
behalf of the companies in respect
to rules of pay, wages, hours of
employment or other conditions
of employment of the employes
in the unit set forth.”
The complaint further alleged
that the union had "restrained and
toe reed” the printing establish
ments in the exercise of rights
guaranteed under the act.
The complaint issued against the t
Typographical Union is the first
test of the union's policy, adopted j
at its recent convention, to re
frain from signing new contracts
under the Taft-Hartley law and to
merely post in the employer’s
establishment “conditions of em
ployment” satisfactory to the un
ion.
In the secondary boycott case
another NLRB regional director
asked the U. S. District Court in
Chattanooga, Tennessee, for a
mandatory injunction, against Lo
cal 74 of the United Brotherhood
of Carpenters and its business
agent. Under the Taft-Hartley
law the NLRB general counsel
has no discretion concerning ac
tion taken on alleged secondary
boycotts. He is required to seek
an injunction from the court.
In the petition presented to the
court, it was alleged that the un
ion interfered with completion of a
building on which the floor, wall
and floor coverings were being in
stalled by Watson’s specialty store
of Chattanooga. The work was
being done by nop-union employes.
The allegation stated that the
(Continued on Page 4)
AFL COUNCIL TO ISSUE
additional reports
San Francisco. — The Executive
Council let it be known that it
plans to submit several vitally
important supplementary reports
to the AFL convention after the
sessions get under way. Among
these are: t
1— A report outlining plans for
an integrated political drive in
1948 to defeat the enemies of la
bor.
2— A report recommending how
funds can be raised for carrying
on political activities and* for
financing a broad educational and
public relations campaign in 1948.
8—A report giving the con
clusions reached by the officers
at affiliated national and inter
national . unions at iperisl
conference In Washington last
July on dealing with the new
hfiTtfjftiw pltcid upon IhImtt by
the Taft-Hartley Act.
f:
San Francisco. — Mr. Lee F.
Johnson, executive vice-president
of the National Public Housing:
Conference, called 'upon the AFL
to spearhead a renewed, intensive
drive for passage of the General
Housing Bill, originally spon
sored by Senator Robert F. Wag
ner.
In an address before the AFL
convention, Johnson attacked the
real estate lobby and other em
ployer groups in the construction
industry for their failure to pro
vide decent low-cost homes for
American workers and their ef
forts to place the blame for pres
ent high construction costs upon
organized' labor. He declared:
“Labor costs cannot be blamed
honestly for the tremendous rise
in housing costs today. Of course
there has been an increase, there
must be. but the wage increase
of building tradesmen is small
indeed in comparison to the prof
its that are being taken all along
the line by the privileged inter
ests which are calling the shots
in the Congress today.
“We are faced with the un
believable fact that an America
that could produce millions of
homes to house war workers, and
carry on the fight that we had
to carry on, is apparently im
potent in times of peace.
“The contribution that the
building trades made in provid
ing war housing is one that
■hourtf Sr defended as ahiong the
heroic deeds of the war. Homes
were produced over night, not
anything very fancy, but decent
shelter which made possible the
employment of labor to produce
tanks, ships, and guns. That job
was done by union labor. The
houses were there in time to save
the nation. And I ask myself
sometimes, to save it for what?
“We knew that we had to do
something about saving the de
mocracy, that we talked so much
about when peacetime came. We
knew that the greatest and most
immediate need would be for
homes for returning veterans and
their families. Most of them
newly created families.
“We met and resolved and held
conventions, and elected a Con
gress that is the complete tool
of those who spy that industry
must be served first, that real
estate operators must get their
cut first, that the long fought
for basic rights of labor must
be reconsidered. We elected a
Congress with all of the Tory
instincts, bud none of its enlight
ened self-interest.
“We the people, are in a very
bad spot today, and you and I
have permitted it to happen. We
have the potential strength of
the vast majority of American
voters, if we work as a team."
Mr. Johnson said the National
Public Housing Conference stands
ready to co-operate with labor
in a drive to rid the nation’s
cities of slums and to stimulate
home building through a cam
paign to enact the Wagner-El
lender-Taft general housing bill.
“We must not,” he said, “we
shall not, stop our fight for ade
quate homes for all American
families until the American peo
ple have won.”
TRUMAN SENDS MESSAGE
TO PADWArg WIDOW
President Truman sent the fol
lowing telegram of sympathy and
condolence to Mrs. Joseph A.
Padway:
“I am shocked and saddened
by the death under such tragic
circumstances of your devoted
husband, who was my faithful
friend of many years. Please ac
cept for yourself aad for all
who moors with you this assur
ance of heartfelt sympathy.”