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VOL. XVIII; NO. 40
.—■ "■ ..
CHARLOTTE. N. C., THURSDAY. FEBRUARY 17. 1949
Subscription $2.00 Per Year
PRINTERS’ CHIEF RAYS TAFT- HARTLEY LAW
North Carolina Building Trades Ask For Better Apprentice Program
Western District Postal Employes Meet Here Saturday
Open Foram First Number
On Program Of P. 0. Clerks
North Carolina Postal Clerks,
about two hundred in number,
will converge on Charlotte Friday
evening and Saturday morning of
this week, in order to be present
at a Western District Confer
ence meeting to be held here Sat
urday. February 19. Headquar
ters for the gathering will be in
the Selwyn Hotel, corner of West
Trade and Church streets.
Local committees have been
busy for some time sending out
bulletins, invitations, etc., in ad
vance of the meeting and an
nounce that everything is in
readiness for one of the largest
and best postal employe meetings
ever held in the Western District.
The program, as announced this
week, is as follows:
Headquarters—Selwyn Hotel
1:00 p. m.—Registration in the
Hotel Lobby.
3:30 p. m.—Meeting of the La
dies in Room 241—By the Aux
iliary.
3:30 p. m.—Open Forum—Caro
lina Room.
6:80 p. m.—Banquet—Main Ball
Room.
Toastmaster—Wm. S. Lawing.
Invocation—S. L. Boyce.
Address of W’elcome—Claude L.
Albea.
Response—Broadus Singleton.
Showing, “Air Power Is Peace
Power”—Courtesy of Eastern Air
Lanes.
Introduction of Guests—W. Eu
gene Lee.
Introduction of Speaker—Mrs.
Margaret Harris.
Address—Mrs. Sally William
son, vice president Auxiliary to
National Federation of P. 0.
Clerks. i >14
Outline of Legislative Plans—
Norman L. Harris, Legislative
Representative.
Introduction of Speaker — J.
Clyde Smyre. N. C. F. .P. O. C.
Address—O. L. Whitesell, Vice
Pres. N. F. P. O. C.
Guest—Hon. Hamilton C. Jones,
MX., Representative of lOth Con
gressional District.
9:00 — Dance — Music by “Zig
gy” Hurwitz Combo.
The meeting was made pos
sible by members of Local 375,
National Federation of Post Of
fice Clerks, the Woman’s Auxili
ary to 375 and the following com
mittees:
Registration—S. F. Blackweld
er, chairman; Auxiliary to No.
375, and J. F. Cullingford.
Entertainment — “Pete” Brad
burn, chairman; “Skinny" Lee, C.
R. Mitchell, and James Baxter.
Program—Bill Moon, chairman.
AUTO UNION INTERESTED
IN BID OF EUROPE’S CARS
Milwaukee. — Leaders of the
AFL's Automobile. Workers are
viewing with considerable inter
est the stepped-up invasion of the
American market by the manu
facturers of foAign automobiles.
British and French auto mak
ers are setting up sales and serv
ice organizations all over the
United States, according to re
ports. The foreign manufacturers
are emphasizing the export to this
country of small-size vehicles.
In New York City the Euro
pean automobiles were put under
the spotlight at the First Inter
national Automobile Show. Mod
els exhibited there cams from
Great Britain, France, Italy and
Czechoslovakia.
State Bidding
Tralles Meet In
Durham Mar.13
The North Carolina Building
and Construction Trades Council
at its meeting in Charlotte Sun.
day, voted to hold its next
monthly meeting in Durham on
Sunday, March 13 in the Labor
Temple there. The Charlotte
meeting was very well attended
by delegates from the various
building crafts and a lengthy
session was held here.
Several prominent labor speak
ers were present in Charlotte and
addressed the building craftsmen
following close of the business
session which lasted until after
the boon hour. Among these
was President C. A. Pink of the
North Carolina 'Pederalion of La
bor, who *ls now representing
North Carolina Labor in Raleigh
as its AFL legislative represen
tative before the General Assem
bly. Mr. Fink outlined some of
the proposals he had advanced in
Labor’s efforts to get the State
Labor Law either repealed or
modified. He also analyzed some
of the proposals advanced by
others and contrasted them with
the North Carolina Federation’s
propositions. "..^President Fink
said he hoped to deceive consider
ation by tbP legislators for the
Federation’s plans to do away
with one of the most vicious
pieces of labor legislation on the
statute books in the country, the
North Carolina anti-closed shop
law.
A. F. L. Representative A. E.
Brown, formerly organiser for
the North Carolina Federation of
Labor, addressed the gathering
and outlined some of the or
ganizing problems Labor has to
face under the drastic North Car
olina Labor law. He told about
preparations being made for the
holding of aWtral labor elections
in North Carolina plants and
thanked the Hod Carriers Union
for the services of Representative
J. L. McKinney In recent work
elsewhere in the state.
A talk that was enjoyed by
the delegates was one made by
“Uncle” Jim Barrett, southern
publicity director for the Amer
ican Federation of Labor, with
headquarters in Atlanta. "Uncle”
Jim praised the building trades
for the long gears of service to
the American Labor movement,
saying that they are the real
builders of America, for it was
they who back before the Amer
ican revolution laid the founda
tions for the great United States
we see today. Mr. Barrett also
attended the Carpenters meeting
held here Saturday night
Delegate Ray of Durham, vice
president of *Qia North Carolina
Building Trades Council, presided
over the meeting due to the ab
sence of President Russ of Ashe
ville, who found it impossible to
be present
The GI apprentice training pro
gram now in effect came up fbr
considerable discussion and com
mittees ^ere named to delve into
the matter of training the ap
(Continued On Page 4)
AFL Men Visitors
* i
EXECUTIVE OFFICERS
and AFL officials who were
in attendance at the Febru
ary 13 meeting of the North
Carolina Building , Trades
Council in' the new Labor
Temple at 920 West Trade
street. Seated, left to right:
J. Ed. CnthberUon, Operating
Engine*!-*; Vice President j
Ray of Durham, who pre.
sided; and H. E. Set re r. Sec
retary-Treasurer. (President
Russ was unable to attend).
Standing, left to right: Pres
ident Charles A. Fink of the
North Carolina Federation of
Labor; John L. McKinney,
Hod Carriers and Common
Laborers; W. R. Mr Bee State
Building Trades Business
Agent; Tncle Jim" Barrett.
AFL Southern publicity di
rector; Henry Adair, Electri
cal Workers; J. A. Canida,
Bridge. Structnral Steel and
Iron . Workers, and A. E.
Brown, AFL representatire.
Annual Meet
Printing Crafts
Held Sunday
The Charlotte Allied Printing
Trades Council held its annual
get-together luncheon meeting
here Sunday at the Ship-Ahoy
Restaurant, with delegates from
all five printing trades present.
The Council holds its regular
meetings the first Sunday each
month at 920 West Trade Street,
but once each year its members
get together and celebrate with
a luncheon, followed with talks
by members of the various crafts.
President Claude L. Albea
called the meeting to order at
1:00 o’clock. The following un
ions were represented:
Printers—J. T. Primm, Howard
L. Beatty, Claude L. Albea, Fred
J. Moody, C. J. Pridgen, and
Henry A. Stalls.
Pressmen—R. F. Barger, J. B.
Greene. C. B. Meacham, and Aub
rey Holder.
Stereotypers—Herbert L. Turn
er, Carl G. Tyson, and Jim Hamp
ton.
Photo-engravers—G. F. Schwitz
gebel, H. L. Fay, C. G. Hannon,
and Ervin G. Reagle.
Bookbinders — R. Ray Hunter,
R. M. Cottingham, and Orris Car
penter.
Closer co-ordination of the
units comprising the council was
cited a a desirable objective at
the meeting.
Talks outlining the activities of
the Council in the past, and call-,
ing for increased efforts in the
future, were made by Henry A. i
Stalls, C. G. Hannon, Howard L.!
Beatty, J. T. Primm, Claude L.1
Albea, and Aubrey Holder. All
other delegates spoke briefly.
The Council was formed more
than 15 years ago and through
its activities many educational
programs have been conducted in
connection with the use of the
Allied Printing Label.
Aubrey Holder, secretary-treas
urer of the Ctmncil. arranged the
details for the luncheon-meeting.
Auxiliary Entertains
Mrs. John P. White was hostess
to the Woman’s Auxiliary to
Charlotte Typographical Union
last Monday night at 8:00 o’clock
at her home. 318 Grandin Road.1
Mrs. J. E. Kumpe was co-hostess.
The Auxiliary combined its reg
ular monthly session with a Val
entine party after the meeting.
Following the business session
members and guest's were enter
tained by playing games and were
served refreshments and prizes
were awarded. The surprise of
the evening was provided by Mr.
John Whitt, who presented each
member and guest present with
a box of candy appropriate for
the Valentine Day occasion.
Three new members were taken
into the Auxiliary. They were:
Mrs. J. T. Primm, Mrs. Cecil
Presson and Mra. William Gaff
ney. The application of another
new member applicant was re
ceived and will be acted on at
the next meeting, which will be
held at the home of Mia. W, B.
Phillips.
A bingo party will be held on
February 28 at the home of
Mrs. H. F. Carriker, 2549 East
Seventh street. This party is
scheduled before the next regu
lar monthly Auxiliary meeting.
Mrs. Byron lama is president
of the Auxiliary and Mrs. Andrew
Herron is secretary-treasurer.
Charlotte Typographical Union
Auxiliary is composed of the
wives, mothers and laughters, or
sisters of members of Charlotte
Typographical Union and its
membership is growing steadily.
Mrs. Hugh Sykes was the first
president of the auxiliary when
it was formed many years ago.
Printing Trades Dine In GrandStyle
Randolph Testifies At
Labor Com. Hearing
Washington.—Woodruff Randolph, president of the Inter
national Typographical Union, told the committee that the
Taft-Hartley Act is “a one-way injunction street against
unions.” He demanded that the biased statute be quickly
replaced by the Thomas bill.
CarpenterMeet
Durham Mar.12
The North Carolina Council of
Carpenters held their regular
monthly meeting in Charlotte Sat
urday night In the Carpenters
Hall, 020 West Trade street, to
transact business of importance
which had arisen since their last
monthly meeting, held in Wil
mington.
During the course of the meet
; ing a committee was appointed
{to draw up plans to present to
j the next meeting relative to work
ing out a uniform wage scale for
all Carpenter Unions in North
Carolina. The Carpenters dele
gates expressed themselves as
desiring a uniform wage, due to
the near uniformity of living
costs throughout Ndrth Carolina.
The veterans training program
also came up for its share of the
discussion and the Carpenters de
cided to work in conjunction with
the Building Trades meeting the
following day in efforts to get
a better training program worked
out, and one which will be of
more benefit to the veterans
themselves than the one now in
effect.
This is the first meetnig of the
North Carolina Council to be held
in Charlotte since the local Car
penters moved into their new
home several weeks .ago.
Ellis Wright is president of the
State Council; John Lovett, local
Carpenters’ business agent, is
vice president, and Carl Knopf
of Winston-Salem is secretary
treasurer.
The March 12 meeting will be
held in Durham.
---
THE ABOVE PICTURE is
that of delegates composing
the Charlotte Allied Printing
Trades Council, which held its
regular annual get-togefher
meeting and luncheon Sun
day, February 13 at the Ship
Ahoy Restaurant. Seated, left
to right: Howard L. Beatty,
Herbert L. Turner, James
Hampton, Carl C. Tyson,
President Claud* L. Albea,
R. F. Barger, Fred J. Moody
and J. T. Primm. Standing,
left to right: Secretary Aub
rey Holder, C. J. Pridgen,
Orris Carpenter, C. G. Han
non, Krvin G. Reagle, J. B,
Greene, C. B. Meat ham. R.'
Ray Hunter, R. M. Cotting
ham, H. L. Fay and G. L.
Schwitzgebel.
Mr. Randolph testified that the
Taft-Hartley Act had set up* “a
form of involuntary servitude”
under which union printers would
have to work with non-union men
against their will.
His members, he asserted,
were made “slaves” of those pro.
visions of the law which com
pelled them “under the whip of
an injunction, to act as strike
breakers and to process goods
made 1>y men working in opposi
tion to us.”
Referring to what he called his
| union’s “agonising experiences”
under the law, Mr. Randolph said:
“We have been compelled to
| spend over $11,000,000 of hard
earned member dues in support
| of strikes and other defense ac
tivities to preserve our union.
I “Wf hnve beef subjected te the
issuance of 6 complaints contain
ing substantially identical allega
tions and relying on the same ev
idence. by General Council (Rob
ert N.) Denham. We have been
forced to engage in 5 long-drawn
out NLRB proceedings covering
substantially the entire country,
; at great expense to ourselves and
our members, without having ob
tained a single decision from the
NLRB in the course of 16 months
of litiiration.
“We have been forced to submit
to a sweeping injunction and to
contempt action under that in*
junction, brought by NLRB at
torneys for the chief purpose of
breaking a strike of our members
at Chicago, 111., which has con
tinued since November 24, 1947..
“Collective bargaining in our
industry has been carried on, not
with our employers but with
General Counsel Denham and the
federal courts.”
This ‘interference” with collec
tive bargaining, Mr. Randolph
■aid, had gone so far that the
union had been held in contempt
for failing to include in a pro
posed contract provision for a
neutral arbiter to settle disputes
arising over a clause dealing with,
apprentice training.
While his union did not accept
“everything" in the administra
tion’s labor relations bill the IUT
president said that it was pre
pared to accept it “on an experi
mental basis in the interest of
speedy repeal of the Taft-Hart
ley Act."
Senator Matthew Neely of West
Virginia called for the sacking of
General Counsel Denham. He
said Denham, in his appearance
before the committee, had given
‘the most biased testimony I have
ever heard by a government offi
cial — and I have taken part
in congressional hearings for 26
years.”
SEAFARERS IN EAST SET
WELFARE PLAN AS GOAL
New York. — A welfare plan
should be demanded by the Sea
farers International Union at tha
next meeting between union ne
gotiators and the shipowners,
SIU members unanimously voted
here.
Union officials were directed to
make a thorough study of ex.
isting welfare plans and to for
mulate a plan which would bo
feasible for the Seafarers.