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CHARLOTTE LABOR JOURNAL
Oldest
Bona Fide
AFL
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iu
North Carolina
CHARLOTTE, N. C.. FEBRUARY 24, 1949
VOL. XVIII; NO. 41
Subscription Price $2.00 Year
Green Indorses
Truman Measure
• _ __
TAFT-HARTLEY LAW,
WITH ITS OBNOXIOUS
FEATURES MUST GO.
HE SAYS
Statement by William Green,
president, American Federation
of Labor, before Senate Com.
mittee on Labor and Public Wei*
fare at 9:30 a. m., February 15,
1949, regarding repeal of the
Taft-Hartley Act and re-enact
ment of the Wagner-Connery
Act with amendments suggest
ed in President Truman’s mes
sage to Congress of ^January 5.
1949—as proposed in Senator
Thomas’s substitute bill for S.
249.
I welcome this opportunity to
present to you the decision of the
representatives of the 8,000,000
members of the American Federa
tion of Labor regarding the Taft
Hartley law, its repeal and the
re-enactment of the Wagner Act
with amendments which would be
thoroughly considered, acceptable
and satisfactory. I thank you for
the opportunity you have accord
ed me to do this.
This action was taken at the
67th annual convention of the
American Federation of Labor
which was held at Cincinnati last
November. Those who partici
pated in the deliberations of said
convention definitely and unani
mously decided to call upon Con
gress to repeal the Taft-Hartley,
law; then following said action to
re-enact the Wagner Act of July
5, 1935, with such amendments as
seemed necessary, acceptable and
satisfactory. However, your com
mittee decided to provide for the
repeal of the Taft-Hartley law
and the re-enactment of the Wag
ner Act with amendments at the
same time. This, I understand, is
the procedure provided for in
Senate Bill 249.
The Taft-Hartley law was
passed over the strong and prac
tically universal opposition of la.
bor. Working men and women
throughout the nation protested
against the passage of this ob
jectionable legislation. This op
position was based upon the
knowledge of labor that it was
impracticable, unworkable and de
structive of the common elemental
rights of labor. Time and experi
ence have shown that labor was
right and the sponsors of the bill
were wrong. This outcome is
traceable to the fact that the ac
tion of the sponsors of this bill
was based upon a mere academic
consideration of economic, indus
trial and labor-management prob
(Continued on Page 3)
Postal Clerks
District Meet
Huge Success
More than 200 PooUl Work,
ers attended the Wee ter a Dis
trict meeting, held in Char
lotte Saturday, February 19,
and Officials report that much
enthusiasm was manifested by
the Postal Workers during the
session. A large number of
the men delegates were ac
companied to Charlotte by their
wives, who are members of
the Post Office Employes
Auxiliaries, and this added
greatly to the gayety of the
occasion, for a dance wound
up the business sessions and
other festivities of the day.
Headquarters for the meeting
was in the Selwyn hotel.
At 3:30 an Open Forum ses
sion was held in the Carolina
Room during which time the del
egates had an' opporunity to un
load his or her problems on an
other or else assume some of
the other fellows problems in
the discussions that were made.
This proved a proftable feature
of the gathering.
At 6:30 a banquet was given
in the Main Ball Room, following
which speeches, etc., highlighted
the affair. The invocation was
made by S. L. Boyce, followed
by an address of welcome by
Claude L. Albea, president of
Charlotte Central Labor Union,
and City Councilman. The re
sponse was by Broadus Single
ton. A picture “Air Power Is
Peace Power” was shown through
courtesy of Eastern Air Lines.
The remainder of the program
was carried out in the follow
ing order:
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. O.
Clerks.
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,
M.C., Representative of 10th Con
(Continued on Page 4)
Green Bares Phony
Tool Owners Union
Washington, D. C.—AFL President William Green exposed the
National Tool Owners Union, of which former Representative Fred
A. Hartley, Jr., co-author of Taft-Hartley Act, has become pres
ident, as a phony organization which was denied the right to use
the word “union” in its title by a New York court and denounced
as “Fascist” by an official agency of New York State’s govern
ment.
The text of Mr. Green’s public statement follows:
“Announcement that former Representative Fred A. Hartley,
Jr., of New Jersey, co-author of the Taft-Hartley Act, has accepted
the presidency of the National Tool Owners Union, should come as
no surprise to the American people.
“On February 27, 1947, the Board of Standards and Appeals of
the New York State Department of Labor rejected an application
from the National Tool Owners Union for a cerifieate of incorpora
tion and in so doing stated:
“‘No more Fascist organisation with all the potentialities for
undemocratic action and danger to our way of life has yet coma
before the official attention of this board.’
“The action of the State Board of Standards and Appeals was
upheld on December 18, 1947, by the New York State Supreme
Court which ruled that it would be ‘contrary to public policy’ to
permit this organisation to use the word ‘union’ in its title because
‘it was not a labor union.*
“Mr. Hartley has announced that he intends to open offices in
Washington and to register as a lobbyist for the National Tool
Owners Union. We believe his experience and his record have well
qualified him for this job.”
Post Office Clerk Officials
MEMBERS of tho Official Family of the
North Carolina Federation of Poet Office
Clerka, and alao members of the Women’s
Auxiliary to the Federation, who were in at*
tendance at the Western District meeting in
Charlotte, Saturday, February 19. Front row,
left to right—James C. Smyre, State presi
dent; Mrs. Norman L. Harris of Shelby, State
Auxiliary president; R. J. Powell, of Wilming*
ton, first fk* president; W. H. Moon, presi
dent of Charlotte local No. S75. Back row.
left to right—Norman L. Barrie, former State
president, and now legislative representative;
Mrs. George D. Williams of Raleigh, 10th vice
president of the Women’s National Auxiliary;
Broadus K. Singleton, former President of
Asheville Local No. 277, now chairman of
the State convention, which will be held in
Asheville June 10-11.
Taft-Hartley Repeal Drive Hot
As Hearings Near Conclusion
Washington, D, C.—Glaring holes were torn in the crum
bling fabric of the Taft-Hartley Act as labor’s top leaders
concentrated their bombardments on it at Senate hearings
on the Thomas repealer bill.
With hearings rapidly drawing toward conclusion, even
Senator Robert A. Taft, co-author of the law, was on the
run as he publicly conceded that many sections of his legis
lative monstrosity would have to be abandoned or drastically
amended.
But organized labor, gaining new support in both Demo
cratic and Republican ranks each day, continued to press for
outright repeal of the Taft-Hartley Act with re-enactment
of the Wagner Act as amended by the Thomas bill.
A tense and bitter fight still looms, however, when Sen
ate Labor Committee finally ends the hearings, approves the
Thomas bill substantially in its present form and brings out
the measure to the Senate floor for debate and action. The
Taft-Hartley forces are still desperately anxious to salvage
whatever anti-labor restrictions they can from the infamous
taw and they are seeking voting alliances with some of the
Southern Democrats who are cool toward the Truman ad
ministration. Furthermore, the situation is still uncertain
in the House, which has thus far marked time on the repeal
bill. ___
NLRB Affidavits
Drop Over Third
Washington. D. C.—The Nation
al Labor Relations Board report
ed that 67,579 officers had cur
rent affidavits on tie Fob. 1, n
decrease of 9.272 since Janaary I.
The number of affidavits a few
months ago was over lM.Mt.
The Taft-Hsrtley law requires
union officers to file these state
ments every year, or else the
union can get no help from the
board in any proceeding.
There are still 178 national un
ions in compliance with the pro
vision. however, same as on Jan
uary 1:
Outstanding developments as
the hearings progressed before
the Senate Labor Committee in
cluded:
1. AFL President William
Green delivered a smashing at
tack on the Taft-Hartley law’s
ban on the closed shop and on
the “slave-labor” injunction pro
visions of the law.
2. Senator Wayne Morse of
Oregon, in a brilliant legal analy
sis of the section of the Taft
Hartley law on injunctions, fully
upheld Mr. Green’s charge that
it decreed slave labor for Amer
ican workers.
3. Richard Gray, president of
the AFL Building and Construe,
tion Trades department, told the
committee that organised (abor
had rendered construction and
production miracles during the
war under dosed shop conditions
and charged that since the pas
sage of the Taft-Harley Act ev
(Coatianed On Page 4)
Charlotte Labor
Vitally Interested
In State Labor Bill
The legislative committee from Charlotte Central Labor
Union went into action last night and began delving into
and analyzing the provisions of a new Labor Bill for North
Carolina which was dropped into the hopper of the House
Wednesday by Representative Shreve of Guilford. A ses
sion was held by the committee last night following the
regular meeting of the Central Labor Body and It was de
cided that due to the fact that the proposed bill does not
take into account the problems which would arise in the
building trades under the measure’s allowance for the
closed shop a meeting be arranged with President C.
A. Fink of the North Carolina Federation of Labor, who is
the Federation’s legislative representative in Raleigh, over
the week end in efforts to clarify the predicament that the
(PLEASE TURN TO PACE 4)
under provisions of the Shreve Labor Bill, introduced in
the House of the North Carolina General Assembly this
week, the members of North Carolina’s Building Trades
would be left hanging out on a limb for lack of time to
get an election certifying them as bargaining agents for
their members.
'48 Union Show
ToTop All Others
Ornburn Claims
Washington. D. C.—The Un
ion Industrie* Show to be held
May 18 through 22 in Cleve
land, Ohio, will eclipse all for
mer exhibitions sponsored by
the Union Label Trades Depart
ment of the AFL.
This week. I. M. Ornburn, di
rector, said, “I believe it will
go down in the chronicles of
American organized labor as the
crowning event of 1940.”
“In addition to the elabor
ately decorated booths, the en
tire auditorium will be all
dressed up." Mr. Ornburn stat
ed. "The design of ‘good rela
tions/ which is the goal of the
Union Industries Show, will be
displayed by posters on the huge
pillars of the auditorium. They
will carry the emblem of labor
management co-operation — a
huge scale in which the work
er and employer are equally
balanced. Other pewters will
carry all union labels, shop
cards and service buttons. They
will be displayed in the booths
of the various manufacturers,
industries, and display spaces
occupied by the respective AFL
national and international un
ion*."
“Modernized designs for dis
play booths are now being plan
ned and they will give the show
the newest look,” he added.
“Thousands of American con
sumers will visually witness
ample proof that union-made
goods and union services are
top* in quality, value, and
craftsmanship. The show will
prove to the world that when
management team* up with
union labor, thereby emphasiz
ing the human element, that
they can put on the most edu
cational, interesting, and enter
taining event of its kind ever
staged in America."
ELECTION WON
Atlanta, Ga.—Employes of the
Southern Cotton Oil Company,
Atlanta, Georgia, recently voted,
three to one, to authorise the In
ternational Chemical Workers
Union to represent them. Con
tracts have been presented and
are now in the state of bargain
ing- «*• (('’I*
Although the hill provides for
“voluntary closed shop agree*
ments” for all unions who have
been certified as a bona fide bar
gaining units, almost all of the
building crafts deal with individ
ual jobs, and in many instances
their services are not required
by the contractors long enough
for the law to take its course in
conducting elections, which gen
erally requires three or more
months.
The proposed measure, how
ever, would allow he closed shop
for all other unions as well as
the volunary check-off of union
dues.
It was dropped into the hop
per of the House by Representa
tive Clyde A. Shreve of Guil
ford Wednesday.
Legislation passed by the 1947
General Assembly banned closed
shop, union shop, and mainte
nance of membership labor con
tracts and also prohibited check
off of union dues.
Governor Scott in his inaugu
ral message asked the General
Assembly to amend the 1947 law.
The Shreve measure would pro
vide that:
“No person shall be required
by an employer to become a
member of any labor union or
labor organization as a condi
tion of employment except
pursuant to a voluntary bona
fide collective bargaining agree
ment between an employer and
a bona ide labor organisation
M certified by the National
Labor Relations Board, or oth
er Federal agency, where such
agency has jurisdiction and au
thority so to certify, an agree
ment may be voluntarily en
tered into between the union
and the employer which will
require all employees, within
the bargaining unit to become
end remain members in good
standing of the union.”
The bill also would require that
before such an agreement could
be made, an election would bo
held either by the National Labor
Relations Board, or other Federal
agency, or the State Department
of Labor where no Federal
agency has jurisdiction. The
elections would be by secret bal
lot and a majority of those vot
ing would determine the outcome.
The Charlotte Labor Journal
understands that the North Car
olina Building Tradesmen are not
at all pleased with the proposed
measure and that a conference
will be held with President C. A.
Fink, North Carolina Federation
of Labor legislative representa
tive, over the week-end in efforta
to further clarify the Shreve bill.
Ladies’ Garment Union
Opens Health Center
New York City.—Secretary of Labor Maurice J. Tobin, Federal
Security Administrator Oscar R. Ewing, AFL President William
Green, N. Y. Commissioner of Health Dr. Harry S. Mustard, for
mer Gov. Herbert H. Lehman and other distinguished leaders, joined
David Dubinsky, president of the International Ladies’ Garment
Workers Union, at ceremonies marking the completion of a $3,
600,000 expansion program at the Union Health Center, 275 Seventh
avenue, and the rededication of the institution.
The event marked the 36th anniversary of the founding of the
Union Health Center by the ILGWU and 35 years of organised
medical care for its membership.
Guided tours of the six floors in the ILGWU-owned Seventh
avenue skyscraper building featured the morning and afternoon.
Eight hundred guests met at luncheon at the Hotel Statler.
The expansion program just completed makes the Union Health
Center what is generally credited with being the largest clink for
diagnosis and ambulatory care in the country. The program brought
the area occupied by the center from 13,000 square feet to 100,000
and involved expenditures of $3,500,000 of which more than $1,
000,000 went into alterations and equipment and the rest into the
cost of the building.
When the center was opened 35 years ago a single part-time
physkian worked in a single room. In the 12 months closoing Jan
uary 31 of this year the center’s staff of more than 150 physicians
gave more than 405,000 medical services through 23 clink services,
7 diagnostic and therapeutic technical services and 5 special service
departments. As high as 10,000 medical services have been re
corded in a single day; the average is 1,300. Equipment for every
thing from allergy to X-Ray includes the most modern approved
by the medical profession. ....
Preventive medkine is one of the ideas of the institution. An
other feature has been the development of lay health education un
der Educational Director Pauline Newman. The nutrition clinic
and the expansion of social welfare services have been particularly
appreciated by the membership.