CHARLOTTE LABOR JOURNAL
Oldest
Bona Fide
AFL
Newspaper
in
North Carolina
VOL. XVIII; NO. 49
CHARLOTTE, N. C., THURSDAY, APRIL 7. 1949
Subscription Price $2.00 Year
Supreme Court Rules
States Hay Curb Onion
WASHINGTON, April 4. — The Supreme Court held
unanimously today that states have the right to curb labor
union activities which restrain trade.
The state’s power to govern in this field is paramount.”
Justice Black said for the court, “and . . . nothing in the
constitutional guarantess of speech or press compels a state
to apply or not to apply its antitrade-restraint law to
groups of workers, businessmen or others.”
The court held that under Missouri law a union had no
right to picket an ice plant with the aim of forcing it to
stop sales to nonunion ice peddlers. The plant itself had
no dispute with its own unionized workers.
State courts ordered the union, and AFL Ice and Coal
Drivers and Handlers local in Kansas City, to stop picket
ing. They held the purpose of the action was to force
. the Empire Ice and Storage company to violate the state
law against restraint of trade.
The union than appealed to the Supreme Court, arguing
that the picketing only informed the public that the plant
“sells ice to non-union peddlers.”
NO SPECIAL PRIVILEGES
Black said that while Congress and the states may grant
exemptions from freedom of trade laws to unions, organ
ized workers are not entitled to “special constitutional pro
tection denied all other people.
“To exalt all labor union conduct in restraint of trade
above all state control would greatly reduce the traditional
power of states over their domestic economy and migbt
conceivably make It impossible for them to enforce their
antitrade-restraint laws.” he said.
Chicago Printers Reject
Plan Made By Publishers
CHICAGO.—Members of Chicago Typographical Union,
Local 16, voted 1,266 to 93 to reject the contract proposed
by the Chicago Newspaper Publishers Association to end
the historic strike at' Chicago’s five major dailies. The
strike has been in progress since November 24, 1947. The
publishers’ latest proposal, offered on March 10, provided
for a weekly wage raise. The union previously had ob
tained a $12.50 raise from the Hammond, Ind„ Times.
. Rejection of the proposal . w»s
recommended by the union’s news
paper scale committee. The ex
ecutive council of the Interna
tional Typographical Union, par
ent affiliate, also informed the lo
cal membership that some pro
visions in the contract proposal
did not conform to ITU laws.
After the referendum, by secret
ballot, John J. Pilch, president of
Local 16, issued the following
statement:
“The members of Chicago Typo
graphical Union again have re
pulsed an attempt by the news
paper publishers to hook them
with a yellow-dog contract. The
vote today was in the ratio of!
14 to 1.
“In upholding their local scale
committee and the executive coun
cil of the ITU, the members of
the Chicago union gave rousing'
evidence of Jheir loyalty by their
own votes, expressed by referen
dum and by annual conventions
to which they elect delegats from
among their fellow craftsmen.
“The contract tendered us by
the Chicago Newspaper Publish
ers Association was greatly In
ferior, as regards security and
working conditions, to the con
tract our local entered into in
January with the Hammond
(Ind.) Times.
“Furthermore, the contract of
fered us by the Chicago newspa
pers would have given our Chi
cago members a wage scale con
siderably below what is being
paid to our men in Hammond.
“Our members regard it as
galling for the immensely pros
perous Chicago newspapers to
want such vicious competitive ad
vantages over the Hammond
Times, published in a city whose
population is only 3 per cent as
large as Chicago’s.
“The strike against the Chi
cago newspapers continues in full
force and effect. It will con
tinue until the publishers aban
don their attempt to dismantle
the union which for M yean pro
duced their newspapers.
“Their attempt to dismantle us
has taken varying forms, includ
ing injunction maneuven, political
pressure, and an unprecedented
propaganda assault. Whatever
form their attack takes, it will
continue to be beaten back.
“Our members will consider no!
peace except one which is based'
on equity and which shows the
same regard for our self-respect
as we freely allow the newspa
per publishers. We have at all
times been willing to enter into
peaceful relations with the pub.
lishers on such a firm basis, and
we regard any other basis un
stable and therefore undesirable,
either from their viewpoint or
from ours.”
INSURANCE AGENTS WIN
HUGE BACK PAY AWARD
Washington. — Once again the
National Federation or Insurance
Agents Council of the AFL has
proved itself an effective fighting
organisation in behalf of insur
ance agents.
By final decision of the Na
tional Labor Relations Board,
the Home Beneficial Insurance
Co. was required to reinstate 16
agents who went on strike in
11944 and to grant 12 of them
back pay of more than |36,000.
| This victory crowned more
than four years of litigation, with
the company resisting the coun
cil’s efforts to obtain justice for
i the workers at ever}' step.
EMPlOyMEAtr
t'SA., aas ¥» ms
NUMKt 1MPIOYI0. by ladaetry
Grand Total
Armed Force*.
Total Civilian.
Karma..
Non-farm Proprietor*
•ad Mf employed
Wage A Salaried Wke.
Total..
Manufacturing.
Minin* .. .
C'onatrurti n.
Traaaportt tion and
UtJliiiea .
Trade.
Finance. Real Fatal*
Government* Federal
tflate aud Local ...,
1929 1939 IMS
COOO omitted)
i:.W 44.m 49,44'
2M 970 1.307
47.636 45,739 54.379
10,450 9.510 7.973
9. U* 5. v 1 6.27C
3I.94T 39.367 43.133
10.434 10,07* 16, M2
1,074 945 924
1.497 1,150 2.055
3.907 2.912 4.005
6.401 6.704 9,741
1,431 1.352 1.714
3.127 3,223 4.600
3.065 3.997 6.654
USOt FOtCI. UNEMPLOYED, by Yean
1929
1933
1937
1939
1939
1940
1941
1942
1943
1944
1945
1946
IN7
1946
Total Labor
Force
49.440
51.940
64.320
64.9SO
54.600
66,630
67,390
90.330
04.410
65.990
05,140
60.920
01.610
03,749
260
250
320
340
370
390
1.470
3.920
0,070
11.260
11,100
3,300
1.440
1,307
Unem*
ployed
1,530
12.030
7.700
10.390
0.400
3,120
6,560
3.600
1.070
670
1.040
3,270
9,140
9.064
Cieiliaa
EmpU>)*vl
47.630
OH.790
46,300
44.320
45,750
47.630
40.340
63.740
64,470
63,360
52.920
65,350
69,030
•0,379
TO MAINTAIN MAXIMUM EMPLOYMENT
Fee (even years <1942-* inclusive) we hove hod maximum empleyment in USA; unemploy
ment hot averaged only about 2 million yearly, a minimum believed due chiefly te workers
changing jabs. As the chart shews, the labor force (total number seeking work) increases each
year as population grows; also, their production per manhour rises steadily. Te maintain "full
empleyment" therefore, purchasing power must increase every year te buy the goods workers
produce. Otherwise production will slacken and unemployment will rise. Wage and small
salaried workers buy almost half the entire final product of American industry. Purchasing
power of workers and others must rise enough in 1949 te create jobs for 1 million mere workers
than 194*. Maximum empleyment in 1949 means about 62 million jobs, including about 1.6
million in the armed forces. From labor's MofilMy Survey AH. Ftforot from FrMidunt't Economic Report
Radio Industry Asked
To Aid Safety Drive
Washington, D. C.—In a com
munication addressed to radio
station managers throughout
the Nation, Secretary of Labor
Maurice J. Tobin has asked
their cooperation in the drive to
reduce industrial accidents. The
radio appeal coincides with the
President's Conference on In
dustrial Safety, held in Washing
ton, March 23-25. •
Asking the assistance of the
radio industry on a program “on
which there can be no controv
ersy,” the Secretary enclosed a
fact sheet and spot announce
ments so that each station man
ager can ‘help us prevent torn
limbs, blinded eyes and tragic
deaths in the communities of the
land.”
The spot announcements stress
the joint responsibility of labor
and management for industrial
safety, the prevents unity of most
accidents, and the need to “think
safety now, tomorrow may be
too late.”
One announcement declares:
“Safe workers are the shock
troops on America’s production
lines. Without workers on the
job we cannot help ourselves or
our friends. So the President’s
Conference on Industrial Safety
asks all Americans to work
safely.”
Another reads: “Daddy’s late
tonight! Somewhere in America
every night a children’s chorus—
300 voices strong—swell to this
theme. Daddy’s late because he
was permanently crippled or
killed that day at work. The
President's Conference on Indus
trial Safety cites many company
records to prove your child need
never join this chorus. The
fathers of our country who man
the production lines can help
eliminate accidents by working
safely. Try it today, tomosrow
may be too late.”
MAURICE I. TOBIN
SmnIht, U. 8. Department of Labor
“Labor Still Has Right To
Vote/’ Fink Tells Legislators
The following in from a Raleigh dated article (Saturday, April 2).
appearing in The Charlotte Observer, by Wade Lucas:
RALEIGH, April 2—This somewhat befuddled General
Assembly of 1949 may adjourn sine die and go home after
next Saturday as some of its leaders fondly predict and
hope, but developments in Senate and House this week
made even the most optimistic weaken as the hectic five*
day legislative period ended after a surprising move on
the part of the rambunctious House. /
The final House action of the
week—and the House this week
has been right smack on the
horns of a dilemma most of the
time—will not delay Anal ad
journment, but its repercussions
will be heard for many a day and
in all likelihood will be a major
factor in the primary elections
next year.
For organised labor considers
that, as President C. A. Fink of
the State Federation of Labor
pats it, the House by its refusal
to adopt the minority report on
the bill providing a return to the
principles of the union shop
"made second-class citizens” out
of organized labor.
President Fink, along with
other labor leaders, sat in the
House gallery and made notes as
the members battled back and
forth on the floor over the ques
tion of adoption of the minority
report. He later said “we shall
have the right to vote” and re
portedly told Speaker of the
House Kerr Craige Ramsay, who
comes from the same county as
he does (Rowan), the same thing.
The implication is unmistak
able. Labor means to get some
scalps of the present membership
in the 1960 primaries if it can.
Rockingham's Representative R.
G. Powell, a union man, pointed
ly told the House during the de
bate that organized labor has a
minimum of 150,000 members in
North Carolina. Harnett’s How
ard Parker, also a union man,
not only called for the roll call
on the minority report and thus
put the membes on record as to
how they voted, but he laid em
phasis on what he termed ' the
“unfairness” of the present anti
closed shop law. He made it a
point to tell the House that he
was recently invited to address a
class in economics of one of the
larger universities in the State
and that he was asked to speak
\
on the subject “Labor Leaders Do
Not Have Horns."
Governor W. Kerr Scott, who
had done apparently everything
he could to get the anti-closed
shop law of 1947 modified, even
did the rather unusual thing of
sending a letter to the House
through Guilford’s Representative
Clyde Shreve, one of the bill’s
introducers, asking the House to
adopt the minority report and
give all a chance to debate the
merits of the bill.
The Governor had promised
such support to labor in his suc
cessful primary campaign last
year against Charles M. Johnson
and he delivered as best he could.
Whether oh his own volition or at
the request of the Governor, it
was significant that State Demo
cratic Chairman Capus M. Way
nick, reputed author of the dis
carded labor treasure, was in the
west lobby of the House as the
members debated the bill.
Governor Scott has, therefore,
lost another of his many battles
to carry out his campaign
pledges. He was beaten down on
the proposed State-wide liquor
referendum and now the House,
as it did on the John Barleycorn
question, has smacked him down
on the labor question.
Of all the Legislatures of the
last .‘10 years, this is one of the
toughest to predict as to what!
it will do, but the fact remains
that Governor Scott may, afterj
all, win his battles for his $200
million bond issue for improve-1
ment of rural roads, and the $50
million bond proposal for State
aid in building school houses.
But making a prediction as to
what will be final outcome after
what happened this week in both
branches of the Assembly is like
getting out on a limb and invit
ing someone with a sharp saw to
start sawing.
1
House Refuses To Modify
The Anti-Closed Shop Law
V ■ . --
RALEIGH, April 1.—Representatives of organized labor,
headed bv C. A. Fink of Salisbury, president of the Slate
federation of I^ibor, made no effort to conceal their anger
I today following the House’s refusal by a vote of off to 17
to adopt the minority report on the bill to modify the pres
ent anti-closed shop law so as to make provisions for a *
union shop.
*1 think this Legislature has singled us out as one group
and made second class citizens out of us by denying us
the right of contract, but 1 am glad we will have the right
to vote,” Fink told The Observer.
As he made his statement he was flanked by represen
tatives of ether labor organizations. Just prior to making
the statement, Fink and other labor leaders talked with
Speaker Ramsey.
VOTE BY ROLL CALL
Representatives Shreve of Guilford ^nd Parker of Har
nett, who called for the record roll call vote as predicted
by this correspondent last Tuesday, and others fought for
or against adoption of the minority report despite the let
ter that Governor Scott sent the House urging'the minority
report be adopted.
As the bill originally was reported unfavorably in com
mittee by an 18 to I t vote, the large margin by which the
House refused to adopt the minority report was surprising.
Several House members wondered out loud as to whether
the Governor's letter helped to any appreciable extent and
the rather general feeling was that it did not.
On the roll call. Representative Harvey Morris of Meck
lenburg voted for adoption of the report, and Craven voted
against. The other Mecklenburg House member, Mrs. Joe
Ervin, who was out of the city, was paired against adop
tion.
In explaining his vote. Representative Lassiter said he
voted against adoption because he believed the bill went
further than allowing merely a union shop, and though it
in reality meant a return to the closed shop outlawed by
the present law enacted at the 1947 session.
t
North Carolina Leads In
Savings Bond Campaign
Name of the Campaign—The Savings Bonds "Opportun
ity Drive.”
Dates for the Campaign—May 16 through June 30.
National Quota—$1,040,000,000 (billion) in Eeries E
Bonds (No Series F and G quotas).
State Quita—$12,000,000 (million) in Series E Bonds(
(No Series F A G quotas). County quotas will be assigned
in April.
Slogan—Put more Opportunity in Your Future.
Symbol—A symbol steeped in American tradition and
great in dramatising the history of a people's determined
search for security and opportunity—The Covered Wagon
of the Famous 1849 Gold Rush.
Objective: To ass every
Ameican to buy where he works,
through the PAYROLL SAVINGS
PLAN, and to further promote
participation in the Bond-A
Month Plan, in order to meet na
tional, STATE, COUNTY and
COMMUNITY quotas.
Reasons For the Campaign:
First, of course, is the over-all
management of OUR national debt
of $252 billion. By distributing
the debt as widely as possible
among individual Americans
through sales of SERIES E, F
and G Bonds, we are developing
a well-balanced ownership and
less volatile debt. Too, we are
helping to channel billions of dol
lars in interest into American
homes, as well as building a pro.
gram of self-interest in individ
ual security through ownership of
those Bonds! *
The widest possible distribu
tion of such an enormous debt is
the RESPONSIBILITY OF EACH
ONE OF US! j
To sensibly increase the amount i
of Savings Bonds outstanding and j
to point out to all Americans that
their backlog of savings repre- ,
sents an important factor in their
own and the nation’s economy and ]
its stability. (
Thirty-two billions in Se'iej E
bonds are now in the hands of
the American people. This is an
all-time high, and represents al
most one-fourth of the liquid as
sets of our people.
North Carolina has sold mors
Series E bonds than any of th«
ten southeastern states in our re
gion. During the war period,
from May 1, 1941, through De
cember 31. 1945, our people
bought $522 million in E bonds.
Overall sales of all securities dur
ing this period amounted to $1,
811,000,000 (billion).
From January 1, 1946, through
December 31, 1948, North Caro
linians invested $256,598,442 (mil
lion), issue price, in Series E, F
and G bonds. Of this a matin?
total—the war was over, remem
ber—$167,028,600 (million) were
E Bond purchases, by individuals.
Summary of Series E, F and
G sales in North Carolina:
May 1941-Dec. 1945 $659,744,107
Ian. 1946-Dec. 1948 256,598,4»2
Total N. C. Sales $916,342,549
Redemption (cashins)
lince 1941 .. 274,902,764
Jet holdings in State
Jan, 1, 1949) . $641,439,785
(Continued 9n Pago 4)