Editorial
THE CHARLOTTE LABOR JOURNAL
AND DIXIE FARM NEWS
OLDEST LABOR PUBLICATION IN THE TWO CAROLINA8
Published at Charlotte, North Carolina
& A. Stalls, Editor and Publisher W. M. Witter. Associate Editor
R. G. Thomas, Greensboro .».--Field Representative
Entered an second-class mail matter September 11, 1931, at the
Poet Office at Charlotte, N. C., under the Act of Congress of
Much 3. 1879.
— .... .... .* "VWfc "". ..
Oldest Bona Fide AFL Newspaper in North Carolina, consistently
Serving the American Federation of Labor and its members since it
was founded, May 12, 1931. Approved by the American Federation
of Labor in 1931.
Endorsed by Charlotte Typographical Union, Number 338, An Af
filiate ef Charlotte Central Labor Union and the North Carolina Fed
nation ef Labor.
Mum Services: American Federation of Labor, U. S. and North
Carolina Departments of Labor, and Southern Labor Press Associa
tion.
The Labor Journal will not be responsible for the opinions of cor
respondents, but any erroneous reflection upon the character, stand.;
lag or reputation ef any person, firm or corporation which may ap
pear in the columns of The Labor Journal will be corrected sins
called to the attention of the publisher. Correspondence and Open
Forum opinions solicited, but The Journal reserves the right ts reject
objectionable reading matter and advertising at all times.
MEMBER SOUTHERN LABOR PRESS ASSOCIATION
"LET THE SUNLIGHT
OP A
FREE PRESS
SHINE IN DARK PLACES’*
SOUTHERN LABOR PRESS ASSOCIATION
WEEKLY BIBLE THOUGHT
“Come unto Me, oil yo that labor and are heavy
laden, and I will live you 'rest. Take My yoke
upon you, and learn of Me: for I an meek and
lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your
souls. For My yoke is easy, and my burden is
light.”—Matthew 11:28-30.
TVA GIVES STRONG COMMENDATION TO A. F. OF L.
In 1933 the Tennessee Valley Authority, through its
Board of Directors, elected that its employes should have
the right to organize and select their own representatives
for the purpose of collective bargaining
In 1935 the TVA stated as a policy that employes would
suffer no discrimination because of membership or non
membership in a Union, in an effort to be neutral.
In 1940 the relationship between TVA and the Tennessee
Valley Trades and Labor Council was such that a contract
was signed between TVA and the A. F. of L. Trades and
Labor Council.
In 1942, as a result of the co-operation between the Un
ions and TVA, Management issued a statement to the
employes saying that Union membership is conducive to
the efficiency and effectiveness of the job, and that Man
agement looked with favor upon and encouraged such af
fiiliation as a means of achieving and maintaining the joint
contribution of labor and management to the Valley pro
gram.
The four steps described above were the highlights in a
Labor Day address delivered at Kingsport, Tennessee, by
Mr. George F. Gant, Genera] Manager of TVA, who came
here as an invited speaker for the big Labor Day celebra
tion. Mr. Gant was on the program with Congressman
Dayton E. Phillips and James F. Barrett, A. F. of L. or
ganizer.
uenerai Manager uant g address was an emphatic ap
proval and commendation of the A. F. of L. Unions’ co
operation and fair dealing with the TV A in the construction,
maintenance and operation of this huge enterprise. In
more detail, Mr. Gant is quoted as follows:
“TVA now employs about 14,000 people. It has had,
during the war, as many as 42,000 employes. These em
ployes have been and are engaged in building dams, chem
ical plants, hydro plants, steam plants, bridges, switch
yards, and transmission lines. They are maintaining and
operating the all-important power and chemical plants.
They are engaged in the management of reservoir property,
in research in both physical and social science fields, and
are maintaining effective relationships with many agencies.
TVA had to decide in 1933 what its labor policy would be.
The TVA Board concluded, after months of study and con
sultation with employes, labor leaders, labor advisors,
that its employes should have the right to organize and
select their own representatives for the purpose of collec
tive bargaining. This was before the Wagner Act. It
established a precedent in the Federal service.
“The empkyes responded to this implicit invitation Ao
purpT of deaii** TVA management.
Not only did the employee join unions in a large majority,
Idle unions themselves, A. F. of L. unions, organisedthe
ennessee Valley Trades and Labor Council for the purpose
4 oi^Liblmhing a single framework for their relations with
TVA. The Council and TVA hammered out their nego
Uatl,n*’ traniff. «nd related procedures in an atmosphere
of stiff bargaining but also in an atmosphere of trust and
good faith. By 1940 the relationship had matured suf
ficiently, in terms of mutual confidence ami acceptance of
responsibility, that it was possible to negotiate and sign
a contract. The terms of this contract will be of interest
to you, and I wish to point out again that they are import
ant not only to the efficiency and stability of TVA’s own
operations but because of their impact upon the develop
ment of labor standards in the Tennessee Valley.
“The contract is with TVA's trades and labor employes
represented by unions affiliated with and acting through a
single agent-—the Tennessee Valley Trades and Labor
Council. It is a continuing agreement, not a year-to-year
proposition, and may be reopened at any time by TVA or
by Council upon 90 days’ notice; neither party has re
L
opened the agreement The contract stipulates the pro
cedures for negotiating wages and working conditions, for
Handling disputes, and for establishing training and co
oler alive committee programs. |
’ The unions settle their own jurisdictional disputes un
der this agreement, and the unions have exemplified real
leadership in discharging this responsibility without ex
ception. The TVA assigns work as so determined; if there
is a dispute TVA assigns work according to its best judg-*
ment, subject to reassignment upon notice of agreement by,
the unions involved.
"Other disputes are handled under procedures which1
provide in the end for an impartial referee whose decision'
shall be final. Since the signing of the contract in 1940,
however, only one case has gone to a referee. All others
have been settled directly by the Council and TVA. Labor
and management have demonstrated that a hard-headed
but honest bargaining relationship will work when the
parties trust each other’s integrity and devotion to a com
mon purpose. t
“These relationships of collective bargaining, training
and co-cperation, have paid off for TVA, I think for the
unions, and for the Valley. TVA’s views can be illustrated
toy evolution of its official attitude towards union mem
bership.
In 1935 it stated that employes would suffer no discrimi
nation because of membership or non-membership in any
orgmzation cr association of employes — an effort to be
netural. In 1942 TVA stated that union membership is
conducive to the efficiency and effectiveness of the job and
that it looks with favor upon and encourages such affilia
tion as the means of achieving and maintaining the joint
contribution of labor and management to the Valley pro
gram.
“The pay-off in this program is not only in the harmony
and efficiency with which we have worked, labor and man
agement, or in doing a physical or an adminhftnttavw job.
The pay-off is the demonstration that labor standards can
be as high, if not higher, in a public enterprise as in the
private enterprises which the public project was created to1
iester. The TVA did not turn out to be a governmental!
ddevice to avoid its management responsibilities to labor.
On the contrary, it recognized the employes’ stake in the
success of the TVA program and it recognized labor’s con
cern for the program and the contributions it has to make
to it. This personal interest of labor in TVA is not only
for good jobs; it is an interest, I am confident, in the
future of Tennessee Valley.”
?
1949 Convention Call
To All Affiliated Unions Greetings:
You, are hereby notified that, in pursuance of the Consti
tution of the American Federation of Labor, the 68th Con
vention of the American Federation of Labor, will be held
in the Civic Auditorium, St. Paul, Minn., beginning sat 10
o’clock Monday momng, October 3, 1949, and will continue
in session from day to day until the business of the Con
vention shall have been completed.
Once again we convene in annual convention—four years
after the termination of World War II—moved by feelings
of uncertainty and increasing disappointment. Workers
everywhere are asking why, following such" a* long period
of time, no substantial progress has been made in the nego
tiation of an international agreement providing for inter
national peace and security. The facts seem to make it
clear that failure to arrive at an international agreement
is due to the negative, antagonistic and selfish policy of
Soviet Russia. Apparently the Russian government seeks
to extend and expand Communist control over certain na
tions of Europe, Asia and elsewhere throughout the world.
The fight, therefore, for international peace and security
is supplemented by a fight against the aggression of Rus
sia and its Communist philosophy.
We want world peace, but we want it to be based upon
the principles of freedom, democracy and liberty. This is
sue must be faced courageously and in a spirit of determi
nation that the free people of no nation shall be forced to
accept communism and Communist control against their
will.
As we meet in this historic convention, labor throughout
the nation is conscious of the fact that our enemies are
seeking to destroy, weaken, and if possible wipe out our
trade union movement through the enactment of vicious,
reprehensible antilabor legislation. As a result, the fight
ing spirit of the workers has been aroused as never before.
That fact was reflected in the election which was held last
November. The record shows that unity of thought and
action was developed to a high degree among working men
and women and their friends everywhere. This fight against
anti-labor legislation is still on. For that reason those
in attendance at this convention will formulate policies de
signed to win victories for labor both on the political and
economic field. Social security and health insurance legisla
tion, federal aid for education, minimum wage legislation
and other social justice and security legislation wil and
must command the attention of the officers and delegates
in attendance at this convention.
Our purpose is to bring about the realization of the hopes
and aspirations of labor, to seek to establish a standard of
living commensurate with the requirements of American
citizenship. We cherish the principles of freedom, liberty,
democracy and justice as a common heritage to be pre
served at any cost and transmitted to future generations.
In conformity with the record made by previous conven
tions, those in attendance at this 68th Annual Convention
of the American Federation of Labor will make a genuine
contribution toward the realization of this great objective.
WILLIAM GREEN, GEORGE MEANT,
President Secretary-Treasurer
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NEW REGULATIONS ON FL8A
EXEMPTIONS FOR “WHITE
COLLAR" WORKERS
ANNOUNCED
Washington. — Proposed revi
sions in regulations governing ex
emption of certain so - called
“white-collar” employes from the
minimum wage and overtime pay
provisions of the Fair Labor
Standards Act — the Federal
Wage and Hour law—were an
nounced here by William R. Me
Comb administrator of the U. S.
Department of Labor’s Wage and
Hoar and Public Contracts Divi
sions.
Affecting some 2JH)0,000 em
ployes in virtually all types of
establishments with employes cov
ered by the Wage and Hour law.
the regulations were last sub
stantially revised in 1940. The
regulations provide “tests” of
duties, responsibilities, salary lev
els and other basic requirements
for employers to apply in de
termining which of their em
ployes may be exempt from the
wage and hour provisions of the
law aa an “executive,” “admin
istrative,” “professional,” “local
retailing,” or “outside salesman”
type -of employe.
In announcing his proposed re
visions, which are based on a re
port and recommendations sub^
mitted to him by a presiding of
ficer following 22 days of a
public hearing on the (subject
ending in January, 1948, McComb
said interested parties may have
30 days in which to submit writ
ten comments. He explained that
the proposed revisions would not
materially change ,the number of
“white collar employes affected;
but would clarify application of |
the regulations to such employes,
thereby reducing the risk of un
witting violations through im
proper classification of exempt
and nonexempt employes.
Under the proposed revisions,
the duty requirements of the
regulations for the five tpyes of
employes involved would be clari
fied and tne salary necessary for
exemption of "executive” type
employes would be changed from
$60 to $65 a week, and for "ad
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FIVE POLIO PRECAUTIONS
ARE LISTED FOR PARENTS
%
Warning that tha 1949 polio *ea
»on is “just around tha corner," tha
National Foundation for Infantila
Paralysis today issued a list of pre
cautionary measures to be observed
by those in charge of children
during the epidemic danger period
which usually runs
from May through
October, reaching Its
peak during the hot.
mid-summer months.
The live easy-to-fol
low health rules for
children are:
1. Avoid crowds and
places where close
contact with other persona in likely.
2. Avoid ever-fatigae canned by
too active play or exercise, or ir
regular hours.
2. Avoid swimming in polluted
water. Use only beaches or publie
N*h declared safe by local beakh
authorities.
4. Avoid sadden chilling
wet shoes sad clothing at
keep extra blank*
clothing handy for
changes. ,
* the golden rale of
I cleanliness. Keep food
heavier
weather
t-fhtly covered and safe fr__ __
or ether insects. Garbage should ba
tightly covered a*i if a '
I facilities arc *
lackiag, it
The National Foundation _ _
listed the following symptoms of
infantile paralysis: headache,
sea or upset stomach, muscle
(plained
- — or stiffness, and
fever Should polio strike in your
family, call a doctor immediately.
Early diagnosis and prompt treat*
ment by qualified i__
often prevent serious crippling, the
National Foundation pointed !*.
The organisation emphasised
that fear and anxiety should be
held to a minimum. A calm, confi
dent attitude is conducive to health
and recovery. Parents, it said,
should remember that of all those
stricken, 60 per cent or more re
cover completely, while another 26
per cent are left with only slight
after effects.
If polio is actually diagnosed,
contact the chapter of the Nation.
■1 Foundation for Infantile Paraly
im serving your community. The
chapter will pay that part of the
cost of care and treatment which
patient or family cannot
CUT OUT ANO KtBA BON AC PCM NCI
» i
ministrative” and “professional"
type employes from $200 a
month to $75 a week. A new
provision would shorten the ex
emption test for salaried em
ployes of these three tgpes who
receive at least $100 a week.
Among the basic requirements
for exemption under the proposed
regulations are: (1) “executive”
employes must perform manage
rial duties; (2) “administrative”
employes must perform office or
non-manual field work of substan
tial importance in the manage
ment or operation of the business;
(3) “professional” employes must
perform work requiring advanced
knowledge in a field of science or
learning or perform creative Work
in an artistic field; (4) “local re
tailing” employes most make re
tail sales mostly intrastate in'
nature; and (6) “outside sales
men” must be engaged to sell.,
away from their employer's place
of business.
“Please, lady,” said the tramp,
“the doctor has given me this
bottle of medicine, but I have
nothing to take it with.”
“Surely,” replied the kind old
soul, “I’ll get you a spoon and a
glass of water.”
“No, thank you, madam. I
guess 1 can get along without
those. But the directions on the
bottle say, ‘To be taken with
meals’. Haven’t got a meal yom
can spare, have you?”
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