Newspapers / The Charlotte Labor Journal … / Oct. 20, 1949, edition 1 / Page 1
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Oldest Bom Ftdo AFL Newspaper is North Carolina Give Tosr Loyal Support Yoor Labor Publications VOL. XIX; NO. 24 CHARLOTTE. N. C- THURSDAY. OCTOBER 20. 1949 Subscription Price $2.00 Year Convention Ends Work Green Praises Hoffman for ECA Job APt President William Green (left) tells Paul G. Hoffman what t food Job he is doing as administrator of the Economic Cooperation Administration. Introducing Mr. Hoffman at the St Paul convention. Mr. Green said his irraqr li doing more than any other government arm to establish international peace and security. Officials Greet Each Other at Dinner AFL Vie*-President Matthew WoU (left) aad J. Scott Milne, secretary treasurer of the International Brotherhood Electrical Workers, shake hands at one of many dinners held during St Paul convention by local unions. European Representative Sees World Situation Worsening St. Paul.—The international sit uation has quickly taken a eery serious turn for the worse, Irving Brown, AFL representative in Europe, told the 68th AFL con vention. He said the new democratic world labors organization to be formed in London starting No vember 28 by the AFL and other free trade union movements must move swiftly and purposefully to defeat the Soviet Union’s menac ing moves against world peace. Brown said the new world labor movement must begin immediately to: 1. Resist and throw back the attempts of the Cominform to uti lize the labor movement in order to achieve the objectives of the Soviet Union. 2. Deal with the economic and political problems that the Com munists have forced upon the work ers in various part* of the world. “This new world labor move ment,” Brown said, “will either be an aggressive, dynamic, fighting world labor movement for the res toration of free trade unionism, or it will not succeed in the light of the present world situation which is so charged with war and aggres sion.” Brown said the London confer ence has attracted delegates from more than 35 countries represent ing more than 46,000,000 trade un ionists. He said the AFL has played a great role in bringing about this new world movement and .will play a great role at the London congress. These are the “grave and crit .cal’’ developments which Brown said threaten new wars: 1. The Chinese Communists march continues unchecked and is beginning to dominate entire south east Asia; the whole Far East is ablaze with a very hot war. 2. Western Europe and England are on the eve of and have been in the process of going through grave economic developments. ”3. On the borders of Yugoslavia the Soviet Union is engaging in war-rattling moves that Hitler himself never engaged in without going to war; Eastern Europe is being whipped into a totalitarian system under Soviet domination. 4. Communist infiltration con tinues in the western European trade union movement and men aces the economy of France, Italy, and all democracies of western Europe and our own. “We stand in the shadow of a new world treachery and the cold war is being dangerously trans formed into one of increasingly warm tempbrature,” Brown said. “Once again the world is in danger of war. Once again aggression is threatening from a single totali (Continued On Page 4) Green Tells Lewis Labor Mast Unite Washington. — AFL President William Green said the “crying need" now in organized labors j fight for an improved standard of living is for organic unity wr.tu, the ranks of labor. In a letter to President John L. Lewis of the United Mine Worker*, Mr. Green said that “the pooling of labor’s resources while divided as it is today is impossible ant impracticable.” Mr. Green’s letter was a reply to Mr. Lewis’ suggestion that nine AFL unions and the miners con tribute $250,000 each per week to th.; CIO United Steelworkers to help win that union's strike against th j steel industry. 1 Mr. Green said “In acknowledging receipt of yt>ur letter dated fjptober 14, per mit me to assure you that the in formation you trai^mitted and th suggestions and proposals you made have been given careful, pro found and sympathetic considera tion. “Those of us who have lived with the organised labor movement during an entire lifetime are movec by a sincere desire and hope that workers who are engaged in a fight for the realisation of a higher standard of living and improve 1 social and economic conditions shall win. “In commenting upon your sug gestion, I am moved by a sense of duty to refresh your memory regarding the organizational struc ture of the American Federation of Labor with which you are quite familiar. * Aa you well knew, every national and international union chartered by the American Fed eration of Labor, is clothed with autonomous authority to adminis ter its own affairs without limita tion or restrietimv The officers and members of each national and international union formulate poH in any way oft the part of the American Federation of Labor. For that reason edtk national and international union must determine for itaelf as to whether it could or would disburse one-quarter of a million dollars per week for an indefinite period as suggested in your communication. “It ia my opinion that the offi cers of each national and interna Convention Urges Taft-Hardey Repeal St Paul.—The 68th annual con vention of the American Federatior of Labor unanimously threw it? full support into the formation of a new democratic world labor fed eration and declared for a United States foreign policy to strengthen the free peoples all over the world These are the highlights of the AFL stand on international ques tions: v onion movement to cement free democratic trade anion* of the; world into a powerful federation to oppose communist efforts to in filtrate the trade onion movement and to wipe out slave labor. 2. Provide military aid to Asia and China to repel Communist ag gression and economic aid to I strengthen Europe on a continent*' scale. 3. Withhold friendship from antilabor and antidemocratic gov ernments in Latin America. 4. Throw the full resources of this country into President Tru man’s "point 4” declaration to sup ply technical assistance to the un derdeveloped areas of Asia, Latin America, Africa and other part* of the world.' Against Russian Appeasement Summarising the critical inter national situation, the convention statement of policy asserted that the atomic explosion by imperialist Russia has violently contracted the peaceful world. “We firmly warn against any attempts to revive a policy of ap peasement of Soviet imperialism at this critical juncture," the AFL said. The AFL called the Communist totalitarian empire "a robotized, monolithic despotism stretching from Berlin to beyond the Yang tze.” "This Red tyranny is further but (Continued on Page 2) ’' Firefighters President Admires Her Hat John P. Redmon, president of the International Association of Firs, Fighters, admires one of the seven hats worn to the St. Paul con vention by Carmen Lucia, vice-president of the International Ladies' Garment Workers Union and advocate of intensive southern organ ising campaign. Hoffaan Talks to Reporters at Carnation ftp* G- Hoffnmn (la front of microphone), ocononie cooperation admmistrator, answers questions of newsmen from Washington, Now — York. Chicago sad other cities covering St Paul RmM$k Pramts kti-Bm Award tt Grata President A. Philip Randolph of tbo Brotherhood of Sleeping Cat Portor* present* award to APL President William Green in honor ol hia lone fight again discrimination because of race, creed, color or national origin. Occasion was highlight of the APL's 68th convention at St Paul. President Lee W. Minton of Glass Bottle Blowers Associ ations watches- * tional union to whom your pro posal might be submitted would immediately inquire it President Murray of the Steel Workers In ternational Union requested you t solicit 9250,000 per week from t international unions of the Aroer ican Federation of Labor. Ha; Mr. Murray requested the amount of financial assistance referred to in your proposal? Is your pro posal based upon a request you received from Mr. Murray for fi nancial assistance? This inquirj would, in my judgment, be made by international officers because Mr. Murray has never either di rectly or indirectly requested any financial assistance from the rep resenlatives of international un ions affiliated with the Americar Federation of Labor. So far as I know, he has never asked any rep resentatives of the American Fed (Coatiaued On Page 4) Urges Labor Unity W. C. Doherty, president of National Association of Letter Carriers and AFL vice-president, reports to 8t Paul convention as chairman oo or ganisation urging continued efforts toward achieving unity within the rement. Meany Talk Tobin of AFL Actions AFt Secret*ry-Treasurer George Meany, left, brings Secretary 6f Labor Maurice J. Tobin up to date on AFL actions during cabinet member's visit on second day of 68th convention in St. Paul. a Cmmc9 M—bars at St Pc jI (•aveatioa ; Foul H of the ill their Winter, president ___ inter, pn Birthright, president Barbers executive council study proposal before 88th AFL places on platform l/to r.: AFL Vies Presidents Bakery and Confectionery Workers; W. C. __ ,_ire and Hairdressers; Dan W. Tracy, presi dent Brotherhood of Electrical Workers, and Matthew Woll of tk| Engravers Union. J President Truman Promises Support For AFL Program St. Paul. — President Truman praised the APL for helping to >nake America “the best fed, best clothed, and best housed nation in all history." In a message to President Green read to the 68th annual conven tion, Mr. Truman pledged his “full support" In rounding out a pro gram to give many additional Americans the protection of ade quate minimum wages, agricultural price ' support, more and better housing, and greater educational opportunities. Mr. Truman promised that repeal of the Taft-Hartley law “is a mat ter of unfinished business which we can agree will be finished to the satisfaction of working men and women in response to the voice and wishes of the American peo ple.” In extending his greetings to the convention, Mr. Truman said: “The American Federation of I Labor through all its long history has been a leader in championing the rights of wage earners and helping to gain for them better and safer working conditions, greater social security and an in creasingly high standard of living. Particularly since 1937 has your arganization cooperated with the national administration for the en ictment of a wide program of for arard-looking legislation in the in terest of wage earners, farmers tnd in the public interest as well. “Such legislation has been a most mportant factor in making the American standard of living the lighest in the world. We are the >est fed, best clothed, and best loused nation in all history. With ipproximately 60,000,000 men and i amen at work with the profits t of industry high we can, and we will, maintain our living standards and improve them for those of our people who are underprivileged. MM a n y additional Americans need the protection of adequate minimum wages, of agricultural price supports, of more and better housing and of greater educational opportunities. They will have their needs satisfied through the coop* eration of wage earners and farm ers with their government. Be assured your unions and all pro* gressive Americans will have my. full support in rounding out much needed programs to insure the Fair Deal goal for the benefit of all the people of the nation. This is the cause to which we are dedicated. It may be delayed by the tactics of those who live, in the dark ages of social thinking and oppose anything ta benefit their less privileged fellow men, but in the end it will triumph if we continue to stand togethnr and meet the challenge in the best in terest of all patriotic American groups. “Since your last convention the U. S. Department of Labor, which had been stripped of its power and influence by the 80th Congress, has been largely restored to its proper status as I pledged you it would be. However, the Taft Hartley Labor Law has not yet been repealed although the na tion voted for such action in ac septing the forthright platform of the Democratic party last Novem ber. “That is a matter of unfinished »usiness which we can agree will m finished to the satisfaction of' working men and "women in re po nse to the voice and wishes of he American people.”
The Charlotte Labor Journal and Dixie Farm News (Charlotte, N.C.)
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Oct. 20, 1949, edition 1
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