V ,
VOL. XIX; NO. 26 _CHARLOTTE, N. C, THURSDAY. NOVEMBER S, 1949 Subscription Price $2.00 Year
GREEN OPENS AFL PUSH FOR MORE HOUSING
Millions Added To Buying Power By 75c Wage; New AFL Contracts
Signature Makes Minimum Pay 75 Cents
W ashingten.—A FL President William Green (right) sad Rich
ard J. Grey (over Mr. Green’e shoulder) watches with Seeretarr of
Labor Maurice J. Tobin as Preaident Truman signs the law raising
the legal minimum wage from 40 to 7$ cents an hour. AH workers
engaged in essential interstate commerce must be paid at least 75
cents an hour beginning neat January 24.
Postal Workers And Others
Share In Wage Increases
WASHINGTON-—Additional purchasing power for mil
lions of AFL members and other workers totaling more
than one-half billion dollars annually are provided by:
ttk
(2)
(3) Thousands of new contract increases recently negoti
ated by AFL unions.
This "shot in the urn” for the
nation’s economy means more
jobs, better living, higher prod ac
tion and consumption spread
throughout the country.
It resulted largely from the ef
forts of the AfL to raise the Is- |
gal minimum wage from 40 to 78
cents by. congressional action; to
amend government wage laws to
raise salaries, and to win pay in
creases and other benefits in con
tract negotiations with private
employers.
The AFL will continue its drive
for broader coverage of the min
* imam wage law. AFL unions will
insist on more money and other
benefits in contract negotiations
the remainder of this year and in
1950.
AFL President William Green
headed a group of AFL officials
who witnessed President Truman’s
formal signing of the amend
meats to the Fair Labor Stand*
ards Act raising tbs legal mini
mum wags from 40 to 78 cents
an hour. The now minimum goes
intj effect January 28.
With Mr. Grom were Richard
J. Gray, president of the AFL
Building Trades • department;
James A. Brownlow, secretary
treasurer of the AFL Metal
Trades department, and Harry
OUeilley. AFL director of or
ganisation.
Mr. Truman said that the law
“is a major victory in rur light
to promote the general welfare
of the people of the United
States.” He said he regretted
that its coverage had been lim
ited by restrictive provisions.
The AFL’s 68th convention in
St. Paul voted to tight "in the
next year to expand the coverage
(Continued On Page 4)
Small Town Unionists
Show Need To Vote
By DAN SMYTH
Chicago Correspondent of AFL News Service
OGLESBY, 111.—The people of Oglesby, a small town of
42,000 ‘citizens and two grammar schools, have given a
demonstration in miniature of the effectiveness of political
action in accomplishment of labor’s aims.
The AFL Trades and Labor Council had trouble for sev
eral months with the Oglesby school board over a union
teacher’s grievance. So the council put up its own slate of
candidates and elected a new school board.
The teacher’s grievance is now considered settled.
Mrs. Helen Mecum, the teacher, is a member of the Tri
Cities Teachers’ Federation, a local of the American Feder
ation of Teachers. The same local also represents teachers
at LaSalle and Peru, UL
Illinois has a state teachers’ tenure law under which three
years of teaching experience qualifies the teacher for perma
nent status. The first two years sure considered probation
ary, during which the school board may drop the teacher
without formal charges or a trial.
Last spring, at the end of Mrs. Mecum’s probationary pe
riod, the Oglesby school board decided to dismiss her. The
union objected. The matter was presented to the Trades
and Labor Council which supported Mrs. Mecum.
Wayne C. Butler, superintendent of schools, and the
board charged organized labor was challenging their^right
(OntiaMd Os P»*» 2)
i
Rents Up Again
As Living Costs
* Take Big Jump
WASHINGTON. — Residential
rents continued their uninterrupt
ed steady increase m September
as the cost of living took its
sharpest upward jump since last
March.
The Bureau of Labor Statistics
reported that the retail prices of
goods and services for moderate
income urban families advanced
one-half of 1 per cent between
August IB, and September 15. This
matched the biggest monthly in
crease of 1949 recorded last March
15th.
Foods rose eight-tenths of 1' per
cent; fuel, electricity and refrig
eration nine-tenths of 1 per cent;
house furnishings four-tenths of
1 per cent; misellaneous goods
and services three-tenths of 1 pet
cent. Clothing declined two
tenths of 1 per cent.
The over-all consumers’ price
index on Sept. 15 was 169.6 per
cent of the 1936-39 average. This
was 3 per cent lower than a year
ago but still 27 per cent higher
than in June 1946 and 72 per
cent above August 1939.
The rise in food prices pushed
them back to the level of last
•June and the increase in prices of
Other. ■»«*<* •xoune wined out lbs
deelineTvyS^Kur months.
But there was no change in
the trend of residential rents.
These have been moving upward
monthly for more than two years.
The rise has not been so sharp as
in some of the other groups in
the index but it has been unbrok
en. Economists say the end of
the rise is not in sight because a
tremendous housing shortage still
exists and because federal rent
controls are ending in many
places, both conditions tending to
push rents even higher.
Housing Expeditor Tighe E.
Woods announced that in six
months under the 1949 housing
act he had ‘ ended rent controls
over 2,268,046 units.
The Bureau of Labor Statistics
said this resulted in rents con
tinuing upward.
Mln anticipation of more gen
eral decontrol, the bureau has in
creased the frequency of its rent
survey,” the bureau revealed.
"In the three-month period
ending September 15, higher rents
were reported in 10 of the 11 cit
ies surveyed. Rents in Jackson
ville, Fla., rose 9.3 per cent be
tween June and September with
most of the rise following remov
al of controls on August 5. Be
tween August and September
rents in Houston. Tex., rose 2.4
per cent in advance of termina
tion of controls to become effec
tive October 19.”
PHILIP HANNAH SPEARHEAD
OF OHIO LABOR’8 DRIVE TO
DEFEAT VOTE LAW CHANGES
COLUMBUS Ohio —Philip Han
nah, secretary-treasurer of the
Ohio Federation of Labor, is co
chairman of the newly formed
United Labor League of Ohio
spearheading the drive to defeat
proposed changes in the state’s
voting laws in November.
The league represents 1,200.000
trade unionists in Ohio belonging j
to the Ohio State Federation of
Labor, Ohio CIO Council, United
Mine Workers, International As
sociation of Machinists, Commu
nications Workers of America,
Brotherhood of Locomotive Fire
men and Engine men, Brotherhood
of Railroad Trainmen. Brother
hood of Locomotive Engineers, Or
der of Railway Conductors, Bro
therhood of Railway Clerks and
Maintenance of Way Employes.
Advertising “Slickers” At
Work In Charlotte Territory
According to information given The Charlotte Labor
Journal by many of The Journal’s advertisers advertising
solicitors are calling upon local business firms via telephone
either telling the advertisers they, are representing The
Labor Journal or else giving the prospective advertiser that
impression, although the solicitors are working on another
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merchants and other business firms to be sure and inquire
thoroughly into this brand of false solicitation in order that
they will not be misled to place their advertising in a publi
cation vaguely representing itself to be The Charlotte Labor
Jburnal.
Be sure to look at your invoice when you receive it and
make sure that it bears the name of The Charlotte Labor
Journal. If you have bought an advertisement believing
that you were giving it to The Charlotte Labor Journal and
are presented with an invoice bearing another paper's name
you were misled and have every right to refuse to pay for
H and if you will furnish The Charlotte Labor Journal with
the necessary information that will aid in prose
option The Journal will stand all costs involved in prosecut
ipg any and all imposters using its name in their dishonest
solicitations.
, Abo, anyone telling you that The Charlotte Labor Jour
aal is no longer an American Federation of Labor newspa
per is doing nothing but misinforming you. The Journal
has been an American Federation of Laboranewspaper since
1931 and expects to continue to represent the American
Federation of Labor. Please report to The Journal any
hear to the contrary.
>«rlotte Labor Journal is
*w» or udot since it was founded In
publisher and the present associate ed
kmg periods of rough sailing but it has
course, as charted in the beginning,
Be alert! Do not bo misled by those who may misinform
you to further selfish alms! Our telephone b 5-1778. Call
us If in dqubt regarding any solicitation you receive.
Many advertisers tdl us they are receiving telephone so
licitations from as far away as New York from a labor«ub
lication chiming to represent North Carolina Labor by hav
ing a large circulation here. Do not be misled and spend
your money unwisely, for thb cannot poaslbly be true.
The Charlotte Labor Journal has always maintained n pol
icy to aoi knock any legitimate North Carolina Labor pub
lication, but henceforth its policy will be to “fight fire with
fire.” If others in our ranks motivated with a desire to de
stroy one of North Carolina's oldest and most patriotic
labor institutions continue to pursue such a libelous
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al such prevaricators. The Journal thanks you for your
past support and patronage and solicits your continued
good will for Labor and The Journal Our first aim is to
serve even greater in the future.
H. A. STALLS, Publisher.
OFFICIALS GREET EACH OTHER AT DINNER
AFL Pic* President Matthew Well (left) and J. Scott Milne,
aecretarjr-treaanrer of the International Brotherhood of Electrical
Worker*, aha It* hand* at one of the many dinner* held daring 9t
Paul convention by local union*.
WASHINGTON.—President William Green opened the
biff new AFL push to get a minimum 16,000,000 homes
built in the next 10 years, and to keep effective rent con
trols until the supply of low-price housing units can be
equalized.
Mr. Green sent a letter to all
central labor unions calling their
attention to the housing program
adopted by the 68th AFL conven
tion in St. Paul and urging them
to mobilise their full support for
its realisation.
“I urge each central labor body,
if it has not - already done so, to
establish a housing committee,"
Mr. Green wrote. "Because the
AFL Housing committee is very
much concerned with these ques
tions. I would appreciate it if you
would notify Harry C. Bates,
chairman of that committee, of
the name of the chairman of your
local committee. In addition. Mr.
Bates as well as myself would
like to be kept informed on AFL
activity on housing in your com
munity."
Mr. Green quoted from the
convention; statement of policy
“Recent developments in the
Reid of housing make it abund
antly clear that AFL unions must
maintain particular vigilance on
these matters during the coming
year.
“The most practical method of
handling problems of housing is
through community-wide activity
by local trade union groups. In
particular we urge each central
body and each building trades
council to establish a housing
commitee.
“These housing committees
would have the following func
(Continued On Page 4)
Invite Trutnan to Gompers Dinner
WuMutM.—APL gMNtirf-TMMiMf Curl* Manny. hft.
President William Green Usee White House smiling aftsr receieing
President Truman’s assurances to attend the Samuel Gompera Cen
tenary Memorial Dinner on January S in Washington's Hotel Statlsr
“if engagements and work permit.*
Million Members Sought
Thru State Federations
By CHARLES J. MacGOWAN
President Boilermakers Brotherhood, APL Vice President
and Chairman of 68th Convention Committee on
State Organizations
The aims of the AFL’S Samuel Gompers Memorial Or
ganisation Drive in I960 an set forth by Vice Presi
dent MacGowan in this summary of the convention's ac
tion in St. Paul broadcast by Voice of America.
The American Federation of Labor will embark on a gi
gantic organizing campaign next January to enroll at least
a million new members during 1950.
This drive was ordered by unanimous vote of the 68th
convention.
It is our purpose to conduct this organizing campaign at
the state level, through the various state Federations of
Labor. Coinciding with it will be a political drive to pre
vail upon all of the 8,000,000 members of the American
Federation of Labor to make certain to register and vote
in the 1950 congressional elections and elections for mem
bers of the state legislatures.
Labor has been taking such a beating in Congress and
the State legislatures in recent years through the enact
ment of repressive and restrictive laws that the trade union
movement is determined to launch a concentrated effort to
correct the situation and obtain justice for the nation's
workers. So we are going back to first principles—organize
the unorganized and get out the vote.
In order to qualify to vote each citizen must register. Un
forunately many millions of our citizens in the past have
neglected to do so. The American Federation of Labor,
through its political arm, Labor’s League for Political Edu
cation, will undertake a nation-wide registration drive next
year and will do its utmost to bring out the highest possible
registration and a record-breaking vote in 1950.
Needless to say, the convention again called upon Con
gress to repeal the Taft-Hartley Act. The delegates were
informed that since the act went into effect, 56 court in
junctions have been sought n labor-management disputes,
but of those only two were against employers. The 54 were
(Continued On Page t)