Newspapers / The Charlotte Labor Journal … / Nov. 24, 1949, edition 1 / Page 1
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VOL. XIX; NO. 29 t CHARLOTTE, N. C„ THURSDAY. NOVEMBER 2#, 1949 Subscript ion Price $2.00 Year NOTED LIBERAL BEGINS FIVE NIGHTS A WEEK NEWSCAST JANUARY 2 WASHINGTON.—Frank Edwards, one of the outstand ing liberals on the air, has been engaged as commentator for the American' Federation of Labor's new, nation-wide radio program which will be broadcast five nights a week over the Mutual network beginning January 2. Edwards brings to the* micro phone a versatile radio news back ground of more than 24 years and a vivid personality which won him top popularity ratings in his latest assignment at Indianapolis. Although sponsored by a business concern there, his consistent es pousal ot liberal causes and his aggressive campaign against the Taft-Hartley Act won his a wide following among Midwest work ers. His broadcasts for the AFL will originate from Washington and will be aired over a network of 147 stations from 10:00 to 10:15 P. M., EST. (A complete list, of the stations on the net work and the local time when this program will be heard will be published as soon as it can be compiled.) Edwards was chosen to, serve as AFL’s news commentator after a series of auditions of many better known newscasters because of his effective radio Style fmi his crusading spirit for progres sive objectives. It is expected that he will soon become one of the most popular commentators on the air. To accustom radio audiences td listening to Edwards at 10 p. m., EST, the Mutual network plans to start him on that spot on a sustaining basis beginning Dec. 5, Monday through Friday until the AFL program takes over on the same time beginning Jan. ■ 2. Edwards started his radio ca reer as a special events broadcast er but his unceasing efforts to dig for the “story behind the story” prompted him to switch soon after to news reporting and then commentaries. He has traveled far and wide - tracking down news developments visiting such far-away places as Borneo, Alaska. Sumatra, Aus tralia, South Africa, Norway and most of the South American na; tions in quest of radio headlines. An expert newsreel photographer, he has shot many films to illus trate his lectures which have won him popularity in the Midwest Fearless in his presentation of the truth and completely inde-' pendent in his point of view, Ed wards is expected to provide a refreshing contrast to the regu-1 lar run of commentators, most of whom lean to the reactionary side j of public issues. Certainly, he will offer a colorful and interest ing new personality on the air. NEW JERSEY VOTERS RE-ELECT HERMANN ‘ —— , Newark, N. J.—Lewis M. Herr- i mann. publisher of the New Jer sey Lgbor Herald, was returned to the New Jersey legislature by voters oT Essex county with the highest vote of any candidate in the county. Mr. Herr man, who is secretary treasurer of the International La bor Press Association, won an other term by a majority of 40, 000 votes. His victory was one of the most impressive smong those scored by members of AFL unions in ra tional, state and local election*. Mr. Harrmsnn is a member of the Intel national Typographical Un ion. AF.L Commentator FRANK EDWARDS ' Who will be heard fire nights a week over the Mutual Breadcasting System’s nationwide hookup re* porting the American Federation of Labor view of tbe news. •' AFl DRIVERS WIN 2 WAGE INCREASES Chicago. — The Central States Drivers Council of the AFL s'Wr^ptatArs Unkur ▼<»•* wage increases and an employer - fi nanced welfare and health pro gram in a new 26-month contract just signed with employers in 11 states. The 40,000 AFL teamsters cov ered by the agreement received an increase of 8 cents an hour and cne-fourth cent per mile effective November 16. In January. 1951. they will receive an additional 5 Cents an hour and one-eighth cent per mile. The 3,000 employers agreed to pay $1 per week for each em ploye into a union health and welfare program for the entire 26 months of the contract. The agreement covers drivers in Mich igan, Indiana, Illinois, Wisconsin, Minnesota, Iowa, Missouri. North Dakota, South Dakota, Nebraska and Kansas. IFL MEAT GUTTERS I OLLOW SWFT PACT Chicago. — The Amalgamated Meat Cutters and Butcher Work men of North America of the AFL has instructed local unions that in negotiating packinghouse wage agreements they “should make an effort to include the benefits contained in our new 1849-1950 Swift master agree ment.” The instructions wefe sent in a letter to all locals by Butcher Workmen President Earl W.-Jim erson and Secretary - Treasurer Patrick E. Gorman. The Swift contract continued in effect the company pension plan, in operation more than 30 years, which union officials called “far superior to most plans being negotiated at the present time.” Retroactive to September 12, 1949. the agreement provided bracket wage increases ranging from one-half to 15 cents an hour for alt workers except those on ommon labor rate; three weeks’ vacation after 15 years’ service; 8 veeks' pay in case of pregnacy; sc*v f '«c r<y; elimination of in eo.uftlaB geographical differ entials in Ocala, Fla.; Nashville, Tean-, S. D.; Mont- j gomery, Ala. A. F. OF L UNION WINS $94)00,000 ODIN UNDER BEST INSURANCE CONCRACT Washington. — The AFL Na tional Federation of Insurance Agents’ Council won $7,000,000 more pay annually and $2,000,000 vacation allowances payable Im mediately for 16,000 agents of Prudential Insurance Company in 35 states and the District of Co lumbia. Terms of the new contract Were announced, by George L. Russ, president of the Insurance Agents’ Council, at conclusion of day and night negotiating sessions of hard bargaining. “This is the best contract ever negotiated to any union with any of the major life insurance companies,” Mr. Russ said The AFL union was certified as bargaining representative for the agents on August 6, 1949, aft er defeating the leftish-led Uni ted Office and Professional Work ers of the CIO in a National La bor Relations Board election. The AFL won by a 2-to-l vote. Harry O'Reilly, AFL directoi of organizing, said that the con tract is proof of superiority of AFL representation in the field and marks a renewal of intensive efforts to win bargaining rights for agents of other big insurants companies. Mr. Russ said that the new contract calls for increases in compensation amounting to $7.24 weekly, which will cost the Pru dential company $7,000,000 an nually. The effective date of the raise was fixed as September 19. 1949, and the contract will run until December 1, 19»l. In addition the agents will re ceive $2,000,000 immediately in the form of a . special vacation allowance for 1949 ranging from $125 to $138 each. The contract contains provisions for improved employe service benefits, griev ance machinery, arbitration and dues checkoff also. TO FORM ILLINOIS LLPE Springfield. 111. — Joseph D. Keenan, director of Labor’s League for Political Education, has ac cepted an invitation to address the organization meeting of the Illinois LLPE called for Decem ber 3 by the Illinois Federation of Labor. i AFL Members Win Largest Back Pay Claim Los Angeles.—Demonstrating how AFL unions serve their mem bers and the workers they represent. Jack M. Helsley and John T. Howard of Operating Engineers Local 12 receive checks totalling $3.2*3.25 from Samuel Kalish, California Deputy Labor Commissioner, for back pay illegally withheld under California law by their employer Los Angeled Decomposed Granite Co. The claims were the largest ever settled by the Los Angeles office of the California State Labor Commission. M. L. (Lee) Miller, (left) business representative of Local 12, looks on as Mr. Kalish hands cheek to Mr. Howard. Between Mr. Kalish and Mr. Howard are Mr. Helsley and Mrs. Howard. After Us deductions. Mr. Howard’s chock amounted to $1,312.11 and Mr. Helsley's to $1,312.1*. The cases were pressed to their successful conclusion by Business Representative Miller. GARMENT WORKERS NAME ELDER INRECTOH UP SUHUUL l I The Ipterpational ' Ladies Garment Worker* Union | of the AFL announced the selec tion of Arthur A. Elder, Midwest director of the Workers’ EUucn-1 tion Bureau of the AFL, as the director of the union’s novrly-cs-1 tablished Officers’ Training School —the first of its kind in the world. ! Mr. Elder will assume his new dut es on January 1, with the un ion turning over an entire floor, of its headquarters building in New York for use of the train- 1 ing school. Classes will begin soon thereafter. The school is open to members of the union 21 to 30 years old interested in becoming full-time officials and representatives. Tu ition is free and every man and woman completing the course is guaranteed a full-time job. The course of instruction calls for eight months of day school training in academic subjects such as economics, labor relations and law, union organisation, history of labor, and four months of prac-1 tical field work suc» as parti cipation in collective Bargaining negotiations and getting familiar with shop work and practices. Initial enrollment is expected to run 40 students. These will be selected 'by the education com mittee of the union board of trus tees. The school is expected to cost 1100.000 the first year. WANT TO STUDY ABROAD? Washington.—AFL officials call attention to the November 30 closing date for applications for scholarships to study labor and adult education at colleges in the United Kingdom for the 1050-51 academic year. Members interested in the foul scholarships available under the Fulbright program adminiatered by the U. S. State Department should write to Institute of In ternational Education, 2 West 46th St., New York 1», N. Y„ for eligibility requirements and ap plication forms. CONGRESS STUDY SAYS THIRD OF NATION EARNS ONLY $2,000 A YEAR WASHINGTON,—The American Federation of Labor’s battle t<' raise annual income of the low-paid groups was given a big boost by a special congresssional committee atndv. HATTERS 100 YRS. IN NEW ARK HAILED AS PROOF THAT | THE UNION MARKET PATS Newark, N. J.-A union maiU i is a flourishing market. Max Zacitsky. president ,of the United Hatters, Cap and Millin ery Workers of the AFT* drew that lesson from the 100th an- ^ niversary celebration of Hatters Local Unions 13 and 11 In this ’ city. “For 100 years the hatters of j Newark have been union*” Mr. Zaritsky said in his greeting to | the locals. “For 100 years New- j ark has been a union market and today Newark continues to flour-1 ish as a union market. But dur ing all this perioft there have come and gone dotens of non union hatting centers. Hardly a decade passed that some hat man ufacturers did not decide to run away from the union; they be lieved they could do better if they did not have to deal with their workers collectively. “The hUtotj’ Qf Lsca^ !%*«*». Id proves that they were wrong; i proves that a sound union, in telligently led, is good for indus try, and that while non-union shops perish, those manufactur ers who deal with the union on fair and proper terms floursh.” The Newark locals were born in the days of turbulent labor history. Despite many serious setbacks, including the almost complete bankruptcy of its finan ces due to its support of the Dan- ■ bury hatters in their famous struggle, the Newark locals are' well established serving success-' fully the needs of the men and 1 women in their, own markekt. ' And their trade ia still a highly skilled technical craft requiring years of apprenticeship and training despite all of the many innovations and introduction of new machinery into the industry, j START LLPE CANVASS Moline, 111.—Cliff Carney, pres ident of the Tri-City Federation of Lahor. announced that appeals for 12 contributions to Labor’s League for Political Education had gone out to 30,000 AFL members in the Quad Cities area. A. G. Spotlights Movie Workers... By Nancy Gilchrist Many classes see films which help to explain further the sub ject which they are studying. Most people simply take these for granted, without realising what a job it is for some one to give this privilege. A competent staff of boys under Miss Young’s di rection are largely responsible for the movies shown. This group include: John Mol ter, Donhic Whitfield. Stanley Hoke, Sammy Kunkle, Warner Hall, Sidney Smith, Douglas Lit tle, Richard Booth, Jamie Kratt, Bill Harding and Bill HeiL Since this' group, as was the one spotlighted in the last Broad caster, wss a comparatively large grativ, it was impossible to inter view all of them, but the ones we lave talked to have been very co-operative. Jofca Matter, first period work er, has perhaps one of the larg est Jobs. He helps Miss Young before school, gets there early, and may stop on bis wsy to pick op a film. He then is responsible for putting it on the machine when . he arrives. He is 'often called to slice films other pe riods beside first. John says, "I like everything about running the movie projec tors, and I prefer it to having a study hall. But Miss Young really deserve* credit; she works hard-” John got his training at , Woodlawn School. The school got f First row: Left to right, Donnie Whitfield. Bill Harding. Warner Hall. n#url*» Little. Second row, Sidney Smith. Kir hard Booth, Bill Hell. Stanley Hoke. Third row, Jamie Kratt. and John Molten. Sammy Kunkle ia absent. iPhoto by K. Rushin, Universal News Service) a new movie projector, and John waa one of the boys chosen to learn He learned how at the Public Library. j Bill Heil and BiH Hardin#, sixth period worker*, were jointly in terviewed. Their job is to run the machine, see that the room is locked up and the lights out before they leave school, or pick up film for the next day. One thin# they must be sure of is that the machine Is unplugged and the amplifier off. i Bill {forking says. “I like re winding best because there’s more to it." Respective teacher* recommend ed these boys for their job. Bill Harding like* it especially because he likes “machinery, motors, elec tricity, and anything that works. Also it is very educational, bei cause you see many good films you would not otherwise get to see.” Stanley Hoke is influenced by his father’s work, (his Dad is a photographer) and that explains interest in running movie ma chines. He works for Miss Young "anytime she wants me,” he says. Stanley does outside work in that field by running the movie 1 projector for Saturday morning ‘ movies at Myers Park School. One thing he does is try to fix ma- ; chines when they’ve broke down, so classes can go on. The thing Stanley likes best is seeing a lot of pictures. Donnie Whitfield’s opinion of his job is: “It’s lots of fun.” He reports to Miss Young before school and helps her then, as well as first period. He is interested in this type of work because he has a projector of his own. Warner Hall likes it for "the fun of running it.” He says the main job is to please all the ! teachers. “When something is broken, we have to know whether or not it’s something we can fix; and if not, call someone to repair it.” Warner got his training from Bill Kuykendall when he was in the seventh grade. Bill talked to Miss Young about getting War ner a place and then trained him at recess. 1 All in all, these boys and Miss Young have a hard job, but one j that they do extremely well. We ! the students of A. G. express our j appreciation. — AG Broadcaster, Nov. 23. i A subcommittee of the Joint Committee on the Economic Re port found that almost one-third 3f the nation receives an income i)f $2 <¥M) a year or less. It said these families “have been left be hind in the economic progress of America.’’ The conclusion supports the AFL position that the purchasing pow come groups must be steadily in creased to realize the national objective of sustained high-level employment and prosperity. The subcommittee said that the unfilled wants of American fam ilies now living on inadequate in comes “constitute a great under developed economic frontier — a new and exjiansible market for the products of American indus try.” The committee planned hearings in December to deternrne what congressional policies can b« adopted to enable these families to become a greater market. More than 8,000,000 incomes were under $1,000 a year and another 7,500,000 under $2,000 annually. The family groups in clude one-fifth, of the nation's er of working people and low in VENEZUELA LIBOR GRATEFUL TO IFl Washington. — AFL President William Green has received a let ter of appreciation from A. Ma lava Villulha, general secretary of the Confederation of Labor of Venezuela. for the resolution adopted by the AFL convention in St. Paul condemning the totali tarian governments of Venezuela and Peru. “We consider this resolution of great importance, particularly in view of your request to the gov ernment of the United States that no economic help be given to the governments of these two coun tries because of their violation of civil liberties and trade union rightsMr. Villalba told Mr. Green. “Your condemnation of the dic tatorial regimes has created a feeling of appreciation and grati tude among the Venezuelan work ers. We are sure that in the fu ture you will continue to give us all the necessary help until such time as the dictatorship in our country is obliterated and liberty and human rights are restored as the basic rights for all citizens. The AFL convention said that “a serious task” still remains to defeat “the mounting wave of anti-labor and anti-demo^ratic forces under the totalitarian ban ner of Peron in 'Argentina and the dictatorships in Peru and Ven ezuela.” “These reactionaries of the right have in recent months been guilty of ruthlessly violating the basic democratic lilierties and the rights of labor. "Our government, for the sake of it* influence and ' prestige among the democratic forces of the world, would be well advised to show no friendship for or make any concessions to these bearers of totalitarian dogmas »nd despotism among our good neighbors to the South. “Our government would like vise render distinguished service ° our national security and to he cause of orderly social prog ress if it would actively discour se and categorically disapprove irotiteering practices by greedy orporate American interests which liable sundry demagogues to pro note suspicion of and .enmity to- ' cards the entire. American people nd the democratic cause.”
The Charlotte Labor Journal and Dixie Farm News (Charlotte, N.C.)
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Nov. 24, 1949, edition 1
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