VOL. XIX; NO. SO
CHARLOTTE. N. C„ THURSDAY. DECEMBER 1, 1049
Subscription Price 12.00 Year*
I
Officials Promise Aid
To AFL Unions In
Rio Grande Valley
WASHINGTON.—Government officials promised a dele
gation of AFL unionists from Texas’ Lower Rio Grande
Valley that they will order stricter enforcement of immi
gration and federal labor laws to prevent the entrance and
use of illegal “wetback” workers from Mexico.
E. C. DeBaca, AFL organizer
in the valley, said the promises
were given by Justice and Labor
Department officials and members
of Congress during a series of
conferences with him and a del*
egation of AFL unionists from
Texas.
Those who accompanied Mr.
DeBaca were W. H. Burk, Har
lingen, Texas, president of th#
Central Labor Union of the Low
er Rio Grande Valley; Salvador
Chape, Jr., Mission, Texas, and
Alepandro Fuentes, Donna, Texas,
an members of the Citrus Work
ers and Food Processors Union of
the AFL, federal labor unions.
The delegation also received
pledges of full AFL support from
President William Green and oth
er officers.
“The government officials prom
ised to do everything they can
for as and we feel much encour
aged,” Mr. DeBaca said. His group
filed with each official visited a{
memorandum on the situation.
This brief said:
"The basic industry in this region
csaritrt- of enterprises dedicated
to the canning and processing
od fruits and vegetables. Several
thousand persons are engaged as
workers in this industry, unques
tionably the most difficult prob
lem that we have had to contend
with has been the competition of
fered ua by the illegal immi
grants from Mexico, who for ob
vious reasons are compelled to
work at substandard wages and
under cnditions bordering on pe
onage.
“Thi* competition has been
made possible by the connivance
of local—and sometime* even
federal—authorities with selfish
private interests whose sole de
sire is to obtain labor at the
cheapest rates possible In order
(1) to be in an advantageous po
sition as compared with similar
industries in other sections of the
country where reasonable wages
are paid; and <2) to make the
largest profits possible in the
shortest period of time.”
Mr. Burk said that many of
the Mexican workers illegally in
this country drift into the con
struction trades and are a con
tinuing menace to the wage and
work standards of that industry,
passing as carpenters and paint
ers for 25 cents an hour.
AFL officials said the situation
is a “social problem” of impor
tance to the entire country as
much as it is a labor union bat
tle. As a result of the unfair
competition °of alien laborers
“wetbacks” — an annual exodus
of native-born Latin - American
workers takes place which keeps
125,000 school children out of reg
ular classes; causes health prob
lems and high mortality from in
fant diarrhea and tuberculosis;
and deprives the voters of their
residence requirements for bal
loting to change offending local
officials.
“There has been little or no
attempt t,o disguise the fact that
local immigration authorities have
deliberately ignored existing con
ditions and have even encour
aged the use of ‘wetbacks’ by fa
voring those employers who were
looked upon with approval by lo
cally elected public officials." Mr.
DeBaca's group told the Justice
Department. j
The AFL asked the government
officials to:
r. Enforce rigidly all immi
gration law* without fear or fa
voritism and that this policy be
PRESIDENT APPROVES
NR FU6 DAT PUNS
ID SHOW LOYALTY
Washington—President Truman
endorsed the AFL’s plans for a
mammoth Flag Day celebration
on June 14, 1960, on the Wash*
ington Monument Grounds as an
“enthusiastic demonstration of
faith on the part of those who
serve this Republic.”
The AFL proposal, made by
the Government Employes Coun
cil and approved by the 68th
convention ia St. Paul, was out-j
lined to Mr. Truman in a White
House visit by AFL President
William Green, Frank Coleman,
secretary-treasurer of the Mary*
land-District of Columbia Federa
tion of Labor, and Tom Walters,
operators director of the Govern
ment Employes Council.
Mr. Truman told the AFL trio
that he had taken part in similar
fL g • day celebrations many years
ago and that he personally would
attend the AFL program if it is
possible.
"The governments of the United
States and the several states can
not possibly be any stronger un
der attacks of those who would
continue to wage the so-called
cold war than the faith of those
n en and women who in high sta
tion and low daily perform the
tr.sk of operating those govern
ments,” the AFL convention said.
8EN60U6H HEADS
CANADUN GROUP
Ottawa. Canada. — Percy Ben
go ugh, president of the Canadian
Trades and Labor Congress, head
ed a delegation of four officials
to the London organisation meet
ing of the new “International
Federation of Free Trade Un
ions."
The Canadian Congress, which
maintains fraternal relations with
the AFL and is composed of AFL
international unions in Canada,
joined with the American Feder
ation of Labor in establishing
the new anti-Communist world
federation.
AFL President William Green
and Secretary-Treasurer George
Meany headed the big AFL dele
gation which was scheduled to
sail for London from New York
on the lie de France on Satur
day, November 19. *•
established as a permanent one
by our national officials.
2. Order federal officials sta
tioned in the Lower Rio Grande
Valley to desist from practices
which protect the employer as
against, the worker and which
through collaboration with local
politicians, result in the oppres
sion of the laboring people by so
cial, economic or political means.
3. Conduct a congressional
investigation as to all conditions
existing in the valley among the
working people.
4. Make certain that under no
’circumstances either illegal im
migrants or legalized braceros be
permitted by our government to
compete with resident. workers
in the industrial field in the Low
er Rio Grande Valley. '
Britishers Wish Green Bon Voyage
----
W ashingfen.—William E. Jones (Ml). Yorkshire mi giwil
secretary of the Britiah National laion af Mina Workers and chairman
of British trad* uaion delegation en United States tear, with Leonard
Green (center), aaabtant general secretary of the National Union of
Operative Heating Engineers, wish AFL President William Green bon
voyage to Leaden for world trade nnien meeting. • The three were
photographed at a luncheon tendered the British unionists by top AFL
efflcials. The two Greens are not related.
Taft-Hartley Act Crumbles
Under Court, Board Fights
Washington.—Administration of
the Taft-Hartley law in the build
ing trades industry is crumbling
down into a chaotic mass under
conflicting federal court dedaioos
and an inconclusive battle along
National Labor Relations Board
members and General Counsel
Robert N. Denham.
Daniel W. Tracy, /president of
the Aft. International Brother-4
hood of Electrical Workers, and
the AFL Building Construction
Trades Department have focused
attention on the situation which
has knotted the labor relations
of the budding industry into such
a snarl that Taft-Hartley admin
istration actually is seriously in
terfering with construction work.
Mr. Tracy pointed to a decision
by the V. S. Court of Appeals
for the 10th District which held
recently that small building
trades jobs sro not subject to
the Taft-Hartley Act, as indica
tive of the conflict between courts1
and labor board as to jurisdiction'
in the building trades.
“I welcome the decision hold
ing that small building trades
jobs are not subject to the Taft
Hartley Act,”' Mr. Tracy said.
“The decision confirmed the po
sition which the IBEW has taken
I from the effective date of the act.
The decision might prove helpful
in resolving the internal battlo
between General Counsel Den
ham and the NLRB over the
question of jurisdiction.”
The case involved Groneman
A Co. and IBEW Local 364. The
company sued the union for dam
ages for refusing to cross a pick
et line at a school, building con
struction job in Provo, Utah,
where non-union electricians were
employed.
The court ruled that “Grone
man ia operating • partly local
businaM in no witt connected
with anyone engaged in com
merce” and further that the op
erations did not “affect” com
merce within the meaning of the
act. It dismissed the auit against
the IBEW.
The Building ' Trades Depart
ment filed a brief with the labor
ktoaid pJWeiMiif' against the de
lay ia holding representation and
union shop elections in the in
dustry and against decisions im
periling the unions and the long
established relations in the in
dustry.
The department said that if
the board pursues its present
policy with respect to the elec
tions “it would completely stifle
building construction in this coun
try.”
The board was asked to take
action under the administrative
procedure act to wipe out this in
justice and uncertainty. Labor
Board spokesmen said the peti
tion Is under consideration by the
board.
“Two years and some three
months since the passage of the
act no way has been found by
the board or general counsel to
grant to the AFL unions the priv
ileges that attach to a represen
tation or union authorisation
certification,” the building trades
department said.
“If the board takes the position
that the validity of the union se
curity agreement is conditioned
upon the board holding a union
shop referendum election and the
board either refuses or is unable
to hold a union shop election,
then the action of the board is un
reasonable and discriminatory and
violative of the fifth Amendment
of the Constitution,” the depart
ment said.
Valente Greets British Counterpart
■a in mm mmi
Washington.—A nth**? Valeate (left), president of the United
Textile Worker* of the AFL, discusses industry prokien* with Charles
Sc bode Id, general secretary of the British Amalgamated Association
of Oyer stive Cotton Spinners and Twiners. Mr. V a lento was one of
many AFL international anion presidents to groat British trade anion
delegation at laacheoa daring their rut in Washington. _„
SOUTH KICKS OFF 1950
0R6JUDZIN6 CAMPAIGN
Washington—Thirteen Southern
state* planned to luck off the
APL’* 1950 organising drive to
gain 1,000,000 new member* and
rally liberal forces for the con
gressional elections at a meeting
set for New ^rleans on December
3 and 4.
Harry O’Reilly, AFL director
of organization, announced that
organisers from all the states,
state federation presidents and
secretaries, and others have been
invited to the two-day session to
hear Joseph D. Keenan, director
of AFL Labor’s League for Poli
cal Education; I. M. Ornburn
secretary-treasurer of the AFL
Union Label Trades Department;
representatives of the general
counsel and insurance department^
and other speakers.
“The meeting is called to im
plement the policy expressed by
the American Federation of La
bror in declaring the year 1950
as the memorial year to the birth
of Samuel Gompers and the
launching of a special organis
ing campaign to secure one mil
lion new members for the AFL
in 1950,” Mr. O’Reilly said.
He said the New Orleans rally
is the first of a series of six to
be held in the next few months
in various sections of the coun
try t<^ set up programs and ex
change ideas for the statewide
drives to be made by state fed
erations of labor.
States to be represented at
New Orleans are North and South
Carolina. OOOfffla, Flortdsr, 'West
Virginia, Kentucky, Tennessee,
Alabama. Mississippi, Louisiana,
Arkansas, Oklahoma and Texas.
The official program provide*
for full-dress discussion of organ
ising, political education, effects
of the Taft-Hartley law, and so
cial security and pensions.
Mr. O’Reilly and Mr. Ornburn
will' speak in connection with the
organizing discussion. iTie Union
Label Trades Department’s mo-1
tion picture of the annual Union
Industries Show will be shown.
The New Orleans conclave is
expected to iet a pattern for the
other regional meetings to follow
and provide a guide for the sep
arate Gompers Memorial cam
paign meetings to be held by
each state federation.
SHE’S A CO-OP
Washington.—Mrs. Eugenia An
derson, a member of co-opera
tives at Red Win*, Minn., who
has just been appointed U. S.
ambassador to Denmark, lunched
with national officials of the Co
operative League before leaving
on her assignment to the small
country where co-operatives are
an important part of economic
life.
Seven AFL Council
Members Depart
For London Parley
WILL HELP REALIZE GOAL FOR ANTI-COMMUNIST
WORLD LABOR BODY
WASHINGTON.—Seven members of the American Fed
eration of Labor executive council, the most impressive
AFL delegation ever sent abroad, departed for London to
help establish a new anti-Communist world federation of
free trade unions at meetings starting November 28.
NEW WORLD 60DY
MUST BE “FREE”
By WILLIAM GREEN,
President American Federation
of Labor
Washington.—I am sailing for
London with a delegation from'
the American Federation of Labor
to attend a world labor confer
ence which will have a profound
effect on international peace and
economic progress. *
It is the purpose of this con
ference to establish a new world
congress of free trade union or
ganizations. We expect to have
delegates from labor organisa
tions of over 40 nations represent
ing more than 50.000,000 work
ers.
In emphasizing the word
In connection with tho now
federation, I want to
crystal clear that it wO!
tainted by an^ Communis
Fuaciet_ bfiMk _Wa t
that un3er toSafifirtllh
m<*nt labor cannot be free or in
dependent. We are convinced that
it is time for free labor, all over
th> world, to band together to
co nbat the totalitarian menace to
th • freedom of workers. That
will lie one of the foremost ob
jettives of the new world labor
boJy.
By following this basic policy,
the new federation of free labor
organisations can effectively pro
mote a program of better living
standards, social freedom and
lasting peace throughout the
world. That ia labor's great hop#
for the future.
BUY UNION LABEL
Washington.— Union-made arti
cles can be found in every cate
gory of life’s necessities, says I.
M. Ornburn, secretary-treasurer of
the AFL Union Label Trades De
partment.
"The chief purpose of our pres
ent Union Label campaign is to
have all consumers insist that the
union label appear on all prod
ucts and that the shop card and
button be displayed to designate
union services.” he said.
“These emblems are American
consumer’s best bet!”
Kaiser Chats with U. S.-British Employes
■i 111 —i ■it n—a—n
Must of then* were scheduled
to sail from New York on Sat
urday, November 19. aboard the
French liner lie de France, <m«
at Plymouth, England, on Fri
day, November 25, the day after
Thanksgiving.
The AFL delegation included:
President William Green and
Secretary - -Treasurer Georg*
Meany.
Vice Presidents Matthew Woll
of the Photo-Engravers; Georg*
M. Harrison, president of tha
Brotherhood of Railway Clerks:
David Dubinsky, president of tha
International Ladies Garment
Workers Union; W. C. Doherty,
president National Association of
Letter Carriers; Charles J. Mac
Gowan, president Boilermakers,
Iron Shipbuilders and Helpers,
Jrving Brown, AFL representa
tive in Europe; George P. De
laney, AFL international repre
sentative; Henry Ruts, AFL rep
resentative in Germany.
President Green said in a radfe
world federation because it will
not be tainted by any Communist
or Fascist membership.
Labor organisations from more
than 40 nations with over 50,000,
000 members have accepted invi
tations to the founding meetings,
which will run two weeks.
The meetings are expected t*
bring to full realisation a goal
toward which the AFL and its
8,000,000 members have been
striving since the Mid of World
War II. The AFL opposed the
dissolution of the old Interna
tional Federation of Trade Unions
in 1946 and refused to join the
World Federation of Trade Un
ions on the grounds that it was
Communist dominated. Time
proved the accuracy of the AFL'e
position.
non voyage i.uncneoa
President Green and Mr. Dubin
sky were wished a bon voyage to
London by a delegation of British
trade unionists who were enter
tained by top AFL officials at a
luncheon during the Britishers'
stop in Washington on a produc
tivity tour.
The good wishes were expressed
by William E. Jones, Yorkshire
area secretary of the British
Mine Workers and chairman of
the British group of visitors.
"I hope you’ll be able to make
the work you do (In London) as
successful as you’ve done with
your own organisation in your
own country,” Mr. Jones said.
"We are very anxious to estab
lish the peace of the world. The
organized workers of the world
can be helpful but their back
ground must be a democratic
background.”
Mr. Jones’ remarks were a re
sponse to a welcome from Mr.
Green. Many AFL international
union presidents1 and executive
council members attended the af
fair.
The British guests and their
unions were:
George I. Brinham, Woodwork
ers ; William Cotter, Painters;
George H. Doughty, Shipbuild
ing Draftsmen; Frederick C. Fitz
patrick, Amalgamated Engineer
ing Union; Leonard Green. Heat
ing Engineers; William E. Hop
kin, General and Municipal Work
ers; William E. Jones, Miners,
Thomas McKinney, Boilermakers;
Charles Schofield, Cotton Spinners
and Twiners; Lewis Wright,
Weavers; Robert Harle, British
Trades Union Congress.