VOL. XIX; NO. 31
CHARLOTTE. N. C„ THURSDAY, DECEMBER 8. 1949
Subscription Pries $2.00 Y»r
Sterling Hicks Reports
On Latest Developments
In Dispute With WBT
lOCAL RADIO TECHNICIANS BUSINESS MANAGER
STATES THAT DISCHARGED TECHNICIANS GAIN
ING SYMPATHIZERS AMONG MANAGEMENT AND
OTHERS AS WELL AS LABOR.
Report Made To Charlotte
Central Labor Union Dec. 8
Members of Radio Technicians Local No. 1229, Interna
tional Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (AFL) have con
tinued to peacefully picket Radio Station WBT since their
discharge by the Radio Station management on September
3 at which time 10 engineers were let off their jobs.
The Radio Union local during this period has carried its
version of the dispute to the ranks of organised labor
throughout this section and also has communicated with
thousands of citixens of Charlotte and vicinity, informing
them of their position in the dispute with WBT.
Sterling L. Hicks, business manager of Technicians Lo
cal 1229, I. B. E. W., who has been handling the case
since the dispute with WBT first arose, writes The Labor
Journal this week that the local Technicians have received
many letters of-enMMhtfeinent from both- business ftrmb
and individuals during the past several weeks. Mr. Hicks
said one such sympathizer has written in, saying in part:
“It seems to us that it’s (the dispute) getting to be a long
drawn out affair with nobody becoming the winner and with
many losers. We sincerely urge you (WBT) to do what you
can to help settle this dispute.”
Continuing, Mr. Hicks, writes further:
“Thousands of post cards have been sent out by friends
and well-wishers of the discharged technicians stating: ‘It
is my understanding the management of Radio Station
iWBT has unjustly discharged ten engineers for union
activity. To me such action is inexcusable. The union
states they are agreeable to letting an impartial
arbitrator decide whether the company’s action was justi
fied. but WBT refuses to arbitrate. I am sure that you
agree with me no company interested in justice would take
such an attitude toward its employes.
‘To these cards many individuals and business managers
have replied,” says Mr. Hicks, who quotes from one of the
letters his union has received, as follows:
“ ‘We are much appreciative of your recent card inform
ing us of the action which the Jefferson Standard Broad
casting Company, which operates WBT, has taken in dis
charging ten engineers for union activity. We heartily
agree with you that such action is inexcusable, asany com
pany which tries to stifle union activities by highhanded
methods is about twenty years behind the times.*
“The dispute between Jefferson Standard (WBT) and the
ten unjustly discharged technicians, members of 1BEW lo
cal Union No. 1229, began cm July 6 when the company de
manded that they have the right to discharge technicians
without just cause. The union desired to continue the pro
vision in the old agreement which had proved satisfactory
and adequate for both parties for several years. Jefferson
Standard (WBT) would not agree to continue the old pro
vision but demanded a change to allow discharge of tech
nicians for any or no reason, just or unjust, regardless of
length of service or ability to perform his duties. The
union wpuldL not agree to such an unfair demand and offered
to settle the question by arbitration before an impartial ar
biter. selected by mutual agreement. Jefferson Standard
(WBT) rejected all such offers.
“After Jefferson Standard's (WBT) refusal to arbitrate
the matter in dispute the technicians began peacefully pic
keting, without striking, the WBT studios, to inform the
public of the unfair attitude of the company towards its em
ployes. The company became enraged at the 10 picketing
technicians and discharged them in the middle of the nightt
without notice, hearing or consideration.
“Since the date of the discharge the technicians have
continued to picket the studios of WBT publicizing their
unjust discharge. Over 50,000 families in the State of North
Carolina and have received pamphlets from the union giv
ing the true facts in the dispute," Mr. Hicks states.
Technicians’ delegates appeared before the Charlotte Cen
tral Labor Union this week and also reported to AFL unions
regarding the standing of the dispute up to date. Business
Manager Hicks and his co-delegates ware givgen the con
tinued support and good-will of Charlotte labor in the radio
workers’ efforts to bring about a favorable termination of
the local dispute.
“We have done everything humanly possible to get a set
tlement," Mr. Hicks told the CLU gathering. “It is about
time WBT did its part.”
NEW YOBK.-'The Seafarers
lateraatioaal Uaioa of the AFL
hoe iaviMl all atalwi ef C—
greee to ooo Crat head Um op
anti— mt the imi— hiring hall
at SI Bean r at net.
The rat—t ia part of the
Sght against the Taft-Hartley
law which the National Labor
Relatione Beard and lower Fed
eral coerts have held ootlawa
the lent aotahliahed hiring hall
praetkeo of the ooo wen’s an -
Senator Warren G. Magnoaon
of Waahington, who with Repre
sentative John Lesinski of Michi
gan, introduced measures exempt
ing the maritime industry from
the ban on the hiring hall, has
promised a visit on his next trip
to New York, a union spokesman
said.
Mr. Lesinski, chairman of a
subcommitee of the Committee on.
Education and Labor, who recent
ly led his 5-man delegation on a
survey of Puerto Rico, is expect
ed bock soon on the Bull liner
Puerto Rico and will also be urged
to visit there before returning to
Washington.
Mr. Lesinski and his fellow |
committeemen attended a shipboard
union meeting on the trip South
and addressed the crewmen. In
addition, the committee wrote to
Paul Hall, secretary-treasurer of
the Seafarers Union, that the
crewmen “performed their duties
ia a manner which was a credit
to themselves and their union.”
The Magnuson-Lesinski tneaa-!
ures are still in committee. At
present the hiring hall ia consid
ered a violation of the Taft-Hart
ley Act, as a result of a federal
court ruling here. "Hus month
the Natonal Maritime Union. CIO,
will ask the Supreme Court to re
view this decision. If the high
court sustains the ruling, negoti
ations between the unions and the
steamship companies would be
opened immediately because pres
ent contracts have terminating
clauses in the event the hiring
hall is finally outlawed.
Representative Louis B. Heller
of Brooklyn was the first mem
ber of Congress to visit the hir
ing hall and he called it “the
greatest single attainment in the
interest of maritime labor." Fol
lowing are excerpts from his re
port on his tour:
HAn invitation was extended by
Mr. A1 Bernstein, international
representative, Seafarers Interna
tioal Union, Atlantic and Gulf
district, to myself and other
members of the House to visit the
Atlantic and Gulf district head
quarters of the Seafarers Interna
tional Union in New York. As a
Congressman from the Brooklyn
district embracing part of New
York’s waterfront, I felt it was
my duty to accept the invitation.
"At the Seafarers I had an op
portunity to see the hiring hall,
backbone of today’s free mari
time trade unionism, in operation.
Hers is where the democratic,
equitable system of rotary ship
ping is utilised every hour on tho
hour. This method of dispatching
men to jobs—on a first-come-first,
•erred basis — represents tho
greatest single attainment in the
interest of maritime labor and I
learned that it has prored bene*
Adal to the employers as well aa
the workers.
"It is the militant desire to
protect this system of employ,
meet; from which the SIU's prin
cipal objection to the Taft-Hart
*V lav arises. For the SIU, and
the ether maritime unions, assert
that tha Taft-Hartley lav places
this precious symbol of free trade
unionism la jeopardy”
Mr. Heller arid that he was
impressed by tha Seafarers' desire
to acquaint their membership with
the structure and functioning of
the nrion through motion pie
(Continued an Page «)
AFL Spokesmen In London
New Yark.—AFL Sctrtiirjr-Trtuarer Caarea Kmh and AFL
President Witliaa Green at the rail ef Um lie de France which carried
(he* In England far the Laaden canference In eaUhliah a new “latar
nalianal Fader alien ef Free Trade Uaieae.1* The/ headed (he Md
iaapraeaire and hiateric AFL deiegatien ever In bn aent akraad. .
rAFL-British Heads of Oldest Unions Meet
\ . ■ . . i* ■
,, ,-T*> •***••■ •* amm* •* Um iNlHt-MUMjiM Md
WtKMt aniensi n theUailed States mt Gnat Britain wan seated
together at AFL luncheon bettering tbiting Britbh trade nnienbu
WUe***, A£L narid Dubinskjr, president ef Inter,
national Ladies Garment Werkers Union, one of the eldeet indaetrial
"•*» aw thM aide of tke Atlantic; John P. Frey
the AFL Metal Tradee Department whape aniens were ai
3
earlieet
dent Wiiuam Green. Mwd ef the leagest-estal___I
inflnential American laker natieeal Cad/, and William fL Jeaoa, Terk
akin area general secretary ef tke British Mine Werkers Union, one
at Britain a “•“* —' *
militant ind eat rial
RAILWAY CLERKS .
TO MARK SO YEARS
WITH BIO DINNER
WASHINGTON. — George M
Harrison, president of the Bro
therhood of Railway Clerks of the
AFL, invited President Truman
to attend the 60th anniversary
celebration dinner of the union, to
1* held In Cincinnati on Dec. 29
Mr. Harrison, extending the in
vitation during a White Hous<
(visit, said that Mr. Truman indi
I ■ ated he would accept if his sched
I ule permits.
Top AFL official*, other govern
ment officials and leaders have
been invited to join in the affair
honoring1 one of the oldest and
Nfl**t AFL noons, which speaks
for clerks on all of the nation’s
railroads and major steamship
line*.
Mr. Harrison, an AFL vice pres
ident, headed the Tru man-Barkley
labor committee set up in 1M8 to
return Mr. Truman to the White
Rouse. During: his most rnrant
call, Mr- Harrison informed Mr.
i Truman that the results of. the as
cent elections indicated that San.
Robert A. Taft would be beaten
neat pear in Ohio for re-election.
OPP08B DUBS DEDUCTION
OTTAWA, Canada.—The Can
adian government still opposes
the dadnetion of union duea for
taeoemo tax purposes. Doctors,
lawyers and other professionals
tion of their association fees but
the incoease ten department has
ruled the trifde eaioniste are net.
38,000 MEMBERS GRANTED
BEFITS BY EMPLOYERS
WITHOUT HAVING STRIKES
WASHINGTON. — Two newly
■igned wage agreement* gave
nore than 50,000 AFL members
n Middle Western states employ*
r-fin*need pensions in the alum
nura industry and health and
welfare programs in the trucking
industry.
Thev are part of a developing
wtt -n of welfare benefits being
won constantly by all AFL un
ons
AFL officials pointed out that
Legislative Conference For
Better Laws In 1950
WASHINGTON.—Secretary of Labor Maurice J. Tobin
told the I6th Annual Conference on State Labor Legislation
that “we have better than held our own during the past
year.”
He suggested some legislative goals for 1950 and the con
ference promptly adopted a program urging again repeal of
the Taft-Hartley law, liberalizing of unemployment compen
sation and establishment of a Federal labor extension
service.
AFL MASTERS SAY
SHIPOWNERS RAISE
PHONY HIRING CRY
WASHINGTON. — The AFL
Blasters, Mates and Pilots Organ
isation postponed a strike on East
and Gulf Coasts until Dec. 15 at
the request of the Federal Medi
ation and Conciliation Service to
guarantee the deliveiV of Christ
mast and CARE packages over
seas.
But the Masters Union charged
that shipowners had raised a
completely phony issue over hir
ing practices in the industry.
Captain C. F. May, president of
the union, said tdhat the organisa
tion wants the same hiring prac
tice agreement on the East and
G#i/ Coasts as has been granted
t« the union on the West Coist.
He said this contract guarantees
the right of shipowners to select
their own employes and safe
guards those employes against
discriminatory discharge.
The Atlantic Coast shipowners
hava raised the issue that the
contract provisions set up so
called rotation hiring.
"W* charge,’' CapUin May said
in a statement, “that the employ*
era are misstating the facts and
have raised a completely phony
issue in a vain attempt to deprive
their trusted officers of deserved
security and employment.
“We call upon the employers
In the public interest to get down
to business now and negotiate in
good faith.”
The postponement was the sec
ond agreed to by the union in an
effort to keep. American ships
sailing. Both were granted de
spite the delaying, union-busting
tactics of the shipowners during
negotiations which began last
September.
The union hoped that the latest
postponement will enable its corn
mittee to reach a satisfactory
agreement without a pre-Christ
mas strike.
both programs, among the more
liberal settlements coming out of
the 1949 pension and welfare ne
gotiations, were won without
strikes.
Green Tells Edwards AFL Views
Washington.—AFL President WilMaa Croon expounds federation
politico aod views io conference with Frank Edwards, top-light liberal
torn aunts ter who begins now Ivo-nighta a
by the Aamrkan Federation of Labor ever Mntaal
tea. Mr. Edwards takes n his___ _
December I and under AFL agoaoorobif an Jaaaarjr
Ifslf g. a. EOT, on Iff stations.
Mr. loDin pieagea tne support
of President Truman’s adminis
tration to those objectives. Tha
conference:
1. Unanimously passed a reso*
, lution reaffirming' the action of
the 1948 conference "in vigorous
ly" urging repeal of th Labor
Management Relations (Taft Hart
ley) Act of 1947 and all stato
legislation detrimental to the
rights of organised workers.
2. Strongly endorsed legislation
now pending in Congress for tho
establishment of a Labor Exten
sion Service in the Department of
Labor which would provide infor
mation, education and research fa
cilities in the interest of fair and
sound labor • management rela
tions.
3. Declared its "vigorous" sup
port of a hill now pending in Con
gress which would require that
private employment agencies
ttgktar with -the Secretary ef
Labor and that their schedule of
fees and ether activities be regu
lated.
4. Recommended that states not
yet having adequate legislation be
strongly urged to enact taws
which will prohibit industrial
homework or provide for its grad
ual elimination through regula
tion.
6. Requested that regional con*
Terences recently sponsored ojr
the Labor Department's Bureau
of Labor Statistic* in North Car
olina and in Wisconsin ne extend
ed to all regions of the country
to further the development of
State labor statistics programs.
6. Urged that all states provid
ing weekly maximum benefits un
der workman compensation laws
increase such benefits to at least
$40 a week and that all states
now providing full coverage of oc
cupational diseases adopt such
legislation. It further recom
mended the promotion and devel
opment of rehabilitation centers
In each state.
Other resolutions endorsed and
urged the passage of the Wom
en's Status bill, now pending in
Congress, which would establish
a policy for the United States of
nondiscrimination on the baais of
sex, both in provisions of law
and in their administration; ap
proved the establishment of a
federal commission (or agency)
on services for the physically han
dicapped and recommended the
placement of this commission or
agency in the Department of La*
bor; urged that all states compare
their labor standards and pro
cedures with the provisions of
recent International Labor Organ
iation conventions (treaties)
and foster state action to bring
such standards and procedures in
line with the international labor
standards.
The conference also recommend
ed that state co minis ions of labor
secure the active co-operation and
advice of employers and labor or
ganisations to assure •** »•''’»
program of apprenticeship in
each state consistent with the na
ti—1 apprenticeship program
Iahar*s Bureau af Apprenticeship
now operating in M states and
^UMUa welcoming address. Mr.
TeMa said, "By and large, wn
hare better than held oar own
during the past year. That is
(<