AFL Fife North Carolina CHARLOTTE LABOR JOURNAL “wit Yoar Loyal Support Your Labor Poblicatlona VOL. XIX: NO. 32 — CHARLOTTE. N. C„ THURSDAY, DECEMBER IS. 1949 Subscription Price $2.00 Y Green Given Place In New Worid Union LONDON.—AFL President William Green was chosen a member of the top executive board of the new anti-Com munist International Confederation of Free Trade Unions. AFL Secretary-Treasurer George Meany and Irving Brown, AFL representative in Europe, were named alter nates on- the policy-making panel which will govern the confederation of 48,000,000 workers in 53 countries. Percy Bengough, president of the Canadian Trades and Labor Congress, was named to the executive board. As the new organization formal- —-■ ....: ly came into being, AFL Vice Pres idents George George Harrison and David Dubinsky said that the main American objectives had been sup ported by the founding conference and are incorporated in the consti tution. The confederation pledged to fight for workers and against to talitarianism everywhere. One article in the constitution which did not mention communism by name, called for establishment of a world system of collective se curity and urged support within the framework of the United Na tions for measures against totali tarian aggression. The confederation elected Paul Finet, of Belgium president, Dutch Delegate J. H. Oldenbroek of the International Transport Workers Federation as its first secretary general, selected Brussels as head quarters and named a 19-man ex ecutive board, including 2 Ameri cana. Green and Murray Elected. President William Green of the AFL and President Philip Murray of the CIO were elected to 2 of the 4 North American seats on the ex Brown for the Carey and EL mer F. Cope for the CIO. The constitution pledged the new confederation to: 1. Co-ordinate the defense or free trade unions against any campaign “aiming at their destruction pr at the restriction of their rights,” or at their subjugation “by totalitar ian or other antilabor forces.” 2. Establish a powerful interna tional organization of free trade unions to promote the interests of working people throughout the world and “enhance the dignity of labor.” 3. Assist in developing and fost ering growth of trade unions in economically and socially unde veloped countries. 4. Work for full employment anywhere and aid „the economic, social and cultural interests of countries suffering the after-ef fects of war. 5. Protect and expand the sys tem of free labor everywhere and “eliminate forced labor every where.” 6. Work for establishment of a world system of collective securi ty, but, pending its attainment, to further and support within the U. N. charter all measures necessary (Continued On Page 5) AFL Help Asked Oi New Englod Study Washington.—The N a t i o n a 1 Planning Association has asked the American Federaltion of Labor to join in a study and analysis of the effect of national policies on New England. The AFL’s New England region al offices have been invited to par ticipate actively in the formation .of the Committee of New England ! to make the analysis and recom | mend changes which may be need led to assure the area’s full de velopment along lines consistent with its own and the national in terest. The Planning Association said the work should be completed by the end of 1950. Formation of this special Com mittee of New England results from a request by the Joint Com mittee an tb« Economic Report of Congress tint NPA initiate a co operative project to report to the congressional committee on “The Impact of Federal Policies on the Economy of New England.”. The proposed report would be along lines similar to a special report prepared under the auspices of the NPA Committee of the South, which was issued as a joint com mittee print last July. In accordance wjth NPA’s estab lished procedures, the committee members will be drawn from a cross-section of leaders from all parts of New England who are broadly representative of the area’s varied interests—from agriculture, business and manufacturing, fi nance, labor, government, and the professions. E. J. Coil, director of the Nation al Planning Association, in an nouncing the plans for the Com mittee of New England, stressed that the success of such a study depends in large measure on the support and co-operation of the people of New England. He said: “New Englanders themselves know they can best decide what they want, what they do not like, and to what extent they agree that federal action is helping or hinder ing their region’s economic devel opment.” Sees U. S. Neglecting Its Musical Heritage BY ARNOLD BEICHMAN. New York Correspondent for AFL News Service. New York.—Federal, state and local governments “should con sider seriously what can be done to further the arts in our country.” The proposal is made by Secretary of Labor Maurie J. Tobin in an exclusive article for the current “Alegro,” monthly publication of Local 802, American Federation of Musicians. “As a first step,” he writes, “it might be advisable for leading groups in our midst to appoint a commission of outstanding citizens, specialists in the various arts, to examine the state of the arts in the United States and to make recommendations, after detailed jstudy, to those in positions of influence and authority. “In an investigation of this kind, I should like to see the status of the musicians, as a creative being, thoroughly studied. I know that organized labor, which would, of course, be represented on such a commission, would thoroughly support such a project.” The cabinet member declared that there is “insufficient encourage ment given in our country to the development of our musical heritage,” that musical talent in America “has little opportunity for creative employment” and that each year “potentially fine tal ents among our young men and women are driven away and discouraged.” “It seems to me that as a country we should devote more of our resources to maturing our human resources, not only physically but also spiritually and culturally. I think that we must in coming years seek out the talented youngsters—the potentially good artists, whether with pallet or piano, with chisel or camera—aad encourage them, help them so that our country can materially contribute even more richly to the cultural growth of the democratic world.” Dates of 1950 Primary Elections | Second Primory We* 1*4* State SwHm Im Devaluation Hikes Living Costs For Britain’s Workers BY ARTHUR DEAKIN. General Secretary of Britain’s Largest Trade Union, the Trans port and General Workers’ Union. London.—Once again, in time of crisis, Britain’s Trades Union Con gress was called upon by the United Kingdom government to advise on the best way of reaching gJE* HtflWvry. ment pn wages pol licy with The TUC general council’s decis ion recommending a still stricter policy of voluntary wage restraint, marks a courageous attempt to give an authoritative lead to Britain’s trade union movement in the critical economic situation. This decision resulted from TUC decisions which have been taking place since the pound sterling was devalued in September 1949. The changed value of the pound created a new situation. The cost of living was bound to rise a few points—automatically raising those wage rates linked to the cost of living by sliding-scale agreements. It was also bound to increase rank and rile pressure on other unions to urge new wage claims. Any gen eral rise in wages, salaries, or profits, however, would raise labor costs and so defeat the main ob ject of the currency change, mak ing Britain’s goods more competi tive in North American markets. Britain’s government, therefore, approached the TUC with a view to ensuring wage stability through voluntary trade union co-operation. As a result, the TUC’s general council has announced a 7-point policy statement, recommending wages stabilization in relation to the cost of living. At present, the cost of living index in Britain is 112. It is (fco posed that all agreed wages in in dustry should remain fixed for 12 months up to January 1, 1951, pro viding that during that time the cost of living figure does not rise as high as 118 or fall below 198. If either of these contingencies should arise collective bargaining machinery could be set in motion so that unions could claim in creased wages in relation to the increased cost of living, and unions which have sliding-scale agree ments relating wages to the cost of living should also be entitled to claim increments due. A 61-point rise in the cost of liv ing would be equivalent to a 5 per cent reduction in wages. However, the object of this poli cy is to stabilize prices and to pre vent a rapid rise in the cost of living. At the same time, this poli cy preserves intact existing volun tary negotiation machinery for use in the event of a 6-point cost-of living rise. Indeed, the policy state ment insists that the existing ma chinery must be preserved as the only method of governing the ad justment of wages and working conditions, and maintaing the au-1 thority of the trade unions. AFL Workers Start White House Repairs WiiUiitML-Mmktn ef A PL MMiif tMn natane, met mm o( their metayer, eecceeefel bidder fer the retract to receoatruct the foundation valla aed interior ef Aaieriea’s meet reacted addreee. Other APL workmen were bear iaeide the preeideatial roaideaco and patting ap a high beard fence which will hide the lower pert ef the White Heaae from public view during the repair work. 4,000 Fishermen Go AFL In South Biloxi, Miss.—One of the largest independent fishermen’s organiza tions in the Gulf Coast area has affiliated with the American Fed eration of Labor through the Sea farers International Union. J. L. Rhodes, AFL southern di rector, said it is the Gulf Coast !Shrimpers’ and Oystetmen’* Asso 1 ciaticn, heretofore an independent association of fishermen operat.ng along the Gulf Coast area of Mis sissippi, with headquarters at Bi loxi, a branch office at Pascagoula, Miss., and a large hotel at Bi'.oxi for the convenience cf its members. The association is completing its affiliation as rapidly as the change-over can be made. There are almost 4,000 members in the asso ciation and all of its members will be transferred to the Seafarers In ternational Union in accordance with the affiliation agreement. The Seafarers Inter national Union chartered the Gulf Coast Shrimpers’ and Oystermen’s Asso ciation as a subordinate branch of the Seafarers International Union in the southern district. Officers of the organization are Louis Simmons, president; Mackie Fountain, vice president; Charles Allen, secretary, and Leon Strong, treasurer. Assisting in the affiliation and negotiations leading up to the cul mination of the affiliation effort were W. L. Hines, president of the Mississippi Federation of Labor and organiser for the American Federation of Labor, together with. Zander Urges AFL Spur Cooperatives Kansas City, Mo.—Arnold S. Zander, chairman of the AFL com mittee on co-operatives and presi dent of State, County and Munici pal Workers, said co-operatives stabilize farm income and protect the family farm. He participated in a panel dis cussion at the 21st annual meeting of the Consumers’ Co-operative As i sociaiion. Other participants were Secretary of Agriculture Charles Brannar. and Jerry Voorhis, sec retary’ of the Co-operative League. Reviewing the role of co-opera tives in the British Isles in aiding i the economic position of working people, Mr. Zander stressed the j necessity for U. 3. union members to spur the development of the co operatives for their protection as consumers and as an aid to farmers. Reporting that the consumers’ co-operative association had start ed with 13,000 in member capital in 1929, President Howard A. Cow den said: "Today we have assets of $49, 000,000 and a members’ equity of $26,000,000. We serve nearly 400, 000 farm and city people. If we achieve the same average rate of growth as European co-ops did from their 21st to 42d year, we will have quadrupled oar volume and our membership, and multi plied our capital 10 times.” the Seafarers International repre sentatives, U. C. Borsarge and Leon Neira, and Vice President Calvin Tanner. Mates Mart Organizing Drive For 1,000,000 More Members WASHINGTON, — Harry O’ Reitty, AFL director of organization, announced that state federations of labor are setting January dates for Samuel Gompers Memorial Organ izing rallies in the drive for 1,000,000 new AFL members in 1950. -J Label Trades Head Is Critically III I. M. ORNBURN. Cornwall, N. Y —Ira M. Orn burn, 60, secretary-treasurer of th« AFL Union Label Trades Be part I. N. ORNBURN ment, is seriously ill in Cornwall Hospital. Mr. Omburn suffered a stroke and entered the hospital on Dec. 5. Dr. H. M. Gasparian, his phy sician, said that Mr. Omburn is Members of Mr, Omburat fam ily were called to bis bedside, Mr. Omburn is a native of Moberly, 1 Mo. He Joined the International Union of Cigar Makers in 1908. He has been secretary-treasurer of the Union Label Trades Department for many years and is the founder of the Union Industries Show, the only labor-management show of its kind in the world. DEBALTA RESIGNS COURIER POSITION Washington.—Stephen L. Debat ta announced severance of his con nection with the Trade Union Cour ier. He wrote to the AFL News Service: “Following the denunciation in your Nov. 29 issue of the Trade Union Courier, published in New York, I feel compelled for my own protection to make it known through your columns that I have severed my connection with that publication on Oct. 16 and do no longer represent it here. “Furthermore the Trade Union Courier is no longer reprsented in Washington and has no office here, despite the fact that it continues to carry on its masthead the ad dress and telephone number of its former office." Ohio will hold its rally Jan 21 and 22 in Columbus. Indiana will meet Jan. 28 and 29 in Indianapo lis. Southern states are setting dates to follow consecutively after each other in line with ths recommenda tions of the • successful 14-stats southern organizing conference held in New Orleans. The organizing rallies are the opening features of the Samuel Gompers Centennial Year to be ob served throughout 1950 by the American Federation of Labor in honor of the 100th anniversary of the founder and first president of the AFL. The year will open with a na tional Gompers Memorial Dinner at Hotel Statler, Washington, on Jan. S, in advance of the January 27 birthday of Mr. Gompers. The 1,000,000 member organis ing drive is linked in with efforts of AFL’s Labor League for Politi cal Education to elect a liberal Congress in the 1950 campaign; Supreme Court Says Local Option Rent Law Invalid Washington.—The constitutional* ity of the 1948 federal rent control Court recently in a fcrftr erder re versing the decision of n lower court The ruling, unanimous and with Justice William 0. Douglas not participating, upset a decision by Judge Elwyn R. Shaw in the Chicago Federal District Court Judge Shaw had held the law in valid because a "local option” clause I allowed states or cities to end or establish their own rent controls. Judge Shaw construed this as an unconstitutional delegation of pow er by Congress. He found that it would not have passed the 1948 statute without this "local option" section, and consequently he held the whole act invalid. The Chicago case arose when the Housing Expediter sued to stop * Shoreline Co-o p e r a t i v e Apart ments, Inc., of that city from evict ing tenants of a co-operatively owned apartment house. Udder the law, tenants of a co-operative house cannot be ejected unless 65 per cent of them are stockholders. The expediter said that not that many lived in the building. In appealing the Shoreline case to the Supreme Court, the Depart ment of Justice said that about 14, 000,000 housing accommodations remained under rent control in the country. Tighe E. Woods, Federal Hous (Continued On Page 5) Union Label Drive Interests Britishers Washington.—British trades unionists like the American Fed eration of Labor’s campaign for the use of union labels on union made goods. "Fh^ Town Crier,” Birmingham, England, labor weekly, asked AFL Secretary-Treasurer George Meany for information on this practice. ‘