Newspapers / The Charlotte Labor Journal … / April 6, 1950, edition 1 / Page 1
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Devoid to the Interests of the A. F. of L. and the Working Man Statewide Labor Weekly, Presenting Labor News and Views Without Fear and Without Favor Dedicated to the Continued Industrial Growth of North Carolina VOL. XIX; NO. 48 CHARLOTTE, N. C„ THURSDAY, APRIL 6. Subscription Price $2.00 Year T Mtany Questions Histadrut Ties to Commie WFTU Chicago.—AFL Secretary-Treas urer George Meany said that the American friends of Histadrut are "perplexed” that Israel’s labor or ganization continues to be a mem ber of the Communist-controlled World Federation of Trade Unions Mr. Meany spoke of the long friendship and earnest support of the AFL for Israel and Histadrut at a dinner of the trade union di vision of the Chicago Israel His tadrut. ^ But, he pointed out, "Histadrut. alone, of all the free national trade union centers in the world still holds membership in the Com munist-controlled World Federation of Labor." Mr. Meany said: “I understand the problem of the new State of Israel, and I under stand the problems of Histadrut. which has such an important role in the affairs of Israel. I know that the Jewish trade unionists of Israel are deeply "concerned over the plight of the Jews who are now behind the Iron Curtain and whom the masters of the Kremlin are holding as hostages. We appreciate that the problems of the new re public, which is not yet two years old and which has hostile neighbors, are not easy ones. We can, and we do understand all of that. But, while we give these mat ters the consideration and weight which they merit, we cannot com prehend the Histadrut being silent or neutral about the spread of slave labor into other countries from the modern home of slavery—Com munist Russia. “We cannot understand how the Histadrut can be silent or neutral about the Kremlin’s practice of genocide. Nor can we understand Jiow the Histadrut can be neutral 'when Communist Russia is refus ing to permit Jewish workers to migrate to Israel, as is their de sire and their right. “Finally, how can Histadrut pos sibly be neutral when Jews Ifl Soviet Russia at the present tfrie are being actively and brutally per secuted?” “The Histadrut is a democratic free trade union movement," Mr. Meany said. “It is not sympathetic to communism or any other form of totalitarianism. It is not an aux iliary of the Communist party. Therefore, it is very strange, very inconsistent and—let us be frank— very disturbing when we see the Histadrut seeking to be neutral in the struggle between the Interna tional Confederation of Free Trade Unions and the Kremlin satellite, the WFTU. “I have gone into this question at great length and I have spoken plainly. We admire the Histadrut and we honor it for all that it has done—for its truly heroic achieve ments—during the past 30 years. We want to be able tb continue to respect the Histadrut and to keep our friendship thriving. “As a friend of Israel and as a friend of the Histadrut, I am con fident that American labor is not misplacing its faith when it pre dicts that the democratic labor movement of Israel will soon take its place in the free trade union guard of peaceful, libertyloving hu manity. “The Histadrut is needed in the International Confederation of Free Trade Unions. The Histadrut be longs in the International Confed eration of Free Trade Unions." earth—the van Green And Meany Urge Get That Million New Members Washington.—'The nation’s big gest union organising drive reach ing into all fields of the economy is on. AFL organisers left a 2-day con ference here and are deployed all over the United States and Canada to seek 1,000.000 new AFL mem bers in 1950. The campaign was directed by the 1949 AFL convention in honor of the centennial of the birth of Samuel Gompers, founder and first president of the American Federa tion of Labor. Winning the new members is linloed to the AFL efforts to elect a liberal Congress that will enact social security, housing, health in surance and other welfare measures and repeal the Taft-Hartley law to strengthen the American way of life. Thie organizers were spurred to the'ir task by AFL President Wil liam Green, Secretary-Treasurer George Meany, Harry O’Reilly, di rector of organising, and Joseph Keenan, director of Labor’s League for Political E^tcation, After these leaders outlined the objective, and strategy,, organizers from all sections discussed the par ticular problems they faced and how they hoped to solve them. They climaxed the two-day sessions with this pledge: ■ “We the organizers of the Amer ican Federation of Labor, acting under the combined inspirational spirit of our present and past great leadership, pledge ourselves to work with renewed zeal within our fields in full cooperation with the officers and organizers of the In ternational Unions, State Federa tions of Labor, City Central Bod ies and Local Unions. “We make this pledge in the firm conviction that 1,000,000 more members in the AFL will mean the enhancement of the dignity of labor, the improvement of the standard of living of the workers, and the strengthening of democratic ideals throughout the world and that, by thus helping to give greater effec tiveness to the ideals he stood for, we will render the greatest tribute possible to the memory of Samuel Gompers.” The conference of organizers fol lowed a series of state-wide rallies held by many state federations of labor. More of these ralles are plan ned and the organizing drive is expected to spread out among city and local unions gaining momen tum through the summer. DROPS CONTROLS London.—All postwar labor con trols have now been dropped in Britain. The government has dis continued entirely the use of the power of direction. It has been ap plied almost exclusively to workers in coal-mining and agriculture. For others, it had been used only in 29 cases out of 9,500 vacancies filled through the Ministry of Labor’s Employment Exchanges. In the past 15 months not a single work er had been directed. GRANT INSURANCE. Chicago.—Stewart-Warner Corp oration signed a contract with Local 1031 of the AFL, International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers covering 2.500 employes. The agree ment provides no wage increases, but includes a comprehensive in surance plan paid for by the com pany and for 3 weeks’ vacation for employes with 12 or more years of service. Site of Union Industries Show Dates of 1950 Primary Elections. urw iwra IW SM Biiin Um Dubinsky Sees Herd Fight Ahead With Red WFTU DY ARNOLD BEICHMAN New York Correspondent for AFL News Service. New York. -2»- David Dubinsky, president of the AFL International Ladies Grament Workers Union, believes that the reeently-organiz ed International Confederation of Free Trade Unions “is a categori cal repudiation of the myth that Soviet totalitarianism is a progres sive idea, - or that the Communist system offers anything that will advance the interests of the inter national working class.” Writing in the April issue of the influential quarterly, Foreign Af fairs, Dubinsky, a member of the AFL delegation which helped or* ganise the ICFTU, asserted: "Delegates representing 50,000, 000 workers in more than 50 coun tries have now branded Bolshevism the arch-enemy of labor. This may well turn out to be the blow that destroys the pretense under which Bolshevism has for several decades made most of its gains—the sup position that it is a friend of the workers of the world.” The ILGWU chieftain lashed out at Franco Spain by declaring that "free labor everywhere recognises the essential identity of Nazism, Fascism, Falangism and Commun ism” and asserted that “vacillat ing policies, such as the one re cently proposed by our State De partment toward Franco Spain, can create grave misunderstandings of the American purposes among the laboring forces of Europe and Asia.” Dubinsky warned that the con flict between the free labor move ment and the Soviet World Feder ation of Trade Unions is “bound to grow in intensity and bitter ness.” “Both organisations are fighting for the biggest stakes in the world —the hearts and souls and minds of many millions of working peo ple in scores of countries. Moscow could not possibly impose totali tarian Communism on the rest of the world without first getting a stranglehold on the remaining free labor organizations.” “That would entail the destruc tion of the ICFTU, now the head and heart of interna tonal demo cratic labor. The new international fully realises the seriousness of the threat. The battle is all the more difficult because the WFTU is per mitted full freedom to operate ■gainst free trade unions in demo cratic lands, while the road is heav ily haired to the ICFTU in all iron curtain countries.” In addition, Mr. Dubinsky says that in France, Italy and some sec tions of Asia and Africa the WFTU ■till holds formidable positions that the communists won by infiltration "during the 4 years when their as sociation with the free unions cov ered them with a mantis of respect ability." RESUME TALK8. New York.—Contract negotia tions have been resumed by the AFL National Organisation of Masters, Mates and Pitots and At lantic and Gulf Coast ship owners. ATTEND THE 5TH AFL UNION INDUSTRIES SHOW 7-/ )-T~7 -4 U4 Mmm V ■ K |p(| j| UFII t III jlTww, DAILY—NOON TIL 1* #. Mil Mffi# ADMISSION FREE "CONVMlTION.NAti ^ ' DHUAO’II-PHIA THE WORLDS GREATEST LABOR MANAGEMENT SHOW You’ll Get A Big Kick Out Of It! It is the only one of its kind and is scheduled May 6-13 at Convention Hall in Philadelphia. We want to make it the biggest and beat ever held. In order that it will be the sensational success that other one has been, we appeal to all national and International unions of the Americn Fed eration of Labor to participate in this unique labor-manage ment exhibition. Good relations—oo-operation between labor and manage ment—is one of the worthy goals of our Union Industries Shows. Publie good will of American consumers is another objectiwe. We anticipate that half a million people will see this spectacular AFL-union event. Admission is free and valuable prizes will be given away. Over one and a half running miles of brilliant displays of hi-quality. union-jnade products and exciting demonstra tions of efficient union services—marvels of union worker’s techniques—will be seen in the huge auditoriums of famous Convention Hall It will be a grand and glorious feeling for all Americans who take pride in our system of free enterprise to witness the human element—the expert craftsmanship—which is emphasized in addition tp commercial values at our now famous Show. Visitors will also get a big kick out of the muflc, the contests, the entertainment and U-S. armed forces’ displays in addition to the gorgeous exhibits during the 8-day, action packed, round-up of union-made-in-America merchandise and union services. Let’s prove to the world that they are tope! HOLD OH TO YOUR 50CIAL SECURITYCARD . j)0n Of Ml MW NOD IT AT ONCE U/UCkl V/^l I START WORK ON A HEW JOB«* WHtN YUUflURMsocw.sawaryBwtfiTS. ■r More Information 'Ur Union Social Securrtu CowitUz, Ned rest Social Security OfjiCC Stronger Labor Deportment Asked By Next May 13 ; Washington. — President Tru man’s 21 government reorganise- 1 tion orders, sent to Congress March 1 13 include 3 affecting the U. S. Department of Labor, and propose 1 to give 2 important functions to the department. They become effective in 60 days or May 13 unless vetoed by vote , of a majority of the member! of either house of Congress. The AFL favors strengthening the depart ment. The Bureau of Employes’ Com pensation is transferred to the de partment from the Federal Securi ty Agency by Reorganisation Plan No. 19. and responsibility for coor dination of the enforcement, of wages and hours legislation affect ing federal or federally financed contracts is placed in the Secretary of Labor by Reorganisation Plan No. 14. These two steps will furth er strengthen the department’s au thority and responsibility for gov ernmental programs protecting the welfare of wage earners. Other important changes, pro posed in Reorganisation Plan 6, in clude the establishment of an ad ministrative assistant secretary of labor and transfer to the Secretary of Labor all functions of all other officers of the department and all functions of all agencies and em ployes of the department, consoli dating and strengthening his au thority. Reorganisation Plan No. 14 pro vides for coordination through the Secretary of Labor of the enforce ment of the labor-standards pro visions included in various statutes relating to federal construction and public works, or to construction with federally financed assistance or guarantees. The Secretary urf Labor is authorised to prescribe and procedures and toAnske invest igations concerning compliance with and enforcement of labor standards. The purpose is to assure consistent and effective enforce ment of such standards. Plan No. 19 carries out a specific recommendation of the Hoover Commission on Organisation of the Executive Branch of the Govern ment by transferring from the FSA to the Department of Labor the Bureau of Employes’ Compensation Appeals Board, and their functions. The present staff of approximate ly'460 employes currently employ ed in Washington and in the field will transfer to the Department of Labor. Four major groups of employers are covered by this system, includ ing 2,000,000 federal employes, 500.000 longshorement and harbor workers, 260,000 industrial em ployes in the District of Columbia and an estimated 100,000 employes of private contractors located at overseas United States bases. These workers in 1049 suffered more than 200.000 injuries, of which 30,000 resulted in claims for compensa tion. HAILS ICFTU New York.—President Max Zar itaky of the AFL United Hatters, Cap and Millinery Workers hailed the International Confederation of Free Trade Unions as a world bul wark for democracy and freedom. Mr. Zaritaky praised the new in ternational labor orga n i x a t i o n created by the AFL and other free unions last December in London in an interview for'"Voice of Ameri ca.” , The interview was conducted by Listen Oak, Labor director for “Voice of America,” and broadcast in many languages around the world. Mr. Zaritsky recalled the early struggles of the hatters, cap mak ers and millinery workers, told of .the advances in wages, hoars, working conditions and socal wel fare pro grama achieved by his union, and discussed the role of free labor in a peaceful world. In speaking to the workers be hind the tron Curtain. Mr. Zaritaky told them of the early days of the American trade union movement and stressed the tremendous gains made by free workers organised tit a free democratic trade union movement. Washington.— AFL President William Green told AFL organis •rs that “we can pay no more fit ;ing and appropriate tribute" to Samuel Compere, founder and first ) resident of the AFL, than “to >ring 1,000,000 new trade unionists nto the House of Labor." Mr. Green said all branches of he AFL must cooperate if the goal a to be reached. He said the field s broad and urged the organisers w devote all of their time to the iob. “Though the task is difficult, it s far from impossible,? he said. ‘We are counting upon you to de liver $1,000,000 new members in r. Mr. Green laid down the objec tive and stated what he feels will he needed to realise it. “Militant and aggressive team work on the part of all parties con sented is vitally necessary to the schievrment of our objective," Mr. Sreen said. “This organising drive is de signed to commemorate the one hundredth anniversary of the birth sf Samuel Compere. We can pay no more fitting and appropriate at tribute to his memory than to bring a million new trade unionists into the House of Labor, which he spent his lifetime in building. The American Federation of Labor is a monument to Samuel Gompers and every new member adds to the stature of that monument. “In devoting his life to the or ganisation of the unorganised, Samuil Gompers broke the trail which we are following today. In this centennial year of his birth there is no better way by whieh we can show that his memory has not dimmed and that his lessons have not been forgotten than by pursuing with renewed energy and concerted vigor our primary purpose—to or ganise the unorganised and to re organise the disorganised." Mr. ttreen sold ail AFt, hasnehee must help in the drivet He laid: “I am therefore calling upon you now to devote to this task a higher degree of effort, initiative and abil ity than has ever been demanded of you heretofore. •*We must do everythin* in our power to extend to all of the unor ganised workers of America the op portunity of trade union member ship and to pen their eyes to the fact that to be called a good trade unionist is the highest praise to which a free workinman can aspire. We must organise the unorganised and keep them organised by giving them service of such quality as to convince them of tha reality of the benefits that flow from union mem bership. “The organiser in the field la the spine and sinew of the trade union movement It is up to yoa to form the spearhead of this membership drive, to take labor’s message into every hamlet in America. Without your enthusiasm and ener gy we would have little hope of reaching our goal. Bach of yen should feel yourself individually responsible for the success of this vital undertaking. “Equally as important as alert and aggressive individual action, is the requirement that cooperation be complete smqpg the officers and mtynbers of the State Federations of Labor, the organising staffs of affiliated national and internation al unions, and the organising Staff of the American Federation of Labor. Coordinated action and ab solute teamwork must be regarded as essential.” Mr. Green said the organising field is broad. He said: “A wide field for potential or ganisation awaits you. About half of the workers in this country who are eligible for union membership have yet to be organised. Unorgan ised workers are to be found in virtually every trade and industry. Large numbers exist in the various types of food processing industries, the chemical industry, textiles, lum ber manufacturing, furniture and household equipment, and other manufacturing enterprises. “The great majority of those workers to whom the beiwflts of union membership have yet to he extended are, however, to ho found n iiuiunanulmcturiag employment and the service tradss. “Wo have hardly, owes than scratched the surface of the groat (Csutiaaod on Pago 4)
The Charlotte Labor Journal and Dixie Farm News (Charlotte, N.C.)
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April 6, 1950, edition 1
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