T CHARLOTTE LABOK JOURNAL d
*" State-wide Labor Weekly, Presenting Labor News and Views Without Fear and Without Favor I“rtfc*T’l"m |
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VOL. XX; N*. 1 CHARLOTTE. N. C, THURSDAY. MAY 11, It— "" SifawriptiM Prk* |LN Y«r
Union Show Held Symbol
Of U. S. Democratic Ideals
• WIN TEXTILE PLANT
Andalusia, Pa. — The AFL
United Textile Workers won bar
gaining rights for the , Margold
Ribbon Mills, lnr., by a 2-1 rote
in a National Labor Relations
Board election.
AFL Calls On CIO To Work
• % ♦' % ?j : ' rl;
For Organic Labor Unity
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GREEN SAYS EXHIBITION FULFILLS SAMUEL
GOMPERS* DREAMS
PHILADELPHIA.—The greatest “Buy Union** show on
earth rocked this Cradle of, American Liberty with a new
enthusiastic appreciation of what it means to be a free
American workman. _ .
For eight action-packed days,
„ the 5th AFL Union Industries
Show rekindled the spirit and
made glow anew the ideals of
Billy Penn, the Philadelphia foun
der who refused to take off his
hat to a king; Ben Franklin, who
helped win independence and write
the Constitution, and Samuel
Gompers founder and first presi
dent of the- American Federation
of Labor, who made these prin
ciples apply to the nation’s eco
nomic life.
And the 1950 AFL leaders, the
men who staged the show,
pledged that —the display would
stand as one more symbol that
Amsricsn democracy lives.
“Tho 8,000.000 members of the
AFL are determined that our free
enterprise system shall survive in
America and that freedom and
democracy shall not be obliterated
by aggression in other nations
of the earth,” said AFL President
William Green, formally opening
the show in gigantic Convention
Hall.
“It is appropriate,” Mr. Green
•aid. “that this greatest of *11
Union Industries Show should be
held during the Gompers Centen
nial Year because the founder of
the AFL was a life-long crusader
for freedom and democracy apd
an inveterate enemy of all forma
of compulsion and totalitarianism.
“Gompers bePevod In the Amer
ican way—teamwork between un
dividends. Class warfare is the
Communist way—and it *
heavy toll of human life and suf
fering and oppression.
“This Union Industries Show of
1950 hero in Philadelphia provides
democracy’s most effective answer
to the challenge of Communism.
“The great story graphically
told by this exposition is the free
labor and free management, work
ing co-operatively together, eaa
produce industrial miracles for
the benefit of all the people.”
Mr. Green urged consumers to
look for 'he union label before
making purchases and the union
shop card and button before hir
ing services.
“The union label,” he said.
_x “means that a product ia made ia
America by union workers, under
decent union standards, and under
clean and sanitary conditions. It
is the torch of progreee* which
organised labor holds aloft in its
march toward the achievement of
a better life for the American
people.”
AFL Vice President Matthew
Woll, president of the Union
Attend ELO
Label Trades Department and
-T»«e principal purpose of this
all-American exhibition is to stim
ulate the purchase of everything
that is union. Good relations is
a definite result of our Union In
dustries Show.
“This show is a graphic symbol
of America’s social progress
economic security and industrial
prosperity.”
Mayor Bernard Samuel ef Phil
adelphia welcomed the AFL to
Philadelphia.
Other remarks congratulating
the AFL leadership on the exhibit
were made by Assistant Secretary
<jf Labor Ralph Wright and Gen
eral Vandaman of the U. S. Air
Force.
Mr. Green, Mayor Samuel and
Joaaph McDonough, secretary
troaanrer of the Philadelphia
Trades «*4 Labor Council, parti
eipated in cutting the ribbon
which officially opened the show.
Exhibits of more then 100 on
ions and 2,000 employers lined
one end one-half miles of spurn
Free samples of foods ami other
products, valuable souvenirs and
literature were distributed from
(Centleeed On Page *>
India’s Gift to America
MEW HOMES STARTED N
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PRESENT STATUE
Philadelphia.—A plaster Statue
of Liberty was presented to
French Consul Blondeau ss part
of the Union Industries Show
opening ceremonies by Edmond
Venxie. president of the Contrac
ting Plasterers International As
•ociation, and iohn Rooney, proa
idenf of the AfL Operative Plas
terers and Comeit Finishers In
tcrnational Union.
"Franco gave os the Statue of
Liberty which ia a symbol of lib
erty in a world of sorrow," Mr.
Vensie said. "It ia the hope of
the entire plastering industry in
America that this handcast plas
ter status will bring some ray of
Joy and hop# to the people of
France."
Italian Worker Honored
j_ l l_I_.___..._
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* Dates of J950 Primary Elections.
EXECUTIVE COUNCIL ASKS THE COMMITTEES
TO START IMMEDIATELY
PHILADELPHIA.—The American Federation of Labor
called upon the Congress of Industrial Organization to work
out a permanent merger of the two organizations and of
fered to start immediately.
The AFL Executive Council proposed that this be accom
plished through negotiations by committees of the AFL
and CIO. ______ Ml* ; ‘t-:
“We are prepared to select a
committee to meet a like com
mittee of the CIO to engage in
conference looking toward an
early and successful realisation
of'unity upon s permanent and
secure basis between our respec
tive organisations.” AFL Presi
dent William Green said in the
councils answer to CIO President
Philip Mtmy.
Mr. Murrey had proposed on
April 4 that organised labor set
up a top policy group for “func
tional unity.” He sent the pro
posal not only to the AFL but
to Independent Operating Rail
road Brotherhoods, Railway Labor
Executives Association. United
Mine Workers and International
Association of Machiniata.
Mr. Green pointed out nt a newa
conference that by ittiudUig ae |
large a group there might be con
siderable delay in ■ Yocting an or
ganic relationship.' So, as in the
past, the AFL itrseied the im
portance of achievingVtrgsnic un
ity first between the iJpL and CIO.
The Executive Council said that
if the AFL and CIO can work
out a permanent and secure basis
of merger H “will lead to organ- j
ic unity el all forces and group
ings of organised labor la Amer
ica.”
Mr. Gun reminded Mr. Mur
ray that-tip AFL has mads sav
er*! apfraro prseiedsiy #*e per
manent and secure merger. He
•aid the AFL is “in complete ac
cord with the necessity of unity
.in all fields of organised labor's
activities."
He said that under the AFL
plan, instead of two organisa
tions fighting each other, there
would be one big organisation,
conserving our financial resources
and strength, not raiding each oth
er, and rendering top service to
rank and Ale workers, organised
and unorganised.
The question of labor unity was
the first big issue taken up by
the Executive Council at its spring
meeting. Still on the agenda
were legislative, political and or
ganisational matters.
The council met here in con
nection with the mammoth AFL
Union Industries Show and the
annual convention of the Pennsyl
vania Federation of Labor.
In other developments:
1. The Executive Council en
dorsed the strike by members of
the AFL Commercial Telegraph
ers Union against the United
Press and offered full support.
t. Green told reporters that
the Supreme Court decision up
holding non-communist affidavits
of the Tsft-Hartley law vindicated
the AFL decision to sign the
oath while working for repeal of
the act.
“Our acceptance of the affida
Hods University
Tit has been vindicated/' Mr.
told a news conference. "We ro>
ffard it as one of the objection*
able featores of the law. Bat to
advance the interest of oar poo*
pie we felt it oar doty to sign
right from the beignaiag. And
we did so."
• • i ■
Repeal of the tew remains the
AFL’s No. 1 legislative objective.
HAILS ICFTU
New York.—President Mix Zar
itaky of the AFL United Hattera,
Cap and Millinery Workers hailed
the International Confederation ef
Free Trade Unions as a world bul
wark for democracy and freedom.
Mr. Zaritaky praised the new in
ternational labor organ i sat ion
rested by the AFL and other free
unions last December in London in
an intarriew for “Voica of Ameri
ca.”
. The interview was conducted by
Listen Oak, labor director for
"Voice of America,” and broadened
•n many languages around <M
world.
Mr. Zaritaky recalled the early
struggles ef the hatters, cap mak
ers and millinery workers, told ef
the elive ness in wages, hour*,
working conditions and soenl wel
fare programs achieved by his
union, and discussed the role ef
free labor in a peaceful world.
In speaking to the workers be
hind the Iren Curtain, Mr. Zaritaky
told them ef the early days ef the
American trade union movement
and stressed the tremendous gstals
made by free workers organised in
a free democratic trade union
movement.
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AFL Union Establishes Scholarships