Carpenters Pull Out
American Fed. Labor
WASHINGTON—The 600,000 member United Brotherhood
of Carpenters and Joiners pulled out of the American Fed
eration of Labor August 12 after the AFL’s Executive
Council endorsed a proposed no-raiding pact with the CIO.
General President Maurice A. Hutcheson of the United
Brotherhood of Carpenters and Joiners handed AFL Presi
dent George Meany a letter August 12 announcing the 600,
000 member union was walking out.
Only • few hours earlier the
Executive Council had announced
k was recommending a no-raid
ing truce with the CIO. The rec
ommendation would be placed be
fore the AFL convention at St.
Louis next month for approval.
Hutcheson, however, told coun
cil members their action indicated
“that they are more concerned
with the affairs of the CIO than
they are with those of the federa
tion.”
tr.-4-i-—Invnlarf chirffttA thftt
nuicnnon ictwicu cwi
the AFL has failed to central -Its
own affiliates." He spate of “dis
ruptive e auditions" within the
Trades Councils to drop represen
tatives of the United Irethsrhood
of Carpenters from affiliation.
This action was taken, he em
phasised, in accordance with the
AFL constitution since the union
has withdrawn from the federa
tion.
“In the Anal analysis.” Meany
explained at a press conference,
“we feel that the Carpenters be
long in the American Federation
of Labor and that they may re
turn before long, but they left us
and we have to obey the rules
of the AFL as set forth in our J
constitution.”
UN ACCOUNTABLE ACTION
Meany was shown Chicago
newspaper headline stories quot
ing William L. Hutcheson, presi
dent emeritus of the Carpenters,
as threatening to “make war” on
the AFL. Meany said he did not
take such threats too seriously.
“The defection of the Carpen
ters is not going to hurt our or
ganisation .very much," Meany
said. “We didn’t like to see it
happen, but we’re still stronger
than ever before in our history.
4 actually don’t knew why
the Carpenters withdrew, I
dqpt aedersU
reason given
withdrawal de
“There la nothing basic in this
reai reason for the Carpen
ters’ leaving. They say in their
letter of withdrawal that we
haven’t enforced jurisdictional de
cisions, yet they tweeds ** *ha
very same sentence that the Car
penters have not felt themselves
hound to comply with such de
Ihey know very well that the
AFL does not have police pow
ers over its affiliates and they
would have been among the first
to oppose giving us such powers."
Asked whether he had benrd
any reaction from local officials
of the Carpenters from various
parts of the country, Mcnny said:
“I have received a number of
telephone calls and telegrams
asking for nn explanation. Ap
parently, the withdrawal came as
a surprise even to the officials of
the Brotherhood of Carpenters.
These local union officials don't
see any more logic or reason for
the action than we do.”
DOUBTS POLITICAL ANGLE
Meany scouted published re
ports that the withdrawal was
prompted by political considera
tions, since the AFL endorsed
Adlai Stevenson for President In
the last campaign while General
Eisenhower was endorsed by
the Carpenters. He laid he
Gens entered into the picture at
alL
Asked whether an alliance be
ta Lewis, president of the United
Asked whether disafffHntiim
from the AfL would hurt the
Carpenters Union, Meany said:
“It went help their standing
with employees. It wM prove em
barrassing to local representatives
of the anion who now hold office
in central laker hail is or state
federations of laker. They are
bound to be coursmel about their
relations with ether AFL anions,
particularly la the building trades.
a* vvmca aown to iqii. i ne
Carpenters have been part of the
AFL so long that they can’t get
used to the idea of being out,
especially as they can’t under
stand why it happened or And any
logical reason for the separation.
We are sorry it happened and we
hope they will be back with us
before too long.”
Meany said a “plan” for effec
tive settlement of jurisdictional
disputes between AFL affiliates
will be submitted to the AFL
convention in St. Louis, Septem
ber 21. but declined to reveal the
exact nature of it at this time.
He emphasised that every effort
had been made to adjust disputes
between the Carpenters and other
AFL unions and citey n recent
settlement of i conflict between
the union and the American Fed
eration of State, County and
Municipal Employes.
"The record,” he said, "is re
plete with cases of jdhrisdictional
disputes that have been settled.
By far the greater number of
disputes de get settled by negoti
ation and agreement of the par
ties.
"It should be remembered that
the AFL Executive Council does
not consider jurisdictional cases
until the conflicting unions notify
u» they have not been able to set
tle the matter Tnrng thimsilna
We get the tough ones.
"It is unfair for Hutcheson to
criticise us for not being able to
control our unions in such cases,
when bo has boon unwilling to ac
cept control himself. ..."
TALK SCHEDULED
Published reports that Georgs
Meany, president of the American
Federation ef Labor, had met with
William I* Hutcheson, president
(Continued on Pago S)
Later Hu Pngressed
San Pint lard Days
By GEORGE MEANT, I‘resident
Aankaa Fifcntka of Labor
On this Labor Day, 1953, the
more than eight million members
of the American Federation of
Labor may well pause and con
sider how far we hare come,
what responsibilities wo hare as
sumed, «ul what wo may do to
help more forward to a more
peaceful and happier tomorrow.
Whoa the American Federation
of Labor was founded three
quarters of a century age, its lead
ers and members concentrated up
on a few simple objections. The
growing strength of industrialists
and the public prejudices against
unions in those days aaade dif
ficult the attaiament of eren these
fundamental aims.
We had to battle for the eery
right to organise. We had to
establish our right to strike.
deny us these rights, hut they era
few in number compared with
these in the first hard days of
COMB A LONG WAT
Printers Hold Annual
Convention In Detroit
ITU DELEGATES APPROVE BARGAINING PLAN AND
ALSO OPERATIONS Or UNITYPO, INC, WHICH
PUBLISHES II DAILY NEWSPAPERS.
DETROIT—In the closing min
utes of the #6th convention of the
International Typographical Un
ion here, Friday, the delegate*
reaffirmed the organisation’s col
lective bargaining policy adopted
in 1947 and followed since that
time.
This decision followed close on
the heels of the convention’s de
cision Thursday to give fall ap
proval to defense activities con
ducted by the union’s executive
officers through the union-owned
corporation, Uaitypo, after a full
day of debate. Unitypo publishes
11 dailey newspapers and one
weekly and furnishes them news
with a preen service, known as
New Newspaper Service.
Delegates rejected a minority
report condemning the venture as
unconstitutional. Then the con
vention gave a one sided vote of
approval to its continuation,
which represented n clear victory
for President Woodruff Randolph.
Secretary-Treasurer Don Hurd
aoM that the TtVu defense coots
have dropped from flJ million
a month before the publishing cor
poration was formed to ftM.000
monthly.
Uaitypo is financed through de
fense funds.
In other action Friday the deto
tto*"I.T.U. fay-tows guaranteeing
of lotomotiontl qAc9«
HURD cm OLD LAWS
r
WOODRUFF RANDOLPH
President
ignated to aceept such donations.”
In the debate on the L T. U.
defense program, John J. Conley,
fanner vice president and rocog
aiaed leader of the opposition.
Joined with two members in sub
mitting a minority report charg
ing fends had been spent without
authorisation by union law, and
that the program did not hare
the support of I. T. U. members
generally.
Secretary-Treasurer Den Hurd
dtod law adopted floe gears ago
authorising the execution council
to espsad defense fuade ia estab
lishing competing newspapers ia
dtiaa whore strikes or lockouts
had occurred.
Also approved by the 4fl0 dele
gates waa a resolutien giving the
officers the right to make ualim
Arising needs. Prevtoljriy, there
you to work and the children to
^ichcjlj^w gasoline attendant who
putn^ioline in tho car you drive.
Tli^^deration is the men who
fifes, who keep the trains and
tjfts rolling, and the planes fly
f.' It’s the butcher, the baker,
the boilermaker—you and those
who sit beside you at the ball
games, at the movies and in
LOOK AT RKALT1E8
nnen anyone spe«KS aoout la
bor, Labor with a capital L, he
means pea and me and our
neighbors. He means working man
and women. As long as we.re
main working men and women,
we must be ourselves. We’re not
anyone else.
We’re not the moneyed inter
ests. We’re not the Chamber of
Commerce of the United States,
or the National Association of
Manufacturers. They won’t even
admit us into membership.
On this dny set aside fer us,
this Labor Day, we should look
at realities. We should realise
that we have certain interests to
gether.
We want good schools for our
children no matter in what part
of the hountry we live. We don’t
want Omm too crowded. We want
them modern, and we believe the
teachers should be adequately
paid. .
WANT PROPER RIGHTS
We want to got rid of alums.
We went homes available at rents
we can afford, or for sale at a
prices not beyond oar means. We
ben of organised labor.
Wo want to protect our Social
(Cantina sd an Page S)
Fink Re-ElectedX|
V < f almr F'jfl
ANNUAL CONVENTION IN
MORRIS OF RALEIGH
GUNTHER OF CHA
OF GASTONIA NAM!
PRESIDENTS? v.
THREE NEGRO VICE PRESl
AND INCLUDE KING
TRICT VICE PRESIDEI
STATE FEDERATION
JERVAIS OF ASHEVILLE,^
TONIA, S. C. JONES
KORNEGAY OF WIILMINI
JORDAN OF HIGH POINT.
C. A. Fink of Salisbury, was of the
North Carolina Federation of Lfebor/n^^V. Lazenbv,
also of Salisbury, was likewise retained as^Cretary-treas
urer at the annual convention held August U, 11 and 12
in Wilmington.. Fink is now serving his ITth term and
Lazenby is beginning hie fourth year in office.
The only lively contest in the election of officers was that
of first vice president Wilbur Hobby of Durban loot in a
run-off to J. A. Morris of MM|h .
As to eastoawiy tke fast day
of the IMS session wss taken up
praklpally with tks opening •*
„H,„ | laiurltl by tks local
fighting in Koran and tknt tks
oarninn of factory workers in
this state increased IS par cent
durian this period.
Mr. fehaford paid his respects
u the State Federation and said
that North Carolina Labor plays
a very Important part in the
state's economy. Continuing, be
said:
8AAFETY INSPECTION
“The federation has supported
such measures as the establish
ment of a safety inspection serv
ice for the construction industry
in the Labor Department—a serv
ice which had long been needed,
he said. MIt has also favored a
minimum wage law to protect
low-paid, unorganised workers.”
Shuford said he receives many
letters from intra-state workers
who think they are covered by the
federal wage-hour law, but who
actually are not. Many of these
contain pathetic accounts of peo
ple working for wages far below*
a decent subsistence level. Under
the federal law, he said, a total
of ISOBJMO in back wages was
found due to 3,808 in the State
by the department’s wage-hour in
vestigators during the last fiscal
year.
Another highly interesting ad
dress was one given by William
J. McSorley, Assistant Director of
Labor's League for Political Ed
ucation. of Washington, D. C.
Mr. McSorley was pinch-hitting
for J. J. McDovHt, Director, who
was unable to attend.
“Political action is one of the
moat important activities of La
bor,* Mr. MeSorley said. An he
than asked APL officials at the
meeting to assist In a drive to
get voluntary contributions to
LLPE from members of Labor in
North Carolina. He alee called
upon individual members of la
bor organisations to go back to
their local unions and support
the campaign for funds with
which to carry an the work of
Labor’s League for Political Ed
catioa. “Ton should do all within
One of the resolutions adopted
urged all affiliated unions “to
transact all insurance matters
with members of the Insurance
A rents International Union, AFL."’
Elected district rice presidents
were C. E. Kornegay of Wilming
ton (re-elected); J. E. Jervais,
Asheville; A. L. Gunther, Char*
lotto; Mrs. G. T. Dunn, Durham
(re-elected); 8. C. Jonas, Greens- .
boro; K. C. Plyler, ~Gastonia, Rob
ert C. Mice. Goldsboro; WUliam
Glassbrook, Hickory; Russell E.
Jordan, High Point; L. N. Allen,
Plymouth; Harold P. Boone, Pitts
boro; J. E. Tyson, Ralei^s;. j. C.
GUlispie. Reidsville, (re-elected);
C. W. Barnes, Rocky Mount (re
elected); F. M. Cudihy, Salisbury
(re-elected); C. F. Weir, Winston
Salem (re-elected).
Two sergeants-at-arms and two
chaplains were elected. Named
sergeant-at-arms were C. 8. Trod
gon of Greensboro and Frank
Bell of Gastonia. Chaplains are <
H. E. Setser of Asheville and E.
J. McCoy of Durham.
Three Negroes were elected vice
presidents at large. They are
Jeeeie Armstead of Plymouth (re
elected); Guy Masyck, Durham
(re-oleeted); and King Willis of
Charlotte.
Armstead was elected to the
state labor group's executive board
in accordance w)th a change in
the organisation's by-laws adopt
ed making it mandatory that one
Negro be a member of that body. % ,
District vice-presidents elected
to the executive board were Jer
(Continued on Page 8)