Denver labor bulletin. [volume] (Denver, Colo.) 1915-19??, 1918-08-03
HIRED MEN OF EXPLOIT
ERS SNEAK TRICK THAT
CREATES A STIR.
c hica Federation Declares
Amendment Destroys Free
Bargaining Power Between
Labor. and Employ
ing Association.
By LAURENCE TODD
Especial Representative The Denver Iabor
BuIleffu.l

lAAI0<
BuIletfn.l
WASHINGTON, July 27.-Some of
the country's ablest lawyers have told
trade union officials. during the past
few days that the maximum wage
Joker in the sundry civil act, signed
July l, applies to every bit of war
work paid for by the federal govern
ment- 1t forces the war labor policies
board to set wage standards, and il
forces all government disbursing off,
GERS, under penalty of suit on their
official bond, which can be started by
any citizen, to pay no money for
wages higher than the wage stand
ards set by this board
There are two possible roads Of
escape from this sudden blight upon
the labor movement. One is the re-
peal Of the law, and the other is action
oy President Wilson, who can can
upon the national war labor board %
review the action Of the policies board
IN settng . maximum wage. ne
(Taft-Walsh) war labor board can. n
the direction of the President, sus-
pend the operation Of this maximum
wage scheme
Chicago Federation Protests.
What the biggest representative Ia
Dor assembly in the country thinks of
the situation is told in these resolu-
tons, adopted by the Chicago Federa-
tion Of Labor:
Whereas, The United States Steal
corporation and the National Erect
ors Association, thru their coufeder.
ates, including Walter Drew, the mo-
torious enemy of the trade union
movement Of America and the hired
man OF the labor exploiters of our
used by such corporations, secured the
insertion in the civil appropriation act
OF the Congress Of the United States
approved July l, 1918, of the follow
ing provision: Provided, that no
money now or hereafter appropriated
for the payment of wages not fixed
by statute shall be available to nav
wages IN excess of the standard deter
mined upon by the war labor policies
board That this provision of the law
was passed in midnight conference.
without previous notice to any of the
workers whose interests were being
betrayed and without a line in any
newspaper Of the country before its
passage; and
Whereas, This sneaking and dis
honest trick was accomplished while
the representatives of organized labor
were meeting in the convention of the
American Federation of Labor at ST.
Paul, among other things to reafirm
their allegiance to the government and
their hearty cooperation in all of the
nations plans for increased produc-
tion; and
Whereas, The trade union move
ment of America has, and will in anv
event, stand solidly behind the great
democratic leader of the world, Wood
row Wilson; and
Destroys Bargaining Power.
Whereas, The Chicago Federation
of Labor and union labor generally
have followed the advice given by our
great leader at the Buffalo conyen-
tion OF the American Federation Of
Labor, OF last year, and have re-
sponded to every call of the nation
and followed unfalteringly and i'm
plicitly the wise leadership of our
commander-in-chief; and
Whereas, We do not believe that
the rank and file Of the Senate and
House Of Representatives had any mo-
and
Whereas, II said provisions il 10
remain in the law Of the land it will
absolutely destroy the power Of free
bargaining BY workers, thru their
chosen Representatives, for which they
have struggled for almost . century
and nnally believed they had at
"Whsrsas. A maximum wage for II.
borers and mechanics Ax6d BY any
body upon tAe eaxtA = eoposed 70 tks
vsry soul cf our novement; and y
Cowar1ly 1osw q Labnr.
Whereas, Il ~ s5ehsr Il allowed
% remain upon the statute heoln q
the country Il will create : eonsfantiy
Increasing unrest and destroy - 60
hdence of thinking men n IT, 49,
gritty Of tie lnWmaking maehinaEy q
our natiea; thersfe.s. = e