Montana labor news., 1933-10-19

under any consideration is govern
mental control of our unions. If we
are to be free and Independent, we
must be free from government con-
troll, particularly when this control is
exercised by government officials Sc
lected from the business elements.
johnson referred to the prevalence
of strikes" continued Martel. "But
so long as these codes are prostituted
to the interests Of business elements,
strikes will continue. Why, they are
writing into these codes a 40c scale
for mechanicsl We are going to have
a continuance of strikes and disorders
if these codes perpetuate such wage
scales and if the local compliance
boards dilly-dally along with proved
violations of the Codes" Martels de-
nunciation provoked lively applause.
The resolutions committee, headed
by Matthew Woll, third vice-president
of the A. F. of L., and Victor GLAND
er of the seamen's union, did not veil
their concern over certain sections of
the NRA law The committee criti-
cized the Interpretation of the law
which places with business groups the
initiative in drawing up codes. The
committee urged that unions take the
initiative when necessary.
NRA codes, reported Woll's COM
mittee, mean that international unions
must cooperate more closely than
ever before. Local labor bodies were
urged to push building programs un-
der the public works section of NRA.
The committee pointed out that it
did not approve wage and hours pro-
visions Of many codes, and demand
was made for shorter hours, to absorb
the jobless, and higher wages, to sus-
tain productivity The codes must be
revised if NRA is to be successful, the
committee maintained.
Bitter criticism of governmental
wage practices was voiced by Pres.
M. J. Colleran of the plasterers, who
reported that mechanics are getting
from DO to 60e an hour for building
permanent quarters for the civilian
conservation corps. Pres. William L.
Hutcheson of the carpenters was i'm
patient that negotiations in Washing
ton would drag on until the camps are
all finished.
The convention demanded equal rep
resentation with business interests on
NRA compliance boards and other
NRA bodies concerned with labor mat
ters. But it turned down a resolu-
ton by Reuben Suny, Philadelphia
cleaners and dyers, that A. F. of l..
officials retire from all NRA boards.
Suny denounced the practice as col
laboratiOn Of labor leaders and the
government in a movement which
smacks of fascism. He warned the
convention that new labor movement
might arise if the A. r. of L. desert
ed the class struggle platform en-
bodied in the preamble to its consti-
tuition.
NRA troubles bobbed up again
when the resolutions committee as
serted that violations of the blanket
code were shooting it to pieces in
some localities. Even more serious is
the delay in forming permanent codes
in industries which operate mainly in
the summer months, such as construc-
tion work. Here codes have been de-
layed until autumn. A large section
of industry, commented the commit
tee, seems to be in conspiracy to null
lily NRA.
A report of "Johnson's amazing
PLATFORM" written by Chester M.
Wright, publicist close to the Fedora
tion executive council, was placed be-
fore each delegate. His analysis of
Johnson's anti-strike speech empha-
sized the points of governmental con-
troll which Martel hit later in the
morning. 1t is known that Gen. John
sons speech has created no little dis
may among Federation leaders. In
quiries by Federated Press disclosed a
firm conviction that anti-strike legis-
lation would have no chance in the
next congress, and that labor leaders
would fight such proposals to the last
| ditch.