Montana labor news., 1935-02-28
President Addresses
American Labor

Franklin D. Roosevelt, President OF
the United States, made the following
statement to the Executive Council OF
the American Federation OF Labor,
following their recent conference
81 have been particularly glad to re-
ceive and discuss common problems
with the Executive Council OF the
American Federation of Labor, and to
congratulate them upon their enlarged
Executive Council, bringing into coop
Grafton more units of the labor move
ment. The American Federation OF
Labor has been helpful and cooperative
in the development of the programs
for the rehabilitation of industry and
of our economic life over the past two
years, and | hope their cooperation will
continue active and effective.
Cooperation with labor as well as
with business is essential to the con-
tinuation of the programs we are work
ing out for a more stable and more
satisfactory industrial life in this
country. | have on a number of oc-
casions urged the necessity, as well as
the ~soundness of furthering the prin-
ciple Of collective bargaining as be-
tween labor and management. This is
my personal point of view, but 1t is
also set forth, in the National Industrial
Recovery Act.
an pursuance of the policy as re-
ferred to, we must fully understand
the difficulties attendant to its accom-
plishment by reason of the absence, in
many respects of a diciplined order
both as it refers to labor and industry.
Notwithstanding this, it must be OBJ
vious that the best possible results IN
rehabilitating our economic structure,
is to be found in the well-organized
and highly developed organization OF
both employees and employers, with
their relationship resting upon the
foundation Of Cancellation and arbitra-
ton and the full and frank recogni-
ton of the unacceptable community OF
interests to be found in the industry
itself.
"The Federal Government has indi-
Gated through the National Industrial
Recovery Act its desire that labor and
management organize for the purpose
of collective bargaining and the fur
therance of industrial peace and pros
peritv, but the Federal Government
cannot, of course, undertake to compel
employees and employers to organize.
1t should be a voluntary organization.
"To you of the Executive Council OF
the American Federation Of Labor, per-
nit me to very definitely assure you
of my appreciation and recognition of
the Federation in the work of rehabi-
litating industry and in the protection
Of our country itself. No n can dis
regard the Importance OF the American
Federation of Labor as n of the
great and outstanding institutions Of
the country. 1t has been my purpose
to recognize this in every practical and
logical way, and I have no intention
of changing my point OF view.
MY impression is that our difficult
ties are found largely in the hereto
fore totally unorganized field, both as
it affects employers and employees. In
such cases we must have patience.
FINALLY, permit me to say that we
are seeking to promote peace, coopera-
ton and understanding in all of the in
dustries Of the United States between
labor and management, to the end that
we can eliminate the inequities and in
stitute practical and scientific stabili-
cation for the common good of all
those engaged in industry as well as
for the nation itself"