Montana labor news., 1936-12-17
Legislative Program
OF Goal Miners Union

greSSlVe groups IN tnlS Country nave
demonstrated their determination to
achieve economic and social progress
in this Country through definite
program; and
WHEREAS, it is necessary for this
end that such social and economic
aims be consolidated into national
and uniform state legislative pro-
gram,
NOW, THEREFORE, Be it unani-
mously
RESOLVED, That this Board
hereby authorizes and directs the
executive officers to take such steps
as they may deem necessary to unite
the efforts of labor for the formula
ton of legislative program of ma
tional and state legislation which
will further the economic and social
aims of labor; and
FURTHER RESOLVED, That this
Board hereby approves and recon-
mends the incorporation into any
such legislative program the follow
ing measures:
(a) National legislation for the
stabilization of the bituminous and
anthracite coal industry; and
(b) Uniform state legislation for.
l. A state labor relations act. This
should follow closely in form the
National Labor Relations Act, com
pelling employers to permit their
employees to organize into indie
pendent unions, outlaWing company
unions and making Illegal all the
coercive and intimidating practices
in use by employers to prohibit
their workers from exercising their
fundamental right to organize for
the purpose of collective bargaining.
g. A state anti-injunction act.
This should follow closely in form
the federal Norris-LaGuardia Act,
thereby eliminating the use of the
state courts, through the injunction,
as weapon to defeat the right of
the workers to organize.
3. An act for the improvement and
extension of Workmen's compensa-
ton laws, including the payment of
compensation for occupational dis
eases.
4. An act extending the principles
Of the Miners Certificate laws now
in practice in the anthracite mines
to the bituminous coal industry.
5. An act prohibiting the pay
ment of compensation to sheriffs or
other peace officers by private cor
porations. This should also prohibit
the practices on the part of sheriffs
of appointing deputies merely for
the purpose of defeating workers in
their economic struggle with en-
ployers by requiring public hearings
before any such appointments to be
made and proof being required that
the appointments are essential to the
actual preservation of the public
peace and safety.
6. An act protecting the exercise
of civil liberties from any interfer-
ence through local legislation or To-
cal officers.
7. An act eliminating the abuses
of evictions by employers in labor
disputes. Anti-eviction legislation is
necessary to protect the homes of
workers and to assure the workers
that they will not be penalized or
prosecuted for exercising their
American rights to organize for col
lective bargaining.
8. An act eliminating unincorpor-
ated communities of the kind and
character of Weirton, West Virginia.
This city having a population of
twenty thousand is unincorporated
and thus completely controlled by
the Weirton Steel Corporation 1t
operates to the detriment of civil
liberties and is used as an instru-
ment to prevent all independent la
Dor organization
FURTHER RESOLVED, That in
order to assure labor a fair share
of the increased productivity of in
dustry and of the growing wealth
of the Country, thereby increasing
the mass purchasing power in this
Country, the Executive Board rec
ommends that the executive officers
formulate, for incorporation into the
national and uniform state legisla-
tive program, measures which will
provide to labor higher wages, short
er hours, improved working condi-
tions, improved housing conditions
and which will provide for a more
comprehensive and adequate social
security legislation; and
FURTHER RESOLVED, That this
Board hereby authorizes and directs
the executive officers, that in con-
nection with the efforts to bring
about the unified legislative pro-
gram, serious consideration be given
to the constitutional objections that
may be raised and upheld against
any outstanding or proposed social
and economic legislation. If it be
determined that such legislation can
not be effectively enforced in the
absence of a constitutional amend
ment, the executive officers shall
join with other labor farm and
progressive groups to formulate and