Montana labor news., 1936-12-17
3 U. 5. LABOR LAWS
ENACTED DURING 1896
Thousands of Workers Benefited
By American Federation of
LabOr's Legislative Activities.
By A. +. of l.. News Service.

By A. +. of L.. News Service.
TAMPA, Fla.-An impressive rec
ord of the efficiency of the Ameri-
can Federation of Labor's non-parti-
san political policy was contained in
the report by the Executive Council
of the Federation to the A. F. of l..
convention, in session here, on ma
tional labor legislation enacted by
the 1886 session of Congress.
Although there was considerable
opposition to some of the measures,
twenty-three bills favored by labor
became statute law during the ses-
sion. They include laws benefiting
seamen, mandatory prevailing wage
on relief work, eight hour day, five
day week and prevailing wage on
government contract work; annual
leave and sick leave for government
employees and many other provisions
of value for working men and
women.
In addition to the twenty-three
laws, the Council said the Senate
passed the resolution introduced by
Senator LaFoilette ito investigate
violations of the right of free speech
and assemblage and undue interior
ence with the right of labor to or
ganize and bargain collectively"
The resolution twas adopted after
most startling testimony was sub
mitted showing methods used to sup
press the activities of labor"
The Councils report gave the fol-
lowing list of labor laws passed by
Congress in 1886:
l. Providing that all government
contractors shall pay the prevailing
rate of wages, work employees not
more than eight hours a day and five
days a week, with 10 child or m
Wet labor to be employed, on all
contracts entered into by any activ-
ity of the government.
2. Forbidding transportation in in
terstate commerce of professional
strike breakers who would interfere
with peaceful picketing.
3. Investigation ordered by the
Senate of violations of the right of
free speech and free assemblage and
undue interference with the right of
labor to organize and bargain col
lectively.
4. Placing under state compensa-
ton laws all workers employed on
public works.
5. Placing employees in the air
plane industry under the Railway
Labor Board.
6. Providing that all passenger
vessels having accommodations for
30 Or more passengers shall be
equipped with automatic sprinkler
systems.
7. Prevailing rate of wages to be
paid on all relief work.
8. F~orbidding the employment of
aliens illegally in the United States
on relief work.
9. Requiring all licensed officers
on vessels of the United States to be
citizens or completely naturalized.
In three years 80 per cent of all
other departments shall be citizens.
10. Shipping corporations that re-
ceive subsidies from the government
must incorporate in their contracts
minimum manning and wage scales
and reasonable working conditions.
II. Granting facilities of Public
Health Service to all seamen on gov
eminent vessels not in military or
naval establishments.
IL. Appropriated $12, 000 900 for
further development of vocational
education.
IS. Appropriation of 81, 425, 000, 900
for direct and work relief on useful
projects.
IA. Granted rs days annual leave
for government employees which can
be accumulated for succeeding years
until it totals 80 days.
Is. Sick leave for government en-
ployes of one and one-fourth days
per month accumulative not to ex-
coed 90 days.
IS. Five-day week for employees of
mail equipment shops at the same
wages for five and one-half days.
II. Authorizing operations Of
stands in federal buildings by blind
persons to enlarge their economic
opportunities.
IS. Granted additional $50 a
month to all government employees
for services of attendants to those
who are blind OF totally disabled.
10. Limiting number of substitutes
in postal service to n for each six
regular employees.
20. Raised vocational schools in
District of Columbia to rank of
junior high schools.
81. Five-day week with no reduc-
ton in pay for those employees of
Bureau of Engraving and Printing
who were not included in the 1885
law.
%. Retirement Act for railroad
employees of Alaska.
%. Repeating radio zone law for
brOadcaSting stations which will