Montana labor news., 1937-07-29
Trades Council Will
Help Workers Alliance

A request from the local Workers.
Alliance and the National Workers.
Alliance was submitted to the Silver
Bow Trades and Labor Council last
Tuesday. The letters request that
the unions of Butte support a resolu-
ton now in Congress, introduced by
Congressman Schwellenbach and
Congressman Allen that no more
persons be laid off WPA work until
such time as private industry can
or will absorb these workers. A let
ter accompanied the resolution FRONT
the Workers Alliance of America at
Washington, d. c. 1t stated that if
this joint resolution should pass, it
would undo an injustice to hun
dreds of thousands of WPA workers
now being laid off. 1t also stated
that the resolution, if passed, would
give legal sanction to the policy re-
Gently proposed by President Roose-
welt and Harry Hopkins that no WPA'
worker who cannot find employ
ment in private industry should be
laid off. If passed by Congress, this
resolution will permit Mr.. Hopkins
to reinstate WPA workers laid off
who have not found jobs in private
industry and to encourage WPA
workers to take private employment
at prevailing wages in the knowledge
that they will be furloughed and not
removed from the WPA rolls.
The resolution endorsed by the
Silver Bow Trades follows:
Whereas, the passage by the Con-
gress of a relief appropriation of only
l $500, 000, 900, and the inclusion in
this appropriation of a provision call
ing for the spreading of this sum
owe a full year has caused the lay
off of 427,000 WPA workers by July
18th, and
Whereas, under this appropriation
a discharge of 100000 additional
WPA workers will take place by
October 18th, and
Whereas, the great majority of
these discharged workers are unable
to obtain employment in private in
dustry at decent wages and there
fore 100000 men, women and
children will suffer hunger and desti-
tuition, and
Whereas, throwing these workers
upon the labor market will endanger
the standards of organized labor,
and
Whereas, the removal of purchas-
ing power from these workers will
work hardship upon the entire COM
munity and make necessary addition
al relief appropriations and greater
tax burdens for the sorely pressed
local communities, and
Whereas, the arbitrary reduction
in the WPA program will prevent
many communities from receiving
the benefits of building construction
and the social and cultural activities
of the WPA, and
Whereas, the Schwellenbach-Alle
resolution (known as Senate Joint
Resolution Toulouse Joint Resolu-
ton 440) would prevent the dis
charge of any WPA worker who can
not find employment in private in
dustry at decent wages, and would
restore to WPA work those dis
charged who cannot find such pri-
vate employment, and
Whereas, the policy in the Schwel-
lenbach-Allen Joint Resolution is
identical with that recently an
nounced by President Roosevelt and
Harry Hopkins, therefore
Be 1t Resolved, that we, (name of
organization) with (number) mem
bers, do endorse and support the
Schwellenbach-Allen Resolution, as
a minimum OF justice TO the unem-
ployed, as a protection to organized
labor, and a means of community
betterment, and
Be 1t Further Resolved, that a
copy of this resolution be sent TO our
Congressman and Senator, to Presi-
dent Roosevelt and Harry Hopkins,
and to the Workers Alliance of
America, 1911 Eye ST., N. W., Wash
ington, D. c., and
Be 1t Further Resolved, that we
make known the provisions of this
resolution in our community and do
everything in our power to secure
the necessary support for its passage
in the present session of Congress.