The potters herald. [volume] (East Liverpool, Ohio) 1899-1982, 1938-06-16
The Cherry Tree
Where We Hutchet Out
The Truth
o UNION PAY
Q WAGES BOOSTED
. LABOR'S PROGRESS
. BOARD WILL ACT

Union pay and other gains. NOW,
in the midst of depression.
Hardly believable, except to the
trade unionist and the student of
unionism, who know what organiza-
tion is capable Of doing.
But true, as the labor press through
out the nation testifes.
This colum said early in the year
that American Federation of Labor
unions were "doing things and going
places"
"a look through the labor press tells
the story" it said.
Labor press still telling the story,
though unemployment has increased
and depression deepened, two circum-
stances unfavorable to the progress
of organized labor.
Wages boosted, hours shortened,
contracts renewed, membership in
creased, new unions formed, is the
story.
Take one union, the Amalga-
mated Association Of Street, Elec-
trio Railway and Motor Coach EN-
plOyeS, IOf example.
Street car and bus workers of In
dianapolis get new contract providing
for pay raises, with paid vacations
and improvement in working condi-
tions.
Austin, Texas, street car workers
win 10 per cent wage increase.
Traction workers in score of other
cities win wage increases.
Unionized workers in many other
lines of industry obtain better paw or
maintain present pay.
Printers, machinists, longshoremen,
teamsters, electricians, pattern makers
all unionized of course-increase
memberships of local unions, in addi-
ton to winning better wages and con-
ditions of work.
All of this progress is reported in
the labor press. Much of it is never
reported in the daily papers.
The picture of organized labor's
progress is presented in the labor
press as nowhere else.
Often, wage and hour gains of the
local unions are not considered "news"
by the dailies.
Perhaps increases of pay and short
ening of hours are not very exciting
news, especially when won by negoti-
alton, as is the case with most.
But they are mighty important to
the workers who benefit.
They are mighty important, too, to
the local merchant.
He may not always realize this, and
here is chance for the trade unionist
to do some educational work.
In this field of community education
on economic and labor matters the la
Dor paper is of invaluable help.
X X X
Mayor Reading of Detroit has asked
the city council to pass an ordinance
setting up an industrial peace board
of "a members.
Representation on the board would
be divided evenly between labor, the
investor, management and the con-
sumer.
With paid director, the board
would act "as forum to which man
agement and labor might bring their
grievances" the mayor says.
This looks like an idea worth study
in other cities beside Detroit.
A mediation board closely resemb-
ling the one proposed for Detroit has
been tried in Toledo for over two
years.
If Toledo labor approves of the
board, labor in other cities would prob
ably be disposed to look with favor
able eye on the plan.
In any event, ideas looking toward
cooperation and elimination of indus
trial strife call for consideration, in
these troublesome times when cooper
ative endeavor is so widely recognized
as being vital to national welfare.