Montana labor news., 1938-01-06
Label Is Mandatory on
Michigan Slate Printing

The ability of low-wage and long
hour non-union printing concerns to
land contracts for state printing in
Michigan because their sub-standard
labor conditions enable them to un-
derbid other printing establishments
has been effectively curbed by the
union label law enacted by the re-
cent session of the Michigan legisla-
ture and signed by Gov. Frank Muir
ply.
Starting out with the declaration
that all state printing, with a few
exceptions, must carry the label Of
the branch of the allied printing
trades council in the locality in
which it is printed, the law speci-
fies that firms not authorized to use
the label and desiring to qualify as
responsible bidders must pay the
prevailing wage rate in their locali-
ty, with the stipulation that wage
rates included in collective bargain
ing agreements in those localities
shall be the prevailing wage rates.
The Michigan Federation of Typo
graphical Unions performed effec-
tive work in lining up candidates for
the legislature for the bill during
last falls election campaign. The
result was that the bill received the
practically unanimous support Of
both houses.
The text of the Michigan union
label law follows;
AN act relative to printing for
the state Of Michigan; to establish
the requirements of responsible
bidders; to prescribe penalties for
the violation of the provisions of
this act; and to repeal all acts and
parts of acts inconsistent with the
provisions of this act.
Section /. All printing for which
the state of Michigan is chargeable,
or which is paid for with funds ap-
propriated wholly or in part by the
state, excepting that which is print
ed for primary school districts, coun-
ties, townships, cities, villages and-or
legal publications ordered for or by
elective state officers, must be print
ed within the state of Michigan, and
shall bear the label of the branch
of the allied printing trades council
Of the locality in which they r
printed, except under the following
conditions:
1. Printing firms not having the
use of the allied printing trades
council union label and who r de-
sirous of presenting bids for print
ing as enumerated above shall be
required to establish consideration
as a responsible bidder as follows:
(a) AS a condition to considera-
ton as a responsible bidder printing
concerns must file with the secre-
tary of state a sworn statement to
the effect that employees in the en-
ploy of the concern which is to pro-
duce such printing are receiving the
prevailing wage rate and are work
ing under conditions prevalent in
the locality in which the work is
produced.
(b) Whenever a collective bar
gaining agreement is in effect be-
tween an employer and employees
who are represented by a respon-
sible organization which is in no
way influenced or controlled by the
management, such agreement and
its provisions shall be considered as
conditions prevalent in said locality
and shall be the minimum require
ments for being adjudged a respon-
sible bidder under this act.
(c) Printing firms having the use
of the allied printing trades council
union label shall be deemed as hav-
ing complied with the provisions of
this act, but nothing in these pro-
visions shall be construed as exempt
ing such bidders from any provision
of the act, and such bidders shall
also be required to conform with all
of its provisions.
2. S~tate-owned printing establish
ments in Jackson prison and the
boys industrial school at Lansing
shall be exempt from the above pro-
visions: Provided, however, that
these institutions shall not perform
printing other than the needs and
requirements of these Institutions.
Section 2, Any officer or en-
ployee of the state who shall accept
any printed matter, or is found to
have had printed matter produced
under conditions other than set forth
in this act, and which is paid for
with funds appropriated wholly or
in part by the state, shall be subject
to a fine of fifty dollars for each
and every offense.
Section 3. All acts or parts of acts
inconsistent with the provisions OF
Al. - 49, LoroLxx r,-oolaI