The potters herald. [volume] (East Liverpool, Ohio) 1899-1982, 1938-10-20
A.F.L. Backs Rail
Unions In Fight
Against Pay Cut
Reduction Would be Notion.
al Calamity In Opinion
Of Convention

Houston, Texas-The entire strength
of the five million workers in unions
affiliated with the American Fedora
tion of Labor was mobilized by the
annual A. F. of l.. convention here in
support of the railroad labor unions
in their resistance to the fifteen per
cent wage cut which the management
of the nations railroads seek to make
effective on their employees.
In bringing the matter before the
delegates, William Green, president Of
the American Federation of Labor,
said:
"You all know that the representa-
tives of the railway organizations of
the country are meeting in Washing
ton. In their representative capacity
they are resisting an attempt on the
part of the railway owners Of the
country to impose a reduction in
wages upon the railroad workers."
Mr.. Green pointed out that because
of the emergency created by the hear
ing before the railroad fact finding
board in Washington three vice presi-
dents Of the American Federation of
Labor-George N. Harrison, president
of the Brotherhood Of Railway Clerks,
and chairman of the Railway Labor
Executives Association; A. O. Whar-
ton, president of the International AS
sociation Of Machinists and Felix H.
Knight, president of the Railway Car
men-were prevented from attending
the A. F. of L. convention.
ut occurred to the officials of the
American Federation of Labor" he
said, "that it would be proper to ad-
dress a message to the members of
the Railway Executives Association in
Washington, and through them to the
country" Mr.. Green thereupon read
the following message, which was
unanimously adopted by the conven-
ton:
George M. Harrison, Chairman, Rail-
way Labor Executives Association,
Hamilton Hotel, Washington, D. c..
"The officers and delegates in at
tendance at the Fifty-eighth Annual
Convention of the American Fedora
tion Of Labor direct me to transmit to
you and your associates their full and
complete assurance of support in all
the efforts you are putting forth to
resist the imposition of a wage re-
duction upon the railroad workers of
the nation.
"We commend you and your asso-
ciate officers upon the courageous in
telligent and successful way in which
you are handling negotiations with
railroad management and government
representatives.
"The membership of the American
Federation of Labor is firmly convinced
that reduction in wages Of railroad
workers would greatly injure business,
labor and agriculture. 1t would reduce
purchasing power and thus add to our
nations economic distress.
"We pledge to the railroad workers
of the nation the full support Of the
five million members of the American
Federation of Labor in the fight you
and your associates are making
against wage reduction.
"We will rally to your support. We
will stand with you. We will support
you to the full extent Of our resources
in the event you are compelled to en-
gage in a strike against any attempt
which may be made to force the rail-
road workers of the nation to accept
any reduction in wages.
civilian GREEN, President,
"American Federation of Labor" !"