Montana labor news., 1938-12-08
TRADES COUNCIL HAS
A VERY BUSY Time
Price Complains of Lack of
Union Support; Johnson Wants
Vocational Training.


A request from Mayor Charles
Hauswirth of the city of Butte, was
received asking the cooperation of
the trade union movement in respect
to sending representatives to a meet
ing held on December 9th to for
ward and promote a bigger and
better 4th of July celebration in
1889, was alphabetically received
but no action taken, because that
was the date that the Trades and
Labor Council met. The letter men
toned that next year would be the
50th and Golden anniversary of the
entrance of Montana into the family
of the states of the United States,
and would also be the diamond ami
versary of the discovery of gold in
Montana. The communication men
toned that inasmuch as San Fran
cisco and New York were both hav-
ing world fairs in their respective
cities next year that Butte would
be on the main highway between
these two metropolis. Mayor Haus-
wirth described the proposed 4th of
July celebration in Butte, the rodeo
and other attractions as the best
side shows on the midway, pre-
sumably referring to the highway
between San Francisco and New
York. Undoubtedly the organized
labor movement will cooperate and
participate with the city in its wishes.
John L. Lewis notified the Butte
unions that the convention of the
Congress for Industrial Organiza-
tons recently held at Pittsburgh de-
sired peace in the labor movement
but on the basis of the fundamental
principles of the CLIO. The Silver
Bow Trades and Labor Council had
sent a wire to the convention, ex-
pressing a wish for peace in the
labor movement and the letter from
Lewis was in answer to that tele-
gram.
Some time ago the Silver Bow
Trades and Labor Council sent out
a resolution accompanied with a
request to the central labor bodies
and other independent organizations
in Montana to adopt a plan of re-
Cancellation between the American
Federation of Labor and CLIO pro-
posed by Secretary of Labor Perkins
which was to appoint a committee
of five from the American Fedora
ton of Labor, another committee of
five from the Congress for Industrial
Organization and three independent
members to outline a policy of settle
ment. Replies from the communi-
cation sent out by the Silver Bow
Trades and Labor Council we're yes
terday received from the Yellow
stone Trades and Labor Council, the
Miles City Trades and Labor Coun-
Gil and the Kalispell Trades and
Labor Council and the Montana Fed
Grafton of Labor. All of them indi-
Gated their concurrence in the propo-
sition vouchsafed by Secretary Per-
kins.
Both Senators Burton K. Wheeler
and James Murray told the Trades
Council in letters that they were in
constant touch with Henry Hopkins,
head of the WPA, and also Aubrey
Williams in relation to proposed re-
auctions in WPA in Montana. Both
the Senators and also Congressman
O'Connor stated that they had pre-
sented economic conditions existing
in Montana to these officials and
were protesting any reduction in
public works. 1t was mentioned in
one of these communications that
the appropriations to carry WPA
work would last only until March
LIST, 1899, and that the government
was desperately trying to extend the
money over to that period. The
saving feature Of the whole PROPOSE
ton though, is that after Congress
meets on the first of the year, il
might be able to pass a deficiency
appropriation if the present money
ran out.
A letter came from Billings asking
the Silver Bow Trades and Labor
Council to protest the wage scales
that are being paid on the Public
Works Administration in the erection
of two new schools and other build
ings in Billings. The Trades and
Labor Council of Butte concurred in
the request and have sent a protest
to the regional office at Omaha.
From the communication, it would
appear that wages paid by the Pub
lie Works Administration are less
than the wage rates in effect in the
various building crafts in Yellow
stone county.
The Trades and Labor Council.
donated its usual annual amount te
tho p~rovonfion nj tI,herc,,1osic Curtis