Montana labor news., 1938-11-24
GRAEME BAKER OF
kALISpELL Tells 4
TALE Of TREA(HERY


Graeme Baker from Kalispell,
around whom has centered a bitter
hostility by the Associated Indus
tries of Flathead county, addressed
the unions last Tuesday. He is
president of the Typographical Union
No. 723, and according to his talk,
was employed by the Inter Lake,
one of the newspapers operated in
that county. Due to his activity in
helping to create or ~recreate the
Central Labor Council at K~alispell
and also through his fine work in
negotiating a new contract for the
Typographical Union, he was dis
charged. Mr.. Baker gave a good
deal of credit to the Missoula unions,
especially Mr.. Christensen and the
Missoula Trades and Labor Council.
He said that there were % unions
in Kalispell. The speaker mentioned
that the discrimination exercised
against him by the newspaper and
by the Associated Industries has
compelled him to institute a case
with the National Labor Relations
Board for reinstatement under the
terms of the labor act. 1t is un,
lawful for an employer to discrim-
mate against a workman for his
union activity.
On Tuesday, November 22nd, the
Silver Bow Trades and Labor Coun-
Gil placed the Nevada Creek Dam
job in Deer Lodge county on the
unfair list. There has been a little
trouble brewing at this project for
some time past, and the Plasterers
and Cement Finishers Union brought
the controversy into the Anaconda
Central Labor Union. The latter
organization asked the unions of
Butte to concur with them in placing
the job and the contractor, Mr., Nc
Laughlin, unfair. 1t seems to hinge
on a question of wages, the con-
tractor being unwilling to pay the
SITS an hour demanded by the
%plasterers.
The Central Labor Council of
Anaconda also adopted a plan for a
settlement of the strife between the
A. F. of L. and the CLIO which was
sent out by the Silver Bow Trades
and Labor Council and which also
is a duplicate of the method suggest
ed by Secretary of Labor Miss Per-
kins. Several of the central labor
bodies have signified their approval
of the plan or any other plan that
would bring the two factions of
labor together,
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A meeting of the Occupational
Disease Commission, created at the
last session of the legislature, will
meet in Butte December 5th at the
courthouse. Members of unions
which could possibly come under the
provisions of the statute carrying
compensation for occupational
diseases should by all means attend
the meeting. Those primarily affect
ed are slaughter house workers,
miners, painters and garage men.
Denis Mccarthy of the Miners is a
member of the commission.
Clarence Blewett was delegated to
represent the labor organizations at
the mass meeting to be held Tues
day, November 10Th, at the Fox
theater, in the interest of religion
freedom and protest against religious
and racial persecution.
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Quite a long letter was received
from Mr.. Caverly of Columbia Falls,
who was one of the liberal mem
bers of the House at the last session,
asking unions to send delegates to
the next meeting of the Montana
Council for Progressive Political Ac-
ton. Chairman Davis, after a mo-
ton was made to donate to this
organization and to send a delegate,
referred the selecting of a delegate
to the legislative committee.
Sam Spiegel announced that the
next meeting of Labor's Non-Parti-
san League will be held at the court
house Friday, November 25th. He
urged the need of all the unions
attending as it is proposed to estab-
fish q permanent organization and
have an active legislative committee
at the legislative session.
The Workers Alliance sent a COM
mittee of five to address the Trades
and Labor Council. Mr.. Dunaway
acted as chairman of the committee.
He said his organization was plan
ming a mass demonstration at the
courthouse Saturday evening, Mo-
vember 26. All Workers Alliance
organizations in Montana have been
communicated with and asked to
send representatives to this meeting.
The Trades and Labor Council sent
a letter of protest to the WPA office
against any lay-offs and also ap-
pointed Frank Sullivan and Bob
Brown to represent the Central
Labor Council at the meeting.
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