The potters herald. [volume] (East Liverpool, Ohio) 1899-1982, 1939-07-20
Continued From Poge One)

Continued From Pdge One)
trical Workers; George Masterton Of
the Plumbers; Joseph V. Moreschi of
the Hod Carriers; John p. Burke of the
Pulp and Sulphite Workers.
The report Of the Committee sum-
married the Importance of maintain
ing the trade union wage structure,
declared that hitherto the Government
by legislation had supported the pre-
vailing wage rate and insisted it's con-
tinuance on w. p. A. projects was nee
essary to protect the interests of or
ganiZed labor.
Fully realizing that the way to
remedy the injustice was to secure the
repeal Of the provision in the current
relief appropriation act abolishing the
prevailing wage on w. P. A. projects
and the adoption of an amendment re-
storing it, the conference authorized
President Green to appoint commit
tee to present labor's grievance to the
President Of the United States, the
President Of the Senate, and the
Speaker Of the House of Representa-
tives.
The committee appointed by Mr..
Green consisted of Harry Bates, presi-
dent of the International Union of
Bricklayers, Masons and Plasterers
International Union of America; Dan
iel ]. Tracy, president of the Inter-
national Brotherhood of Electrical
Workers of America; George @.
Lynch, president of the Pattern
Makers League of North America;
John P. Frey, president of the Metal
Trades Department of the American
Federation Of Labor; I. M. Ornburn,
secretary-treasurer of the Union La
bel Trades Department of the Ameri-
can Federation of Labor, and Herbert
Rivers, secretary-treasurer Of the
Building and Construction Trades De-
partment of the American Federation
| of Labor.
Following is the text of the report
of the special committee which was
unanimously adopted by the confer
ence:
"Both the Congress Of the United
States and the public have evidenced
deep interest and manifested grave
concern in the spontaneous strikes
which have taken place within the past
few days upon w. P. A. jobs in vari-
Gus parts of the country.
"These protests which have been
against wage reductions have been
enormously interpreted as strikes
against the Government when as a
matter of fact they have been the
manifestations on the part of wage
earners to maintain the standards of
work and of wages built up through
years of effort.
''The very lifeblood of a trade union
Of wages.
at is perfectly understandable that
our trade unions should use all of
their economical strength by very
legitimate means to maintain their re-
spective standards of rates of wages
on public as we'll as private enter
prises.
"The president of the American
Federation of Labor, recognizing that
immediate consideration should be
given to this alarming situation and
in order that definite policy be ap-
proved for the guidance of organized
labor as represented by the American
Federation of Labor, has called this
conference Of the officers and repre-
sentatives of national and internati-
onal unions affiliated to the Ameri-
can Federation of Labor.
Spontaneous Protests Against Wage
Cuts
"It should be evident to all concern
ed that wage earners in general and
particularly those who have been Or
ganized for many years, do not lay
down their tools unless some situation
vitally affecting their interests has
arisen which cannot be adjusted
through the method of negotiations,
conciliation and arbitration.
"The cause for these nationwide
protests, these spontaneous strikes,
was an arbitrary increase in the hours
Of work for labor on w. P. A. work
resulting in the reduction of hourly
wages running over so per cent in the
hourly rate.
"This cutting of wages in half by
the increasing of working hours was
the result of actions taken by the con-
ferees of the Senate and Of the House
of Representatives working under a
so-called emergency situation - the
necessity of having w. P. A. appro-
priation made so that w. P. A. work
ers might be continued in their en-
ployment on July l.
previously the House of Repre-
sentatives had passed the w. P. A.
measure which eliminated the prevail
ing wage provision. The U. S. Sen
ate had passed measure which con-
tanned the prevailing wage provision.
Pressure was brought to bear on Con-
Calf. Helen Millovich. Box TIL. r. F.
D. No. 1. Richmond. Calf.
No. 166.-Refractories, Sebring, O.
Alice Roberts, 596 w. Oregon Avenue,
| Sebrin1. Ohio.