The potters herald. [volume] (East Liverpool, Ohio) 1899-1982, 1939-04-20
OrganizedLobor's
Controversy With
Missouri u. Aired
Union Men Constantly Ex.
PEELED From PdYrolls
Of University

For long period the trade unions
affiliated with the Central Labor
Union of Columbia, Missouri, have
urged the University Of Missouri, To-
Gated at Columbia, to recognize the
unions in the maintenance of the Uni
versity and pay the prevailing wage
scale to union members on mainten-
ance work.
Following the persistent refusal of
the officers and curators of the Uni
versity to comply with this reasonable
request, the Central Labor Union re-
Gently declared that the University
was unfair to organized labor" and
started a militant campaign to induce
those in charge of the University "to
recognize organized labor and estab-
lish wage scale commensurate with
the American standard of living"
This article gives the facts of the
controversy of organized labor in CO.
lumbia with the University.
BY MARCUS CRAIG
Secretary, Columbia G. l.. u.
There have been affiliated unions
of the American Federation of Labor
in Columbia for the past Al years.
The University of Missouri has OPP
Grated in this town as a large en-
ployer of craft labor for the past 100
years. Therefore, we have been in a
position to put men to work at the
University for the last 40 years, pro-
viding the University will allow us to
do so.
However, union men have been con-
stantly expelled from the University
payrolls and Disseminated against in
every way possible.
In the last seyen years we have
made a continuous effort to organize
the men working for the University
or to put union men on the Univer-
sity's payroll. Our efforts have met
with every trick and conniving subter-
fuge of private employer seeking to
maintain his position as dominant
rat employed.
Finally the University has carried
the fight to the unions, having made
an unprovoked attempt in apparent
collaboration with certain private en-
ployers of Columbia to smash the To-
cal Painters Union.
The Central Body was already deep
ly involved in the dispute between the
University and the Allied Printing
Trades Council of Columbia and this
attack on the Painters Union forced
us to take drastic action at this par
ticular time.
The Electricians Union, out Of the
many locals in Columbia, was the only
union having any men working at the
University. They pulled their men
from the jobs there and we put pickets
around the Administrator buildings
of the University.
Appropriation Blocked
We contacted the Central Bodies in
other Missouri towns and urged them
to influence their legislators to hold
up the appropriation for the Univer-
sity in the State Legislature, until
such time as we were granted union
recognition at the University.
We have received the most en-
thusiastic cooperation from the Trades
and Labor Union of St. Louis, the
Kansas City Industrial Council, the
Kansas City Allied Printing Trades
Council and several other labor organ
izations throughout Missouri. To date
our efforts to stop the University ap-
preparations have been entirely sue
cesSful.
We have published our side of the
question in newspaper form and dis
tributed copies throughout Columbia
and Missouri. We have distributed
handbills explaining our situation both
in the State Capitol and at the Uni
versity.
Long Struggle for Union Recognition
Our fight is nothing hastily arrived
at or undertaken without due consid-
Grafton. We have made an intensive
effort to be granted union recognition
by the University for the last seven
years. We have met with the Uni
versity as individuals as committees
and as delegations. Both the Secre-
tary of the University Mr.. Leslie CO.
wan, and the Board of Curators of
the University have been repeatedly
contacted by us.
Union Fights Low Wages
Since many of our members are
graduates, former students, and alum
nae of the University, we have hesi.
tated to take this direct action until
it has finally been forced upon us by
what appears to be conniving and col.
lusion of private employers in Centra
Missouri with certain of the ruling of.
ficials at the University by maintain.
ing wage scale of from one-fourtf
to two-thirds of the union scales ir
Columbia.
The University, the largest employ
err of labor in this community, is 6
powerful influence toward driving
down our working conditions anc
wages, and in working men longe,
hours than we can possibly allow g
union member to work.
The Central Labor Union has form
ed a committee of one man from eacf
local in Columbia to handle this stu
alton. Every local in Columbia is con
tributing toward special fund on 6
IL