The potters herald. [volume] (East Liverpool, Ohio) 1899-1982, 1941-03-13
COOPERATION-NOT REPRESSION


monial in the way Great Britain has rallied her
resources and stood her ground against two die
tators, aroused anew our sympathy for his
country Our whole economic life is being
organized in answer to Mr.. Churchs plea, "Give
us the tools" Meanwhile the increasingly grave
world situation increases our need for prepared
ness as well as for maximum production of wal
supplies.
The American Federation of Labor from the
first favored the extension of all help and assist
ance to Great Britain in her hour of need short
of war. These were not empty words but we
have since implemented them in our support of
the Lease-Lend Bill, in the adoption of the dec
larations of our Metal Trades and Building Trades
Departments in which moblized the great
sources of skilled craftsmen so essential to our
defense production program.
The Metal Trades took the responsibility OF
securing contracts with employers to unity and
stabilize labor relations and to provide voluntary
arbitration for issues not settled by collective bar
gaining. Such agreements will constitute guar
antee of no strikes or lockouts.
The Building Trades Department. nineteen
organizations representing million and a half
workers, agreed to forego double time and accept
time and onehaf for work done on Saturdays
Sundays and holidays; overtime rates have been
relinquished in localities where local agreements
specify six-hour day with overtime rates begin
ming after forty hours. The Department mo-
bilized 375,OOO unemployed skilled workers as a
travelling work force for cantonment construction
across the continent without charge. These 375,-
600 will soon finish this basic job and will then
be available for further service.
Our organized work army stands ready to
put itself unreservedly into the defense program
of our nation. Our disciplined group will and can
be power for uninterrupted production. Here
is testimony to the effectiveness of acceptance
of unions and work contracts with them, estab-
fishing terms and conditions of work and machln-
cry to adjust current difficulties
llaIti,y I,.l,r ,iIin, Int, hn tr,,t
Northern Paper Company and the representatives
of the pulp and sulphte workers and paper
makers, together with machiniStS carpenters
electrical workers. tiremen and plumbers, employ
ed by this largest producer of neWSprnt paper
in the United States has been maintained FOL
thirty years without a strike or even a strike vote
The agreement provides a 100 per cent union
shop. Similarly, collective bargaining has con
tnued since 1908 without interruption Of work r
the st. CroX Paper Company, and in the Ontario
Paper Company for twenty-five years. On the
Pacific Coast, where the industry is new, agree
ments have been in effect for over twenty years
without interruption Of work or labor troubles.
After the manufacturers accepted the union
of United HatterS, Cap and Millinery Workers and
established collective BARGAINING, strike ceased. NC
strike has occurred in New York since 1919, nOI
in Chicago or ST. Louis since 1893. In addition tC
the basic union contract permanent adjustment
machinery is ready to adjust differences and pro
visions for arbitration The establishment of ma
est factor in getting decision Of questions on a
basis Of fact and absence Of industrial conflicts.
The Elevator Constructors international Union
has had no strike since 1916 when the internati-
onal union representing these workers met with
the Elevator Manufacturers Association AND
agreed to basic national contract renewable
every five years The agreement provides Ma
tionaI Arbitration Committee for disputes not set.
tied locally.
The international brotherhood of Bookbindcrs
in all tt,ct or
mediation Cancellation and arbitration. Only two
strikes Of consequence have occurred in the
United States and Canada within recent years anC
these occurred because employers refused to bar
gain collectively.
The Glass Bottle Blowers Association has also
maintained an organization for over sixty years
which covers % per cent Of the industry. 1t makes
national agreements with the employers Of The
industry organized nationally. For fifty years col
lective bargaining has been in effect for skilled
Departments the contract NEGOTIATED in connection