The voice of labor. (Cumberland, Md.) 1938-1942, 1942-04-09
'COnnallv
Bill Due
In Senate

W \ > II L y " j " Mn tne
face of ever mounting oppo-
sition 10 the current disunity
drive against labor, Congress
sional copperheads laid plans
during a two-week Easter re-
cess TO renew their attacks on
the nations production sol
dierS.
The clio. AL. and Railroad
Broiherhoods. combining forces
against anii-labor forces which
have been characterized as dis
rupters of national unity" found
added support in President Roose-
yclt who praised labor's patriotism
In voluntarily waving premium
Pay for weekend and holiday
work
RooSevelts support was shown II
a letter TO the United Automobile
Workers war conference Tuesday
when the auto workers unanimously
approved the waving OF premium
pay for week END and holiday work.
except where the work was over
forty hours.
The CIO executive board and the
AFL executive board had earlier
recommended the waving OF prem
ium pay. Member organizations in
both labor groups followed suit
shortly after But the disunity
drive continued.
Sen. Elmer Thomas revealed the
Sparkplug OF the current anti-labor
drive when he told the Senate that
the dclugc OF mail demanding anti
labor action from Congress origi-
mated in the marble halls OF tbs
U. S. Chamber OF Commerce in
Washington. He said the military
affairs subcommittee OF the Senate
Appropriations Committee made
an intensive investigation OF the
current attack.
Paul V. McNutt. speaking with
AL Pres!dsnt WILLIAM Gresn and
CLIO President Phillip Murray ct
q joint labor rally in Pittsburgh
condemned "libeiS against labor"
and said that labor "bl voluntarily
waving the right 10 strike. has
assured tho nation of uninterrupted
production OF war materials as far
as labor is concerned
Murray called for the opening up
OF l68-hour a week production In
all war plants and declared that
idle machines work for Hitler"
Unified labor. in the meantime,
gained major victories in the Senate
when the proposed Pepper riders TO
( the new $4,000 900, 900 appropriation
bill was defeated. Peppers riders
would have outlawed union initia-
ton fees OF war jobs and would
have frozen wages and prices. The
second victory was gained when the
Senate rejected proposed riders Of
icrcd b. Sen. Lee Pass the Bis
SUITS PappyJ O'Daniels who would
have abolished all overtime pay
ments. outlawed the closed shop,
picketing, and force and violence"
in labor disputes.
Sen. Tom Connally's bill IN
freeze WAGES and working conditions
standards. however. comes UP for
debate and vote after the Easter
recess.
But even while Congress was IN
turmoil over the questions Of
overtime pay. 40-hour week. labor
styove for even greater heights in
war production records.
World production figures are go
ing into the ash heaps and the ma
tons furnaces and mills are turn
ing out cyer-increasing quantities
o! war materials. labor management
production committees have re-
ported 10 war production chief Dom
aid Nelson
Tho reports. received from 3ns
companies. were not boaStful and
there was no implication that eth
or tho labor OF management repre-
sentativcS on them felt that they
had done enough and were content
10 rest on their laurels.
Typical was the report of Bill
Johnson and JOE Gividen OF the
labor-managcment committee of
the Middletown. o. division OF the
American Rolling Mill Co.
AT Midnight March Bliss IL read.
all previous monthly production
records in the history OF this 81
year old steel plant were smashed
by blast furnace. open hearth and
blooming bar and strip mill depart
mentS
Bias, furnaces made 1000 tons
more pig iron than any previous
month Open hearth reduced $500
more tors OF steel than the best
past month Blooming. bar and
strip rolled 5000 more tons OF in
go;S
Men Gid grand Job In spite OF
scrap shortage and lighter and
poorer scrap. We promise not only
to meet these new peaks In the
future but TO beat them as 1912 un-
folds
Republic Steel OF Cleveland. o.
reported il was operating 1853 hours
week our Warren. o. blast fur
mace produced what we believe 70
be an all-iinle worlds record for
blast furnace production In any one
mon,h-4l.S5i tons" the labor
management reported.