Montana labor news., 1944-12-07

Outstanding convention actions were;
4 Authorized President Green to lead
an AFL committee to the White House
to impress upon President Roosevelt the
urgency of a break in the wage freeze for
immediate justice to American workers
and to buttress postwar purchasing
power
2-Called for new conferences to bring
about a united labor movement in Amer
lea by reaffliation Of CIO unions and
the United Mine Workers Union with the
AFL.
3-Drafted concrete steps to boost
production Of vital war equipment items
in which shortages now exist
4-strongly reaffirmed the federation's
policy against job discrimination because
of race, color Or creed.
5-By action Of the Executive Council,
refused to participate in a sO-called
World Labor Conference called by the
British Trades Union Congress because
dual organizations and unions that
are neither bona fide nor free were in
vited to participate
Just about the strongest attacks of the
convention we're directed at the Little
Steel formula and other wage e-shackling
/ policies of the administration.
A report Of the resolutions committee,
unanimously adopted, assailed the Little
Steel" formula as betrayal Of the un-
derstanding whereby labor suspended its
use of the right to strike for the dura-
ton on the assurance that wage disputes
would be decided on their merits.
Freezing Of wages by "one-man edict'
has been followed, the report said, by the
more shocking spectacle" Of the major
ity Of the War Labor Board in refusing
"even to recommend any alienation Of
the wage freezing policies.
Thus at the end Of the third year Of
government regulation of labor" the re-
port declared, "the workers Of the nation
find themselves enmeshed in laws of
Congress. executive orders of the Presi-
cent, edicts of the directors Of Economic
IStabilization and directives Of the nation
al War Labor Board yet the federation
has been unable to obtain acknowledge
iment from the federal government of
the simple fact that the pre-war stand
lard of living for workers is rapidly de-
teriorating'
The convention instructed President
Green to name a representative commit
tee to call on FDR and request that he
issue an executive order which will re-
alistically adjust the Little Steel form
ula in line with the increased cost Of liv-
ing and permit employers and employees
to effectuate the newly established policy
by voluntary agreement without submis-
sion to the War Labor Board
Denunciation Of the Little Steer'
yardstick and of WLB methods came
from many union chieftains
Significant resolutions were adopted
by the delegates, calling for:
Adequate labor representation at the
peace table.
Labor participation in Department Of
Labor preparation of the cost of living
index.
Enactment of a federal anti -lynching
law Repeal of the provision Of the tax
laws requiring unions to make financial
reports to the government. Repeal Of
the vicious Smith-Connany act. Free
dom Of speech on the air Federal legis-
lation abolishing poll taxes. Exemption
Of all annuities from income taxes. Sal
ary increases for postal employees and
other government workers. Time and
One-haH pay for overtime work by all
federal workers. Also payment Of pre-
vailing wages on all housing insured by
the FILA. Denial Of federal funds to
municipalities which require teachers to
sign yellow dog" contracts More in
tensive organization of women workers
and greater efforts to obtain equal pay
for equal work"
Support Of the railroad brotherhoods
on legislation to liberalize the railroad
retirement and railroad unemployment
insurance acts.