Montana labor news., 1944-08-03

The UE brief was the first to be
supported by the physical presence of
not only workers but also their wives
and little children. They appeared to
support the unions contention that 1T
is essential for labor and industry to
begin now in time of war to cooperate
and plan for lasting peace and full EN-
ployment'
one example which shows how UE
employs the new technique to support
its case came from Walter zack OF
Irvington, N. j. zack is a 3rd class
electrician at Westinghouse plant in
West Bloomfield. He held his 5-year-
old son, Robert on his lap as he told
the panel that visits of a physician now
cost him S4, whereas the former price
was only 81.
zaek said his take home wage"
amounts to $42.5O a week for 48 hours,
and there is a rumor afloat in the plant
that it may be cut to 40 hours If that
happens tn be in the hole for fair,
he said 1 won't be able to make ends
meet" zack said he hadn't been able
to buy new clothes for more than
year, and that resoling now costs him
$2.25 pair instead of $1.lO as formerly.
Mrs. zack also testified. She held her
1 -year-old daughter Barbara, a pretty
blonde child who couldn't sit still. The
mother said that pants for the daughter
cost soc each instead Of zoe just short
time ago. She went into detailed figures
as to the costs of identical brands of
canned foods, fruits and other items the
family purchases as necessities.
UE's brief was presented for the
workers by Pres. Albert J. Fitzgerald and
Sec. Treas. julius Emspak.
Raising the question of guaranteed
weekly wage during reconversion in ad-
dtion to the wage increase now, Fltz-
gerald said "a guaranteed weekly wage
is an essential wartime and postwar
measure" He spoke of the plan as
means, coupled with a planned method
of meeting cutbacks and unemployment
insurance, to guarantee maximum pro
duction for victory.
The union statement said "GE and
Westinghouse which produce a huge
volume Of consumer goods, can do the
nation and themselves a service by tax
ing the lead in granting increased pur-
chasing power to their own workers"
This thought followed a discussion Of
new frontiers in the electrical industry
which said that cultivation Of foreign
markets by the two major companies
would afford them "a guarantee for
continued production at wartime levels
without interruption"
In its presentation of the background
that gives rise to the wage demands, the
UE said that the economic stabinzation
program Of Pres. Roosevelt was sabo-
tagged by reactionary congressman and
excessive profiteering followed and al
though heavy taxes hit the low income
groups, taxation was insufficient to
siphon off excess profits.
Under these circumstances" the
brief said, wage sterilization in effect
became wage freezing. As q result, in
flationary measures resulted in excessive
increases in the cost of living
Whereas, labor in 1889 was receiving
65.7eo Of the national income, labor in
l943 was receiving only $3.50 of the
national income. In simple justice to
the working people a wage adjustment
should be granted
In conclusion, the brief said wage de-
mands are not inflationary since the
Inc increase will not boost the price Of
electrical equipment because increased
profits of the companies are sufficient
to meet IL