The Chronicle-star combined with the Moss Point advertiser., 1945-01-12


president Of the Metal Trades
Council. in answer 10 MIR. Lanier.
follows:
Mr.. Lanier states that the sole
issus is to force a union or closed
shop on its employees, which is
untrue. The unions do ask for a
union shop for the purpose Of
bringing about better relations
between Management and the
employees, but this is not the sole
issue.
MIR. Lanier asks that the petit
ton be withdrawn on the grounds
that it is u%npatriotic action taken
by the labor unions. The unions
ask Mr.. Lanier if it is more UNI
patriotic to take a strike vote
during these times than it is for
the Company to discharge me-
chanics making $l.20 per hour.
who are trained TO build the ships
so badly needed at this time, and
hire trainees at a rate of Use for
the sole purpose of cutting wag-
es. Since the Company started
this practice about two weeks
ago the Metal Trades Council has
tried repeatedly to get the Com
pany to meet them on this issue
but has been denied a meeting
to date.
"Mr. Lanier states that on Nov.
20, l943, a petition for a strike
vote was Withdrawn. This shows
the unions are doing all they can
to prevent a stoppage of work
during the present emergency; on
the other hand Mr.. Lanier made
the statement in New Orleans at
a meeting of the Gulf Zones
Conference that he was in New
Orleans not for National Dedense
but for Ingalls, Defense. Further.
Mr., r. |. ingalls, Sr., once made
the statement that before he
would sign a union shop agree
ment he would blow his plant up.
Thus the unions in l943 withdrew
their petition for a strike vote in
an effort to contribute everything
they could to the war effort,
while company officials in such
statements as those quoted here
indicate that the Company is not
interested in the wal effort or
the welfare of its employees. but
only in the welfare of ingalls,, it.
self.
With reference to the condi-
ton of the canteens in the yard.
MI Lhnier made the statement to
a group from the Metal Trades
Council that he was not interest,"
ed in feeding people, but solely
in building ships. The Metal
Trades Council endeavored to the
utmost of its ability to place the
canteen outside the yard inside
the plant so that facilities for
feeding could be and would be
adequate. Since their installation
in the yard the men have found
that very unsanitary conditions
exist and these canteens do not
begin to serve the employees.
I'm reply to Mr.. Lanier's state
ment that there is no basis for a
strike vote, the unions wish TO
call attention to Some of the con-
ditions that exist. II is Q matter
of record that the Ingalls, Ship
building Corporation agreed to
pay SLIPS per hour for welding
galvanized materials, which is
very bad for the health of those
engaged in this work. This agree
ment was to have become effec-
tive August l, 1912. and to date
the Company has failed to pay
for this work at the rate of $l.25
and has paid only $1.20 per hour.
We would also like to state
that it is a matter of agreement
that loftsmen are to be paid$14 Al
per hour, and the Company has
been and is paying various rates
from $1.06h to $I.41.
1t is also q matter of agreement
that employees in the special ap
prentice classification are to re-
ceive Az cents per hour increase
for each 500 hours worked, and
the Company fails TO re-rate APP
prentices at the proper time, ne
cessitating in many instances the
union grievances committe ham
ding these matters when they
should be working to build ships.
1T is also q matter of record
that standard skilled mechanics
are to be paid $l.20 per hour. but
to date we, the unions, can fur
nish evidence to substantiate our
contention that the agreement is
mol now and has not been in the
past complied with in regards to
paying $t.20 per hour to standard
skilled mechanics.
Mr.. Lanier states that this ac-
ton is taken by radical and ILL
advised labor leaders. II il is rad
ical to ask that men be given
clean food, that they be paid ac-
cording to agreement, that they
receive raises as scheduled, and
that working conditions be up
held for the men overseas to
coma hack IN uhan fha tsfor =