The union times., 1946-04-06
State Workers Not In Unions
 Are Underpaid
Conn. Federation Confer ence Urges Employment
 Of Organizers

Organized labor Tn th1S state wants the Connecticut Federation of Labor to open a strong organ izing drive as soon as possible. This was the unanimous opinion of the delegates to the special organizing conference called by the State Federation, held at the Hotel Garde, New Haven.
 A resolution introduced by President Peter Benard of the Bridgeport Central Labor Union, and unanimously ac- cepted, urged the interna- tiOnal unions to assign to Connecticut as many organ izers as possible, and recon. mended to the executive board of the State Federation that it place into the field as many organizers as the funds of the State Federation will permit, with the object of utilizing all available opportunities to bring the unOrganized into the ranks of A.F.L. unions.
 LOW WAGES HURT ALL
 With President Timothy M. Col lins presiding, and Secretary Treas urer Joseph M. ROurke the open. ing speaker, the keynote of the conference was the fact that OppOr- tunities for organizing the unor- ganized are better now than they ever we're; that the sub-standard wages paid to the mnOrganixed lower the economic level of the en- tire state; and that the State Labor Relations Act, passed at labOr's i'm. sistence at the last session of the Legislature, protects workers dur. ing the process of organization.
 This last point was specifically stressed by Attorney William s. Cor don, IT,, of Hartford, who has been designated New England Resident Counsel by Joseph Padway, A.FL. general counsel. Gordon listed the protection both the State and the Wagner Acts give to workers, but pointed that they are not substitutes for organization.
 "With the passage of the State Act" Gordon said, ''COnnecaicut workers in intra-state industry now have the same protection that workers in interstate industry have. But we must always remem- Der that these laws, as valuable as they are, are part of the tools of or. ganizing, and are no substitute for the detailed planning and work that must go into real organizing drive."
 Gordon urged that all officers and business agents familiarize them selves with the details of the State Labor Relations Act, so that they could use it to its full extent.
 ORGANIZERS SPEAK
 They were Robert E. Hart and Thomas F. Burns of the Bakery and Confectionery Workers; Wal ter Collins of the Building Service Employees; Fred Steinmueller of the. BOilermakers; Richard E. Bragger of the Chemical Workers; Joseph C. Lehan of the Fire Fight CTS; Thomas J. Durnin of the Hotel and Restaurant Employees; John F. Donovan of the Laundry Work CTS; Kenneth J. Kelley of the Meat Cutters and Butcher WOrkmen; James NOvaccO of the Hat, Cap and Millinery Workers; Frederick J. Rockford of the Paper Makers; Raymond J. JamiesOn of the Office Employees; Philip C. Opinsky of the Printing Pressmen and Fred Almond of the Retail Clerks.
 TRIBUTE TO RAVEN
 John F. Murphy, New England Representative of the A. F. of L., urged that organization efforts should be concentrated in certain localities. Select city," he said, ''and put in your best efforts for a time there; then, go to another city. Don't try to cover the entire state all at once; otherwise you will spread yourself out too thin." In this thought he was supported by former Secretary Treasurer Harold V. Feinmark who also advised this course, urging that the newly-Or- ganized locals be given full service.
 Reports on organization posSibili- ties in their cities and towns and as Surances of full cooperation were given by Samuel Curry for the New Haven C. L.C., Leonard Bright for the Bridgeport C. L. U., Benjamin P. Peck for the Danbury C. L. U., George Watson and James Dooley for the Hartford C. L. U., Edward w. Rice for the New London C. L. U., Thomas Yoczik for the Norwalk C. L. U., George Lockwood for the Stamford C. L. U. and Thomas F. Brennan for the Waterbury C. L. U.