Evening star., 1948-11-17
AFL Boosts Salaries
OF Green and Meany
By $4,000 Annually
By Jones Y. Newton
Sfor Stoff Correspondent

American feQeTdIlOIl VI hdooi
convention today boosted the
salaries of its two top officials
but they received far less gener-
Gus treatment than John L.
Lewis and fellow officials got
from their United Mine Workers
The pay of President William
Green was raised to $4,000 a year
from $4,000, and that of Secretary
Treasurer George Meany to $4,000
from the present $4,000. 1t was the
first salary increase given the offi-
GERS in eight years.
The recent UNIV convention, also
held here, doubled the pay OF Mr..
Lewis to $4,000, making him the
highest paid union official in the
country. Salaries of UNIV vice presl-
dent and secretary-treasurer were
similarly raised.
Vice Presidents Restored.
Those AFL officials who together
with Mr.. Green and Mr. Meany
make up the Executive Council were
again give the titles OF vice presl-
dent. There are 13 such posts.
Last years AFL convention clipped
off the vice presidential titles when
Mr.. Lewis, himself vice president,
refused to sign a Taft-Hartley Act
non Communist affidavit necessary
for a number of AFL unions to re-
ceive recognition of the National
Labor Relations Board.
Mr.. Lewis broke with his fellow
officers over the issue and later took
his mine workers out of the AFL.
The council members will get back
their vice president titles on re-
election at next Tuesdays closing
session. It was understood that all
l3 are ready to sign the affidavits
oisavowing communism.
Ching Addresses Convention.
Cyrus S. Ching, director of the
Federal Mediation and Cancellation
Service, urged the labor leaders to
accept the full responsibilities and
duties that go with the term "free
collective bargaining" He called
for labor peace and warned that
"every small conflict we have with
In the confines of this country will
be exaggerated and magnified by
those who seek to destroy our sys-
tenn" the Communists.
Mr.. Ching said it was the func-
ton of his agency to represent
neither labor nor management, but
to work for the interests OF all OF
the people. He added, The Gov
ernment's role is not to snatch any,
body's chestnuts from the fire, to
give aid or cimfort to no party to
q labor dispute or to relieve any
body of responsibility"
The Federal official made no ref
erence of the reported plans Of
White House advisers to recon-
mended to Congress that the inde-
pendent dispute-settling agency be
put back within the Labor Depart
meut Mr. Ching is strongly op-
posed to it and believes the service
should be above the suspicion Of
partiality. '<
The AFL had not finished drafting
Just what it expects of the new.
administration and Congress. but 1T
Is possible to say now that when it
Is complete it will take magnifying
glass to tell any differences between
the AFL and Truman Legislative
programs.
Both are for quick repeal of the
Taft-Hartley Labor Relations Law.
which the labor leaders describe in
nncomn11mentaTy <tei1ns. -
Minimnunm Wage. 80
Increase in. the statutory mini
mum wage? The Democrats are
pledged to raise it to IS cents an
hour from the present 40. Several
resolutions have been introduced
here to increase the minimum to 81.
The positions of both are identical
as to increasing social security bene-
fits and broadening the base so that
more people will be eligible to re-
ceive the benefits.
Only on ways of controlling in
fiation and what will be substituted
In the way of labor law when the
Taft Hartley Act is repealed do
the AFL and administration seem to
differ at all.
William Green, AFL president,
stated that the Federation is COM
pletely opposed to the re-imposition
of price controls and he has sug-
gested a National conference Of
Government, business and labor to
work out a plan for dealing with
imitation.
He fears that any broad price
controls will lead to wage-fixing and
to black-marketing.
Steelman is Speaker.
Truman forces have been silent on
the subject recently, but at last re-
ports they favored going beyond
what Mr. Green advocates.
AS to a substitute for the Taft
Hartley Act the administration has
been equally vague Two top off,
cials in the labor field, Secretary of
Labor Tobin and John R. Steelman,
the assistant to the President, have
shed little light here on what they
want in the way of a new labor re-
lations law.
Mr.. Steelman addressed the con-
vention late yesterday and he gave
the labor delegates little or no idea
as to what to expect.
Secretary Tobin was slightly more
calculating in a news conference
following his address of the day be-
fore thtat gave the AFL little in
formation.
Touches on Wages.
Secretary Tobin let it be known
that he was not opposed to the
use of Federal Court injunctions
where necessary to prevent strikes
that threaten to paralyze the ma
tional economy, such as ones in the
coal or transportation industries
He said, however, that he is op-
posed to the use of injunctive power
to prohibit unfair labor practices
on the part of labor as defined by
the Taft-Hartley Act.
On the subject of wages, Secre-
tary Tobin said they should be sta
bilized, along with prices, but that
the wages of millions of workers
still Jagged behind the cost of living