The potters herald. [volume] (East Liverpool, Ohio) 1899-1982, 1949-04-21
LABOR STALEMATED IN
STATE LEGISLATURES

w dSHlflkIOH ALf n - OTBdilIto
labor took stock Of its gains and
losses on the state fronts this week
as over half Of the Al legislatures
meeting this year completed their
sessions.
Results were mixed. In every
state, labor blocked attempts to
enact new anti-union laws, but at
the halfway mark no existing anti
labor measures were actually wiped
off the books, other than those re-
pealed in last falls election.
Labor scored gains in other re-
spects. Many states improved ex-
isting unemployment insurance and
workmen's compensation laws. A
few enacted "fair employment
practice" measures. Various other
bills championed by trade unions
were put through.
Some Of the highlights on the
state legislative fronts were these:
CALIFORNIA: The Senate, con-
trolled by rural areas, put through
a vicious new "hot cargo" bill
which bars sympathetic strikes and
refusal to handle scab-made pro-
ducts. An about battle is under
way to block the measure in the
Assembly.
COLORADO: Senate Labor Com
mittee, controlled by reactionaries,
bottled up a bill previously passed
by the House repeating Colorado's
so-called Labor Peace Act" which
is filled with anti-labor provisions.
IDAHO: Six anti-labor bills were
killed; workmen's accident COM
pensation benefits increased 30R.
IOWA: Fight to modify Iowa's
drastic anti-labor law which out
laws all forms of the union shop
was lost by a narrow margin in
the House, despite support for the
modification by the COP floor lead
er, the state Republican committee
chairman and the Des Moines daily
newspapers. The Des Moi n 5
papers went so far as to warn the
COP that "a political party which
gets stamped as blindly anti-labor
has little chance to win national
elections"
INDIANA: Labor lost fight for
outright repeal of states anti
strike law in utilities, but won
changes in the law.
MONTANA: Passed bill making
1916 Federal mine safety code en-
forceable by state law, first state
to do so.
NEW JERSEY: State civil rights
bill strengthened to provide penal
ties for discrimination in employ
ment, education, recreation and
public accommodations. However,
measures to improve unemploy-
ment insurance, sickness and work
mems compensation were pigeon
holed by Senate after passing
Assembly.
NEW YORK: Disability insur-
ance bill, sponsored by Governor
Dewey, put through, Provides
benefits of SO to s26 a week dur
ing illness for maximum of 13
weeks to workers covered by un-
employment insurance. Measure
was supported by State Federation
of Labor but opposed by the State
CIO Council as "pitifully inadequ-
ate" CIO and some AFL unions
also contended the benefits should
be financed by holding back unem-
ployment insurance tax rebates to
employers instead of by 15 of l
percent payroll tax on workers as
provided in the law.
NORTH CAROLINA: Labor de-
feated in effort to secure repeal of
states anti-closed shop law, de-
spite plea for repeal made by lib
eral Governor w. Kerr Scott.
NORTH DAKOTA: Workmen's
accident compensation benefits in
creased by IS a week to a max
imum of S37 for a worker with six
dependents. State officials claimed
this is now "the highest in the
United States"
OREGON: Bills to repeal 1947
anti-labor laws failed of passage
by a two-vote margin.
PENNSYLVANIA: Senate, by
landslide majority, voted down a
bill to extend the states utility
anti-strike law to street car and
other transportation companies.
DunnLS TCI ND. y ~, q e .