The potters herald. [volume] (East Liverpool, Ohio) 1899-1982, 1950-06-01
5000 Honored AT
Anniversary Of
IBEW Local 134

Chicago (LPA)-PlnS and scrolls
for 25 years or more of member
ship were presented to 5000 MEM
bers of Local 1874, international
Brotherhood Of Electrical Workers,
at the 50th anniversary of the local
May 81. The pins and scrolls were
presented by Daniel w. Tracy, in
ternational president, and j. Scott
Milne, international secretary-trea-
surer. Representatives of $50 mid
west IBEW locals attended the
celebration.
Speakers included William Green,
president Of the American Fedora
tion of Labor; Joseph d. keenan,,
director of Labor's League for
Political Education, for whom it
was a Homecoming, since Local 134
is his home local; Sen. Scott Lucas;
Rep. Neil ]. Linehan Cd, Ill.,, a
member of Local 1874; Mayor Mar
tin Kennedy, and Michael j.
Boyle, international ce-president
for the 9th district, who was among
the 80 who received pins for so
years continuous good standing in
the union.
Green, in congratulating the
local and listing the gains since
1900, said "the veteran pioneers of
your local union, whose long and
loyal membership we are honoring
tonight, know from their own ex-
perience the hardships, the strug-
giles, and the bitter sacrifices that
the workers of this country were
forced to endure in order to win de-
cent conditions. Even in our free
land the freedom of labor had to
be fought for and defended against
oppressive practices not only by
employers but by the government
itself. Every forward step on the
road to progress was bitterly con-
tested by the enemies of labor"
He noted that those entering the
industry today inherit the. higher
standards (which the veteran
trade-unionists had to pay for with
blood and tears" He said most of
them do not understand or take
the trouble to learn the history of
the labor movement. at is our duty
to teach them the basic lessons of
trade unionism," he said, "for the
time is fast approaching when the
labor movement of our country may
again be compelled to fight for it's
very existence.
He recounted the setback for
labor, especially in the Taft Hart
ley act, and declared "labor will
never submit to these unwarranted
and unconstitutional restrictions"
Labor must intensity it's political
efforts to defeat the Dixiecrats,
and glabor cannot succeed POLITICAL
ly in the south, Green pointed out,
"until we have increased our or-I
ganizational strengt h there"
Labor's battle during the first half
of the century, Green said, was to|
gain a foothold. Now, he said, the
battle must be "to keep our posi-
ton secure so that in the years.
ahead we can safely and confident
ly go on to greater progress for all
American workers.
Master of ceremonies wasl
Thomas J. Murray, Local 134 busi-I
ness agent. The introductions wereI
made by Charles M. Paulsen, local
president. Others on the programl
included Michael j. Kennedy, chair
man Of arrangements; Patrick S.
Sullivan, president Of the Chicagol
Building and Construction Tradesl
Council Frank Annunzio, directorl
of the state department of labor
Reuben Soderstrom, president of
the State Federation of Labor; and
William Lee, president of the Chi
cago federation.