Montana labor news., 1950-02-09

The time has come when all OF is nave Bot o dh up
our minds. Are we really serious in all this talk about this
years Congressional elections2 Docs it really matter to US
on our jobs, to our families, to our prosperity or the future OF
our country who wins? VIII a shortsghted, reachonary ma
iorty in Congress really hurt us? Are better pensions, stronger
schools. more housing, repeal OF the latt-Hartley Act Health
insurance worth anything? Or are we just beating our gums'
The time has come to put up OF shut up. Primary cam
paigns have already started in some states. II we are serious
about wanting the liberals to win This years elections then
we've got to start getting to work o. the most important part
Of this year campaigns-flnancng
We can't contribute a dime from our union treasury to help
elect our best friend in Congress. or even a nickel to help de-
feat our worst enemy. Senator TAFT and his reaGtlonary Gor-
Byrd coalition in Congress saw TO tat when they wrote inc
Taft Act. The tn Act makes it illegal tor US as
union members to use a cent from our treasury tor this Con-
gressional campaign. It's against the law-the att law;
Senator Tafts law does not, OF course, make it illegal tor
well-heeled corporation executives from as tar away as oan
Diego OF Mobil from contributing to ats campaign IN Ohio;
Taft and some of the other enemies Of labor in Congress will
have the biggest war chests in history this year.
What are we going to do for our fnends2 How are they
going to pay for their campaigns? For the leaflets, the radio
time, the newspaper advertising, campaign headquarters staff
tons of a corporation executive. But there are more OF us.
If we each chip in a buck or two, we gel enough. As ch-
zens " have an organization, the Machinists Non-Partsan Po.
ldical League. Contributions to that league are voluntary. II
that League is going to swing enough weight tor US IN this
election it needs money now. he money you send to the
League will be used to help elect labors friends to Congress.
1t will go further toward winning the election than any other
contribution you could make-that and your vote.
If a liberal victory in this year election is worth a couple
of bucks to you and your family, send it in now. If this
election ISM worth anything to you, don't cry next year when
Taft and his cronies start turning the screw. It'll be too late
then.
RAISE
Last week one and a half million low paid American workers
got a raise in pay ranging from ) TO y cents an hour.
They got that raise because the amendments to the Fair
Labor Standards Act, increasing the minimum wage to Is
cents an hour, went into effect on January IS.
As trade unionists. we N glad to see these lowest-paid
workers who are not protected by union agreements. get this
raise, even though our WI wages are not directly affected.
For the fact is that the minimum wage law. however bene-
ficial it is in helping prevent exploitation OF unorganized. low
paid workers, doesn set the pace in wage raises.
Rather, it is the other way around. After the trade unions
have succeeded in raising the pay for the great majority Of
working men and women, then the law is finally amended to
help plug up some Of the worst loopholes, and the lowest paid
workers III given d small advance.
The unorganized workers have the trade unions to thank
for the fact that they ae getting any pay raise at all.