Montana labor news., 1950-09-14
IUMM&SW to ADOPT
No Wage Freeze"
Program

Program
DENVER. A iour-point mo
wage freeze" program designed tn
protect the living standards OF
| American and Canadian workers is
proposed by rre,iden, John Clark
in his annual report to the 10th con-
vcntion OF the International Union
OF Mine. Mill and Smelter Workers
which convened Monday. Sept. IL.
Advance registrations indicate
that. despite a heavy campaign OF at
tempted raids on Mine-Mill locals
| by the Clio Steclworkers Union dur
ing the past eigh, months. more
delegates will attend the Mine Mill
convention here than came 10 the
last years parley in Chicago.
Since World War II ended, the
take-homc pay Of American and
"nadian worker, has never risen
IN pace with the rising
r.. American corpo-
%rations the. time high in prof
its in 1913, 1919 and the first half
Of 1885," Clark said. Congress and
the federal administration should
take immediate steps to encourage
wage increases Tor the millions oi
workers. organized and u~norganized.
whose real income is today lower
than at the end OF the war"
Clark urged enactment OF a price
control program. Tree or any loop
holes and guaranteeing real enforce
mcnt power. which rolls consumer
prices back to the levels at which
they stood on February |. 1850. and
keeps them there for the duration Of
the 'cmergcnc,'."
AT the same time. he called ior a
1907 tau on excess profits. and
urged that there must be no income
tax increase Tor families with an
nual incomes OF 5000 or less The
burden OF increased taxation must
be borne By those who are profiting
from the current economic crisis.
namely the corporations and indi-
viduals with high incomes" he said.
The Minc-Mill union prcsiden, in
sisted that "a substantial wage in
crease is needed now throughout
the non-ierrous metals industry TO
enable our members to maintain
even the inadequate standard OF liv-
ing OF recent years" And he added
I'VE propose to seek immediate dis
cussions with employers Tor the pur-
pose Of securing higher wages
He also made clear that from
now OH, Mine-Mill locals will insist
that all contracts contain wage re-
| opening clauses that permit rene
gotiation Of wages upon 80 days no.
tice. Recent events point sharply to
| the need for having available the
means TO seek wage adjustments in
line with rapidly changing economic
| circumstances.
Clark called attention to a survey
made by the Wall Street Journal
August l., showing that the largest
percentage gain over a year ago in
second-quarter profits was the 1890,
scored by the metals and mining
group. again rejecting the swing i'll
general business, In the l949 quarter
the r%eiiners OF copper. lead and zinc
were selling little metal and cutting
prices sharply. In recent months the
copper and zinc producers have had
a difficult time meeting the de-
mand."
The report is sharply critical OF
the record OF the 8lst Congress. The
Bipartisan phrase has attached it
sell to more and more issues, as the
Democratic and Republican parties
returned to the old ways OF working
together" il said.
The smelter union president lait
particular emphasis on the fact tina
the past year has seer the creates
upSurge nf witch-hmting i'll .Americ;
since the days Of the Salem witch
craft trials. Both parties have soueli
irantically io out do each other il
proving their patriotism by castin'
doubt on the To- atty Of literally mil
lions OF decent citizens"
I Are we to permit our definitio
OF 'Americanism' to be re-writte
for US by the Houses OF Morgan
Rockefeller, G~iannini and DUPONT ?
5 he asked. ITO do that would be I
admit that A~mericanism is the ur
critical acceptance of super-profit
wage freezes, the Taft-Hartley Law
the failing OF Harry Bridges, and III
open shop. That we refuse to do"
President Clark said ilatly tn;
y the attempted raids OF the Clio Stee
y workers against Mine-Mill. {
n which $250,OW a month were spel
for several months, have bee
{ turned back To-day, seven montl
+ after the opening OF the greatest a
: sault ever faced by our local union
}. we can reiterate II pride in Il
q membership Of Mine-Mill and sta
confidently that the first great a
tempt to smash our union throu,
the evil offices OF the Go has be,
turned back" he said.