The people's voice. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1939-1969, 1961-09-22
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all proportion the uefalcatlons Oh
very few union leaders, Larson
pointed with pride to the fact that
the 1O9-year old ITU has never had
a single funds scandal involving
international officers. ITU MEM
bers and the general public should
in face of the constant brain
washing" campaigns carried on by
the NAM, the us. C.ofC. and the
commercial press as they use "a
few examples to smear the entire
labor movement :" ITU account
ing methods, he pointed out, make
funds misappropriation almost an
impossibility.
Illustrating how ITU has always
kept abreast of and ahead of the
publishing industry's needs for high
ly skilled craftsmen, Larson pointed
to the recent overhaul of apprentice
training rules and programs which
now include training in the various
"new processes which are revolu-
tionizing the printing industry, touch
typewriting. etc., in addition to ira
ditional emphasis on 9hot metal pro-
cesses. Apprentices now do not have
to serve a fixed six-year period, but
rather can be upgraded various steps
and into qualified journeymen as
soon as they prove their competency
as skilled craftsmen.
Improved apprenticeship programs.
along with further craft education for
journeymen, he said, is imperative
if ITU is to maintain its historic
jurisdiction and supply the industry's
growing need for all-around crafts
men.
At the banquet session, Larson
briefly reviewed the history of ITU
from it's founding in 1852. ITU, he
told his listeners, was the motivating
force in establishing the American
of Labor, beginning the
project in 1879 Also, ITU pio-
neered in bringing the 44-hour week
TO American industry almost sixty
years ago. and then, upwards of
forty years ago, again proved it's de-
for better conditions on ]
The picket line in fighting to secure
4 40-hour week.
Taking note of the increasing use
If professional strikebreakers by the
he said Printers the nation a
,ver are now leading the effort to {
eek Citizens Job Protection laws |;
which bar the importation of pro- e
essional strikebreakers into state. q
live states have enacted such laws. a
these laws, he emphasized, benefit y
lot only Printers but all of organized p
abor. In substantiation he pointed c
ut many different unions which had a
lad strikes broken or prolonged be- P
ause of professional strikebreakers. K
Why A STATE LABOR :
!,
State AFL-CIO President TIMBER e
richly outlined the functions and La
of a state central
abor organization, pointing out that Il
he most important, but not its only X
uty, is legislation. 1t is the central e.
ody's duty to lobby for and against 10
legislative proposals as inundated by P
rC dAi4tddd NOHfCikLiOilc VI AsAoabSxAd IN
tate AFL-CIO. These include not m
My such strictly labor items as un- tr
Employment and worlmen's compen- DO
alton. minimum wage and needed til
afety codes, but also, to actively
'ork for better schools, adequate TIL
effare programs, resource conserva- al
on, equitable taxation, etc., and to nc
with farm and other ce
roups in pressing for enactment of In
gislation of Importance to the gen. tn
al public. ne
One of the major obstacles facing SC
ontana State AFL-CIO as with other of
ate labor declarations, is that many be
cal unions are not affiliated This
cans, TIMBER said, that the state wi
'ganization is woefully under to
nanced. 1t also means that those co
mons which are affiliated carry the be
ad while "the others ride on your
lcks and twiddle their thumbs. les
lese ''freeriders", he continued, thi
ust be Jared out of their lethargy, me
lst be persuaded to join in that the du
erall good of people may be pro- tiv
oted. Either we have labor move