The potters herald. [volume], October 13, 1949, Image 1

About The potters herald. [volume] (East Liverpool, Ohio) 1899-1982

Image provided by: Ohio History Connection, Columbus, OH

                
LIBROIAn* A. F. OF
A. F. OP L. B'JILDP
WASHI!HT"N, D. C.
.■ a.....
MEMBER
INTERNATIONAL LABOR
NEWS SERVICE
Conferee Makes
Report of Parley
To Local No. 122
It is worth note that a later con
ference is in view to work out a
suitable retirement plan for pot
ters who spend the greater part of
their life at the trade. Some other
matters are to be reconsidered
also. Among these is the hourly
charge for clay and scrap and the
carrying out of finished ware to
the green room. This has long
been a sore spot for clay workers
and certainly needs consideration
to help bring them up to a par
with earnings of other pottery
tradesmen.
After a long delay, we have
news that members of Local No.
144 stoneware, are now within the
folds of No. 122 generalware since
they have changed to generalware
making at Plant No. 2. This was
announced by Frank Campbell last
month after a special meeting
with officials of No. 144.
This should increase their earn
ings and bargaining power with
company officials. The old axiom
of strength in numbers.
I am pleased to read in the news
papers that all unions are going
all out this fall in a political pro
gram to elect favorable Congress
men and Representatives. Let’s
back the right men this time. Did
you register or check your regis
tration to vbte —O.C. 122
EGA Head Reports
Increase if Hope
In Western Europe
St. Paul (LPA)—Europe is no
longer hungry, Europe is at work.
Europe is investing in new plants
and her production is expanding.
That is the hopeful progress report
made to the AFL convention Oct.
5 by Paul C. Hoffman, head of the
Economic Cooperation Administra
tion.
Progress towards recovery has
been spectacular, Hoffman said,
but the accomplishments of the
Marshall Plan could be wiped out
within six months,” with Europe
again vulnerable to the false pro
paganda of the Kremlin, were our
aid to stop tomorrow.”
But after Marshall Plan aid
ends, we must be willing to let
Europe earn dollars, Hoffman
pointed out, and Europe can, “if
we will let her”. The greatest fear
in Europe today, he said, is that
we will not let Europe earn her
way. “We dare not discourage the
hopes that we are now building up
in Europe, for in those hopes of
becoming self-supporting lies our
best hopes for peace”, he added.
He pointed out that goods from
Europe represent only one per cent
of our total gross national income.
Hoffman announced that Italy,
Great Britain and France are lift
ing their restrictions and import
quotas as much as 55 per cent of
their total import from other Mar
shall Plan countries. That move,
(Turn to Page Two)
Washington (LPA) Chairman
Wright Patman, of the House
Small Business Committee, told the
House Oct. 6 that the A&P stores
had spent nearly $5,000,000 in their
current advertising campaign to
“deliberately misrepresent” the
facts in the anti-trust case against
them.
“Every so-called fact, every in
ference, every innuendo in the
A&P’s propaganda material con
tains a deliberate falsification,”
Patman told the House, in review
ing in detail the charges on which
the food chain
convicted.
“The pending
tack efficiency,
coercive practices that had no ele
ment of efficiency in them.
“The pending suit will not raise
prices. It will reduce the costs, and
hence the prices of all of those in
dependent grocery stores who must
now pay higher prices because of
the rebates which the A&P secures.
Over 90 percent of the American
public buys in grocery stores whose
prices are artificially high because
of this subsidy paid to the A&P.
already has been
suit does not at
It attacks brutal
Building Trades
Okays New Plan
For Disputes
St. Paul (LPA)—Joint labor
management machinery for settle
ment of jurisdictional disputes in
the construction industry was as
sured of continuance as a result of
action taken at the AFL Building
Trades Department convention
here.
in
Cambridge, Ohio Potters
Cambridge were pretty well pleas
ed by the report of our conferee,
John Ellis when he made his report
at our last September meeting. We
all realize that big concessions by
manufacturers are almost out of
the question at this time because
of foreign competition in the pot
tery. Also this is supposed to be a
leveling off period in wages and
living cost.
This machinery, first set up in
May 1, 1948, was cancelled by the
executive council of the Depart
ment last July 1 because of dissat
isfaction with some features of the
plan.
However, later the department
and contractors’ organization
reached an agreement to reinstate
the machinery with some revisions,
subject to approval of the conven
tion.
Overwhelmingly, the delegates
“okayed” the new plan. They
adopted a report which said that
“while the plan may not be perfect,
it will give this department and
the contractors’ committee an op
portunity to Settle jurisdictional
disputes without interference on
the part of those who know no
thing about the industry.”
Local Union 89 On
West Coast Raises
The Monthly Dues
Richmond, Calif.—The members
of Local 89 were pleased to have
Bro. Bill Bailey as a visitor at the
last regular meeting. Bill who has
been retired from the trade for the
last five years is well known
throughout the trade, having work
ed in many shops throughout the
country and always took an active
role in union affairs.
The shop committee reported
the company has installed a new
drinking fountain and replaced an
other that was worn out. They also
reported a new modernly equipped
first aid room was in the process
of construction and when complet
ed a trained first aid attendant
will be available at a minutes
notice.
This has been sorely needed for
many years as around three hund
red employees attempting to rend
er first aid to each other, has in
many instances, had tragic results.
In one particular case it nearly
cost the life of a brother.
We wish to thank Bill McKin
ney, plant manager, for the inter
est he has taken in the welfare of
the men and feel this is bound to
be reflected in their work.
September was the first month
for the new local dues of $1.50 per
month. This action was deemed
necessary if we were to continue
as a progressive unit and have
representation in the various en
terprises promoting the
of labor.
interests
still on
stores in
The 'retail clerks are
strike at two major chain
this area. As has been published
in the papers, another large inter
national union has gone behind
their lines and organized scabs as
well as bringing in strikebreakers
in an attempt to take over juris
diction on these jobs.
The order has come from AFL
headquarters that all affiliates are
to remain neutral in this dispute.
While we find this hard to follow,
the writer can boast that all pot
ters as well as most other people
in this area have religiously ob
served the clerks’ picket lines.
As in former years, Bro. Ralph
(Turn to Page Two)
Patman Blasts A&P Attack
On The Justice Department
The pending suit will end these
subsidies and enable these stores
to reduce their prices.
“Moreover, the suit will end
A&P’s practice of forcing consum
ers in one area to subsidize A&P’s
price wars in another. Prices in
most of A&P’s own stores should
come down when this evil pro
cedure is forbidden.
“The suit will riot close a single
A&P store.”
Patman said the A&P advertis
ing campaign was “an unparalled
attack upon the integrity of our.
judicial system which must shock
every thoughtful citizen.”
“The truth is,” he added, “that
the A&P has been convicted of a
deliberate, calculated scheme, con
ceived in 1925 and carried, on for
over 20 years, to expand its con
trol of the retail grocery market
at the expense of its competitors
and the consuming public by boy
cotts, blacklisting, price wars,
threats, and other ruthless devices,
rather than by utilizing more effi
cient and economic methods of dis
tribution.”
GOOD NEWS FOR LIBERALS
—Former Senator Sherman Min
ton is a new face on the Supreme
Court bench. Minton is expected
to line up with Justice Hugo Black
and William O. Douglas to streng
then the recently depleted liberal
wing of the court.
Steps Taken To
Curb Imports Of
Puerto Rico Ware
Beaver Falls, Pa.—The members
of Local 33 are going around with
slim pocketbooks. Most of us are
only getting three days a week
with some getting a few more
hours stretched over the week.
In spite of this, we at Mayer
China feel thankful when we look
around and see so many people out
of work due to the various strikes
in this area. We hope these other
crafts will get together and settle
their differences soon.
Their has been quite a lot of
activity at our local meetings. Dis
cussions on trade topics have been
very interesting and those who
have been conspicious by their ab
sence, have missed some very good
reports.
President Leonard Greco was a
delegate to the Pennsylvania State
Federation of Labor convention at
Harrisburg. He was the only pos
ter out of 1500 delegates. Local
33 sponsored a resolution asking
the state body to aid us in our
fight to curb the import of pottery
ware from Puerto Rico. We are
glad to report the resolution was
adopted and will be a big step in
the fight to stop this evil. i
The Union Label League of
Pennsylvania held their convention
in our hall recently. Bros. Chester
Fisher, Brad Townsend and Will
iam Rose were delegates. President
Greco who is a vice president of
the League was unable to attend
as he was in Atlantic City at the
time attending the wage confer
ence.
Bro. George Shelly who suffer
ed a broken leg recently is report
ed getting along nicely.
Bro. William Hughes, labor fore
man, is also hospitalized. Our best
wishes for a speedy recovery for
both brothers. —O.C. 33
Dock Workers Win
Five-Month Strike
Honolulu (LPA)—Two thousand
members of the left-wing Int’l
Longshoremen’s & Warehousemen’s
Union won their 159-day strike
here when the seven struck steve
doring companies agreed to a wage
boost totaling 21 cents.
The first 14 cents will be paid
now and the other seven cents will
be added March 1. The contract
runs to June 15, 1951, when the
west coast contract also expires.
Settlement was announced by
Harry Bridges, union president, as
he stepped aboard a plane for Cali
fornia. It was expected the union
membership would ratify the
terms, and that as soon as a few
fringe issues were settled the
strikers would return to their
jobs.
The longshoremen walked out
May 1 when the companies refused
to meet their demand for a 32
cent hike which would have raised
their pay from $1.40 to parity with
the west coast. The companies of
(Turn to Page Two)
Home From Sanatorium
John M. Evans, veteran member
of the Brotherhood has returned to
his home, 169 Thompson Avenue,
after a year’s confinement at the
Avalon Sanatorium at Mt. Vernon,
Ohio.
Mr. Evans who is a caster by
trade had previously been a patient
in the Mahoning County Sanator
ium before going to Mt. Vernon.
To his many friends who remem
bered him during his illness, Mr.
Evans wishes to extend his heart
felt thanks for their kindness.
Mr. Evans who is 76 years of
age was last employed at the Hall
China Co.
®lje potter# Jlerald
Members of LU 50
Mourn Loss Of
Charles Poulton
Camden, New Jersey—Once more
the Grim Reaper has taken another
well-known potter from the rnnkr
of L.
days,
away
North
at 3 a. m. Monday, October 3rd,
1949, of an acute heart attack. Al
though not in the best of health
for the past several months his
death was wholly unexpetted and
came as a great shock not only to
the immediate family but to his
many friends and acquaintances
and co-workers at Camden Pottefry.
“Chuck” as he was familiarly
known, had been working at his
trade as a sanitary caster right up
to the time of his death and in
spite of his ailing condition, retain
ed his well known jovial dispos
ition to the end.
Bro. Poulton is survived by the
widow Rose (nee Childress), one
daughter Mrs. Loraine Ricci,
Phila., Pa., three sons, Chas. Jr.,
Harry M. and Robert F., the latter
foreman of the casting department
of the UniversaLRundle Corp. A
brother, John Poulton, Trenton, N.
J. also survives. Mrs. George Lan
ning of East Liverpool is *. nH?e.
Spokesmen for the Textile Work
ers Union and the absentee owners
of the Hart Cotton Mill in Tarboro,
N. C. have been asked to appear
before the committee, headed by
Rep. Tom Burke (D, Ohio).
The 550 employes of the mill
have been on strike since May 12,
after the company insisted on writ
ing into a new contract a clause
taken from the Taft-Hartley act.
which would have laid the local
union and the international open to
suits for damages in the event oi
a wildcat strike.
Although the union has had twc
previous contracts with Hart, and
there has never been an unauthor
ized strike, management has in
sisted on the new provision.
Invited to appear before the
committee are: Lewis Conn, North
Carolina Director for TWUA
Frank H. Leslie, president of Hart
Cotton Mills E. P. Cave of New
Bedford, Mass., president of Ely
& Walker Dry Goods Co. of St.
Louis, Mo., which owns Hart Cot
ton Mills Marcus Carter, vice
president and general manager of
the mills.
JAST LIVERPOOL, OHIO, THURSDAY, OCTOBER 13, l!/ 9
U. No. 50 in the past few
Charles F. Poulton passed
suddenly at his home 9016
Philip Street, Philadelphia,
Bro. Poulton was bom at Sher
rodsville, Ohio, July, 1884 and first
started to work in the pottery
trade at the age of sixteen at East
Liverpool. Later he worked in gen
eralware potteries in Sebring, Car
rollton and back to East Liverpool.
In 1909 he left the generalware
trade to enter the sanitary trade
in Mannington, West Virginia,
Cameron and Evansville, Ind. In
1918 he again took to the general
ware trade in Akron and then to
artware in Cleveland. In 1922 he
was employed at the Philadelphia
pottery until its dissolution. For
the past 15 years he has been em
ployed as a sanitary caster at the
local plant of the Universal-Ruwdle
Corp., successor to the Camden
Pottery Corp.
O.CL 50
T-H As Weapon
To Bankrupt Union
Subject of Probe
Washington (LPA)—One of the
most flagrant cases of an employ-,
er using parts of the Taft-Hartley
law to beat his workers out of a
union contract will be aired before
the House Labor Subcommittee on
Labor-Management Relations here
Oct. 20.
Social Security Bill
Over Another Hurdle
Washington (LPA) By a
roll-call vote of 333-14, the
House on Oct. 5 passed a social
security bill containing liberal
ized benefits, increased cover
age,* and insurance for totally
disabled workers. No Senate
action, however, is anticipated
until next spring.
Crucial test came on a motion
to send the bill back to commit
tee. The vote was 113 for shelv
ing it, to 232 for immediate
consideration.
Race Track Off
Limits For NLRB
Los Angeles (LPA)—No matter
how far ahead your horse is,
chances are the goat won’t cross
the state line.
That’s about the way a trial ex
aminer for the Nat’l Labor Rela
tions Board figured it the other
day when he recommended that the
NLRB decline jurisdiction in a case
involving Santa Anita Park and
Hollywood Park, two big tracks
here.
Specifically, trial examiner Fred
eric B. Parks, 2nd, ruled that the
race track managements and a
group of AFL unions had not
violated the Taft-Hartley act by
entering close shop agreements.
He said that a race track’s con
nection with interstate commerce
is so “remote and indirect” that
the NLRB just couldn’t assume
jurisdiction under the law.
Unions in the case were the
Building Service Employes Int’l
Union, Hod Carriers &
Laborers Union and the
hood of Teamsters.
With this reminder that the red feather campaign
gets underway Monday, October 17, President James M.
Duffy urges all members of the National Brotherhood of
Operative Potters to take an active part in helping the
Community Fund Campaign go over the top, $57,776 is
the goal set in this year’s campaign.
President Duffy endorsed the Community Fund cam
paign with these words:
“Organized labor values especially the opportunity
afforded members of labor unions to share in a work
which was formerly a ’closed shop’ for a relatively few
influential philanthropists.
“It is a privilege to endorse the Community Fund
campaign and I am urging the members of the N. B. of
O. P. to participate actively in the campaign, and to give
generously, not only of their dollars, but of their time as
board and committee members on a year-round basis.”
Common
Brother-
a man
The case arose when
claimed he was denied employment
because of the closed shop contract.
The examiner’s decision takes
effect as an NLRB order unless
challenged within 20 days.
Support Community Fund Campaign
The health and welfare of a community is the busi
ness of all its members, and that is why it is the business
of trade unionists, along with other members of the com
munity, to rally in support of their Community Fund
campaign.
Keenan Outlines Plans
To Win Election In 1950
AFL CONVENTION, 1949—Attendance set an all-time record at the 68th convention of the AFL in St.
Paul. This photo shows the army of 650 delegates in the spacious Municipal Auditorium. Hundreds of
visitors were also present.
Akron Firm Host
To Employees At
Dinner Last Week
Akron, Ohio—Employees of the
Colonial Insulator Co. were wined
and dined to capacity at the Ger
man-American hall on the evening
of Friday, Oct. 7 by the firm’s pre
sident, R. W. Hemphill.
At the conclusion of a superb
dinner of fish and steaks, the group
of over 100 was treated to a stir
ring address by Rev. Fr. Gregory,
native of New Jersey and former
Army Chaplain. The theme was
Americanism and anti-Communism,
Father Gregory is an authority on
the subject, having spent several
years behind the iron curtain of
Russia.
The remainder of the evening
was spent in the consumation of
liquid refreshment, dancing, and
merrymaking in general.
A special round of applause were
given the folks who furnished the
entertainment. Including Mary
Campbell, accordianist, Frank Mag,
pianist and exponent of the corn
fed tap dance, and last but far
from least, Mr. Hemphill himself,
who demonstrated the latest ball
room technique.
Local 164 wishes to take this op
portunity to thank Mr. Hemphill
for his generosity and extend to
him our best wishes and the assur
ance that with a labor-manage
ment relationship like this, we
can’t go wrong.
Officials of this local were grati
fied indeed to see that so many
members really can get away on
Friday evenings we’ll be looking
for you at Union meetings the
second Friday of each month,
now. —O.C. 164
Casters Wanted
At Outside Shops
Although there were quite a
few matters pertaining to our
trade up for discussion at the last
meeting, the members cleared the
docket in record time and the
meeting adjourned in a little over
one hour’s time.
Bro. Virgil Murray was granted
a transfer card to Local Union 20,
Steubenville, Ohio. Our best wishes
go with Virgil in his new
roundings.
Green Disapproves
Jurisdictional Fight
sur-
been
cast
town
Quite a few requests have
nceived at headquarters for
ers in some of the out of
shops. Any caster loafing is re
quested to register his name at
headquarters. —O.C. 4
NOTICE LOCAL UNION 94
All members who are three
months in arrears must clear
up this matter by our next
meeting on Oct. 21 or face
suspension. All dipping house
girls are requested to attend
this meeting. By order of
president.
St. Paul (LPA)—AFL Pres
ident William Green Oct. 4 criti-
Variety Artists for asking for
a curt injunction in New York
in iu Jurisdi^onal dfspato*with
the American Federation of
Musicians.
“It seems inconceivable that
a member of the family of labor
would resort to the use of that
method that we denounced so
many years ago and succeeded
in having abolished through
legislative action,” Green said.
He called on the Artists’
Guild to withdraw’ its injunction
application.
State Anti-Labor
Laws Receding
St. Paul (LPA)—Labor’s biggest
success of the past year has been
in halting the drive for state anti
labor laws, the AFL convention
was told here by General Counsel
Albert Woll.
“We have stopped the wave of
anti-labor laws in state legisla
tures, and we have succeeded in
having some of the laws stricken
from the statute books or amend
ed,” Woll said. “And we have suc
ceeded in having the courts declare
some of these laws unconstitution
al or to lighten their oppressive
weight by judicial interpretation.
“But we still have the Taft
Harkey Act, the Hobbs Act, the
Lea Act and many of the anti
union acts passed by the state leg
islatures,” Woll added.
In the coming year, he said,
labor must muster all its strength
to knock out those- vicious laws.
“A final knockout blow wall be de
livered as surely as darkness fol
lows the setting sun,” he said.
OFFICIAL ORGAN
NATIONAL BROTHERHOOD
OF OPERATIVE POTTERS
4
$2.00 PER YEAR
Foes Of Labor Are
Already Building
Huge War Chests
By IRVING FAGAN
St. Paul (LPA)—“We won’t p«
liberal votes on Capital Hill until
we get liberal votes back home in
the ballot box on election day”,
Joseph D. Keenan told the AFL
convention Oct. 5. Keenan, head of
Labor’s League For Political Edu
cation, discussed plans for winning
the 1950 election, at an afternoon
session during which the conven
tion recessed and the delegates re
assembled for the league’s political
action “clinic”.
It will take work and sweat to
win, he said, because foes of labor
are already building huge war
chests in an effort to save the Taft
Byrd coalition and retain a react
ionary Congress, Keenan said. “We
can’t buy elections”, he went on.
“We don’t have the money. We will
be lucky to have one dollar for
every 100 dollars spent by our
enemies. We do have the votes,
but we must work harder than ever
to get them to the polls.”
Labor’s League has no desire to
take over any political party, Kee
nan continued. It has no desire to
dictate candidates. “All we ask,”
he said, “is that the’parties select
candidates worthy of our support.
If neither party puts up a liberal
candidate then our local lea-ties
will be forced, in states where they
have open primaries, to urge other
more acceptable candidates to en
ter the race.”
Labor’s task in '*'50 will be
to retain frieadiy Senators,
K^ci-an said. He named Republi
can Senators Mone of Oregon,
Aiken of Vermont, mid Tobey of
New Hampshire, Democratic Sen
ators Myers of Penr..„ Ivania, Mc
Mahon of Connecticut, Thomas of
Utah, Hill of Alabama, and Pepper
of Florida as men who must remain
in Washington. Labor must send
back to private life Senators Taft,
Donnell, Capehart, Millikin, and
Dulles, he said.
Labor must also retire at -least
14 anti-labor Congressmen, Kee
nan announced.
Of the 34 Senators to be elect
ed in 1950 no more than 18 can be
considered friendly to labor, Kee
nan said, and warned: The fight
will be harder because our enemies
will be. working harder, and you
can expect every form of under
handed pressure brought upon local
voters.”
Declaring that the reactionary
forces fighting labor are also
fighting the farmer, Keenan point
ed out that “political cooperation
wnth farm groups is not only pos
sible but is the key to victory on
election day. We must weld this
alliance all over the country before
the primary elections of 1950.”
Farmers and city workers have
everything to gain by working to
gether, he said.
He warned that in many states
the reactionary political machines
are trying to put over trick voting
laws so as to make it difficult for
workers to vote. One of the most
notorious attempts, he said, is be
ing made in Ohio, by Senator Taft.
Pointing out that 1950 is not a
presidential year, and in those
years the vote falls off, he said the
task is to see that the trade union
vote not only doesn’t fall off, but
(Turn to Page Two)
Won't Waive Fight For More
Pay Green Tells Delegates
St. Paul (LPA)—The American
Federation of Labor will never
waive the right to fight for higher
wages for its members, President
William Green told the opening
session of the AFL’s 68th conven
tion.
“We have never in any official
statement said that we have reach
ed the point where wre will waive
our right to demand increases in
wages for the workers of the na
tion, and wTe are not going to do
that,” the AFL’s president assert
ed.
“Our workers are securing in
creases in wages constantly,” he
added, “for we have determined
thru an examination of the finan
cial standing of employing inter
ests that many of them can grant
increases in wages without increas
ing the selling price of their pro
ducts.”
Green attacked the idea of turn
ing over negotiations to govern-
ment boards as a matter of “fund
amental principle.”
The fact that, in the Federation,
“there is no left wing and no right
wing,” was hailed as a sign that
“we are united as never before.”
An appeal for unity of all labor
on the basis of the Fair Deal pro
gram was heard later the same
day, when Sen. Hubert Humphrey
(D, Minn.) addressed the delegates.
“If the Fair Deal program is to
be passed,” Humphrey warned, “if
the Taft-Hartley act is to be re
pealed, if the people of this coun
try are to get the legislation that
they were promised, it is the res
ponsibility of the labor movement,
of every liberal and democratic
group, to forget personal pride and
petty differences and to unite be
hind candidates and around a pro
gram between now and 1950.”
He asked unions to rise above
“personal pride or petty differ
ences” to work together in the
1950 Congressional elections.
5
5#
.u
Vf
I