Panama, April, 1948 ACCION Page Back Pay Asked Resolution By In Navy Case Cristobal Chapter Mehaffey Presses For Pay Raise conMost Local 713 members will remember the case of Brother The following. resolution was Hendricks, a Navy employee passed unanimousy by the 1, 000 who was discharged unjusti members present at the Cristobal fiably. Failing to obtain his Chapter meeting on Mach 12th: reinstatement after exhaust WHEREAS: The Cristobal Chapter of Local 713, UPW CIO, is DIFFICULT TO ing all grievance steps in the Funds For Silver 300, 000 More Canal Zone, the Union took his fully conscious of the obligaof case to the Secretary the tion under which we are subLIVE ON PAY Housing Slashed For Silver Pay Navy who ordered his reinstajected by the laws of the Unitement ted States and the Republic of Since Brother Hendricks was Panama; and Accion presents the follow As critical as is the need for The Canal Railroad budget out of a job for weeks, the Uni WHEREAS: The Cristobal Chaping excerpts from the testimony new housing, the House of Re for 1948 49 has passed the on attempted to secure pay for ter, a branch, of Local 713, has of General Mehaffey before the presentatives slashed 1, 400, 000 House and is now before the the period he was discharged. adhered to the principles of House Appropriations Commit from the budget for expanded committee in Congress. An analy. The case went all the way up true democracy, of which the tee on January 20, 1948 for the silver housing. Also cut was sis of the budget reveals interto the Comptroller General in United States and Panama are interests of its readers. 2, 000, 000 for gold housing. esting facts fo rthe silver em Washington who ruled that an world wide exponents; and, General Mehaffey:. we employee cannot receive com WHEREAS: Local 713 and all its ployees.
have, for example. an entirely When the Local was notified Next year budget provides pensation for time he did not chapters having maintained an unsatisfactory housing condi of the action taken on the bud approximately 1, 300, 000 more actually work OPEN POLICY of doing busition in the Canal Zone. The get, pictures and factual infor for silver roll pay than the Since this seems so clearly ness, and are also firmly deworkers in housing for Silver employees is mation was immediately gat present appropriation. The to unjust and since termined to continue this polin ubade physical condition, and hered and rushed to Thomas tal payroll for approximately receive retroactive pay when icy through out the life of Local 713; and, connot be maintained so as to President, in Wash. Brother 15, 480, 000. This compares with reinstated after an unfair dis WHEREAS: Minority groups of stand up for another 15 years. Richardson expects to open a payroll of 22, 000, 000 for the being charge, this whole matter is the community, with brazen Cong. Norrell: think this some Congressional eyes by re 5500 gold employees of the appealed by UPW CIO the courts. Recently, the assumption of leadership are Government has shown, or has lating startling facts on silver Canal Zone. Thus the budget in strenuously endeavoring to isunion brought a test case, tried, at least, to show the Pa housing.
provides for an average annual ont rupt the operations of Local entitled Witner vs. United States namanians that we are their He has received pictures of trasted with the gold wage If this case is won, such silver wage of 950 as 713; and in the court of the claims.
friends, but if they are not goem WHEREAS: The loyalty records ing to lease us the bases to ade various silver quarters on the of 4600.
in the Canal Zone, in Panama ployees as Brother Hendricks quately protect the Panama Canal Zone.
Testimony brought out the and in Wash. stand as Canal, do not know how the fact that the cost of transit will reap the benefits.
other members of the commitThe bachelor quarters in Red ing ship through the Canal was a strong testament of the tentee may feel, but do not feel Tank, for instance, houses 48 actually higher than the toll dency of the so called silver that this government is justifi occupants. For the use of these rates. This in effect means Quotable Quote employee, come what may, to ed in doing any more than men there are, toilets, crude that the Panama Canal approdefend with bood life and limb keeping up normal main showers, and sinks. Thus priation is actually subsidizing Most intelligent Americans if necessary the American tratenance until we go somewhere there is one toilet for every 12 are not contributing their today have grave doubts not only ditions of democracy and fairand dig a canal and have men, shower for every 24 men, share. Consequently, active about the Un American Activi play against all subversive adequate bases for the protec and sink for every 24 men. consideration is now being given ties Committee methods, but aims or otherwise; therefore tion of the same.
Some of the bachelors do their to raising the toll rates. The the Constitution. It is time for RESOLVED: That the Cristobal even about its standing under be it Con. Mahon: am not argu own cooking; consequently, following exchange between ing for or against that treaty every morning there is a bottle General Mehaffey and members American scientists to speak out Chapter representing its par(treaty between US and RP. neck at the sinks with long of the House Appropritions and designate the Thomas Coment body, Local 713, stands rea1936) because that is not the lines waiting to wash themCommittee is interesting in mittee for what it is: the enemy not only of American freedom dy to oppose the enemies of the issue before the commitee, but selves, obtain water for cook this regard: United States and Republic of did feel that the record ing, and wash eating utensils.
Cong. Engel: Can you give but of American science.
should show that, in my opin. The four toilets have had no the committee any idea as to Max Lerner.
Panama; and be it RESOLVED: That we of Local ion, if all the facts were to be seats for many months. Across what the percentage of considered there would be two the street from the bachelor 7713 UPW CIO are determined crease (operating expenses. He spoke in particular of the sits the squat, ugly has been since 1938. with the continued approval setting up of the grievance prosides to this case as is usually quarters Titanic. This structure was General Mehaffey: It is about cedure, the successful accompof the United States and Panwhich is the right side perhaps so named by its earliest occu 79 lishment of the union in protectama not to be confused nordishistory will tell.
pants because it is the largest couraged by the attacks of adCong. Mahon: It just seems ing the Panamanians with the Gen. Mehaffey:. we have building housing silver em so obvious to me that the rates right to take Civil Service Exaverse opinions on our efforts to under study the revision of the ployees in the Canal Zone. It (toll rates for ships transiting minations, the setting up of a better the wages of the undercash relief system which now was built in 1906 and first used Canal) should be raised that Classification system, UPW CIO paid employee and to improve applies to the native employees as a hospital. Today 288 occu want to explore the possibility testimony to the Langer Comhis working conditions, and be crowded within its of doing it rather rapidly.
it further of the Panama Canal. There pants are mittee for higher wages, and the are many superannuated or rat infested and termite eaten Resolution adopted by the Inter RESOLVED: That the Cristobal disabled silver employees who walls. The rooms are small and national Executive Board on Febhave worked perhaps 35 or cramped barely large enough to Chapter, representing a memSTEP BOLDLY ruary 9th.
bership of over five thousand, more years for the Panama Ca persons. The passage ways are allow an assemblage of three (Continued from page 1)
The speaker praised several stands solidly behind the Local Canal Authorities, saying,. Executive Board.
being retired on a maximun of wide enough to admit only one tears to the construction of the have been in contact with some 25. 00, and it is practically im person. If you wish to pass Panama Canal. Explaining how Great Americans, Governors, possible for these old people to someone approaching you, you they had to face the rigors of Executives, Heads of Departgo into Panama, rent a have to bury yourself in the disease, dynamite blasts, and ments, Supervisors and others. Evering Saves the Day room of some kind, and live on as wall. There are 24 toilets (none land slides, he passionately prais know their feeling towards the little as 25. 00 per month. with seats) and 24 showers. an ed their valor during the Cons so called silver employees.
For Bush Cutter Cong. Engel: You will recall average of one for every 12 pér: struction Period and their loyal they are sincere, always were and and at that time, felt there broken down, iron kitchen sink employees during two World Wars ditions. Today salute them. ployee of the Building Division unless one wishes to dignify the He declared, so called silver the joy of a hope for better con Brother Eric Francis, an enwas justification for your recommendation and also felt by that name.
have slugged it out side by side others have by blind prejudice in Cristobal, was working with that the pay of the silver em The dirt and rat droppings with sincere loyalty to the contributed much to the detri some painters who were atployees was low.
in the ceilings have become so against all enemies.
ment of the so called silver tempting to rig scaffold. They Gen. Mehaffey:. the average accumulated during the past Touching the hard task the employee, and this is directly complained that some high weeds pay of the silver employees is 42 years that a jolt in the apart. Panama Canal West Indian Em chargeable at their door.
and bushes prevented very low.
It is in the neighbor ment overhead will send flakes fore them, he stated, That La Chapter Chairman pleaded with olds, and Brother Francis startployees Association had laid beIn concluding the Cristobal them from placing the scaffhood of 70 per month. The inof filth streaming in the room bor Organization did a wondercrease in their pay since before beneath. More than one person ful job in ameliorating the con the workers to Let us clasp ed to cut the bushes.
the war have been relatively has awakened in the morning ditions of the so called silver hands and step boldly into the The foreman caught him small. The cost of living, of to find himself literally cover workers. The success depended future with Faith in God, Fidecourse, has gone up tremen ed with debris from the ceiling. chiefly on the sympathetic feel lity to the Governments of the with the machete and promply dously, and feel, from a very The residents report that the ing of the Governor, which made Republic of Panama and the suspended him for five days.
problem, that is extremely dif building is a bug collector progress slow. For inytáncem ad and the Solidarity towards Brothers Francis brought his Local 713, UPW CIO.
case to Organizer Evering.
Evering contacted the foreman employees paradise and has several spec negotiations for higher educato live on the pay which they ies that could interest Zoos. It years to bear fruit. The then The Union Depends it was established that Brother and supervisor and after a visit are now getting and that some modest increase is necessary to is not uncommon to find cock Supt. of Schools flatly stated, prevent actual suffering. roaches, termites, rats, worms, that he was diametrically oppos On You Francis was merely performand several varieties of snakes. ed to higher education for chiling his duty. The suspension dren of the silver employees. You can afford was lifted. The Union will conOrganize the The 1, 400, 000 would go a long Bro. Lewis pointed out tinue to strive to see that our way in wiping out slums like the coming of the cio to the Isthmembers are given as much Unorganized To Titanic.
mus, its success and its necessity.
stay out consideration as the bushes.
in BIBLIOTECA NACIONAL ERNESTO CASTILLERO