June 18, 1948.
ACCION PAGE Delegates Impressions PAY INCREASES NOW!
WORKERS DEMAND mere It tle.
Delegates. Continued from Page. 1)
assistants, the Local 713 delegation and Brother Tommy HEREIN ARE THE DIFFERENT IMRichardson PRESSIONS THE VARIOUS DELEGATES increase is now heard louder because of inflation.
The demand for a basic pay clipped from your pay dollar During the Conference the There is no doubt that thoudelegation was given full par OF LOCAL 713 HAD OF THE SECOND BIEN than ever. It is a known fact that silver ticulars on the methods to be pay scales are sands of silver workers and NIAL CONVENTION OF THE UPW CIO, pathetically low. They were their children are going hungry.
used in setting up these credit unions and obtaining of the HELD IN ATLANTIC CITY, NEW JERSEY. lower today because of sky. families have to skip a meal low in 1940, but they are far Cases are reported where whole charters under the supervision rocketting living costs and the because of the lack of money.
of the Federal Government. The delegation was also advised of PASCUAL AMPUDIA refusal to grant a general in Clothes have been worn and crease.
patched until they are the preliminary steps that must During my visit in the United States was convinced that The reclassification was never rags.
be taken before the Charters are secured. The Union is al the vast majority of the members of United Public Workers considered to be the answer to No one is shedding tears ready working on the informa of America. CIO are really democratic. Furthermore, was rising living costs. In the words over the member who complain tion and material required by convinced that the International Union is powerful because of of the administration, it was ed that he had to drop smoking only to introduce order into a because of no money, but when by the FDIC. its activities, such as the National Convention, the conferences chaotic wage structure. In the a family can serve only plain was apparent from the held with Congressmen, attorneys, writers, journalists, and words of one of ou members discussion that the FDIC has distinguished American citizens. Another of my greatest im. It affected too few, it came rice and tea to its childrenthen something is very wrong.
no objections to setting up the pressions was of my meeting with Mr. Paul Robeson who told too late, and it gave too litcredit unions on the Canal Zone me: Ampudia, keep the Union strong, and we in the United Everyone is looking forward and in fact, is very much inWhen the commodity market to a basic wage increase on terested in establishing them States will cooperate with you.
broke in February 1948, on all July 1st a substantial raise at the earliest possible date.
sides one could hear, Well, that will ease the burden of DAVID ALEXIS this is the end; prices will inflation, not a token adjustThe delegation was advised that as soon as full approval The sending of a delegation from Local 713 UPW CIO, to did not fall. Quite the contrary, don know how we can go on start falling now. But prices ment. Many are saying, We is obtained from the author the United States of America, for the purpose of attending the they rose. By the end of May without more money in our pay ities and the preliminary work International Convention. and the broadcasting of conditions another two cents had been checks.
has been completed, the FDIC adverse to the so called silver worker, has caused a new light will have its representative on from wages to a demand for Freedom Train, of which the Zone for a couple of weeks and a new hope for everyone.
peace.
thousands of records have been to explain the working of the It is my belief that with a better press relationship and a On the second day of the made in the United States.
credit unions and set them up more harmonious association of the two groups of workers convention, Albert Fitzgerald, Not all of the convention was for business. It is expected that here, the Panama Canal can become a better place for the work President of United Electrical speech making. The delegates the lentire process will take ing man.
Workers, one of the mightiest also addressed themselves to about two or three months, CIO unions, gave a speech that the serious business of establish FOSTER BOURNES reverberated for days through ing policy on important quesHistoric Trip. My impression of the Second Biennial Convention of United the halls of Chelsea Hotel. He tions affecting public workers.
commended President Flaxer as hard hitting resolution aimed Public Workers of America Cio can be wittled down to three one of the most militant and at the undemocratic and un(Continued from Page. 1)
words DEMOCRACY IN ACTION. In covering the Con principled trade union leaders constitutional Keefe rider was tion to Mr. Ickes on his recent vention of Local 713; in chronicling the things have seen and of his time and statetd that he passed. This rider, attached to column which described the heard, a conviction, full blown and mature, came to my mind carried out the true principles various appropriations bills, plight of the silver workers. That it would be comparatively easy, all arguments to the on which CIO was founded. would prevent federal workers He stated that he was outraged contrary, for the races of mankind to work together harmoni. the conspiracy among big bu own choice and is openly aimed He drew a vivid picture of from joining unions of their at the treatment accorded to ously for the advancement of humanity. And, the thought siness to stamp out trade at smashing UPW. The delethese loyal workers under the persists, that if left alone the working men and women of unions and the dangerous sha gates in an inspiring demostraUnited States flag and would these Americas would establish, in time, a true, workable and dow of fascism hanging over tion unanimously resolved to write further columns so that universal democracy.
America behind the veil of fight the rider in every front, every American citizen might witch hunts, loyalty tests, and and to use legal means if neknown of this shame.
red baiting.
cessary.
CLEVELAND GREENE He came out unqualifiedly in Resolutions were passed calOn the following night a reThe Second Biennial Convention was a true observation, of an endorsement of Henry Walling for lowered prices, passage ception was given the delegation at the home of Dr. Wil where the essence of democracy went into full display. Men lace for President, calling him of legislation to protect civil liston, a renowned physician in and women of different races, creeds, nationalities and religions the only hope for the com rights of minority groups par mon man. Don be deceived, ticularly Negroes, a return to Washington. Present were Con had the privilege of saying just what they had in their minds, he said, over the red hysteria Big Three Unity to build an gressman Blatnick, the secrewithout being intimidated by any threat of dictatorship. have raised about Wallace; he is the enduring peace, and to fight taries of several other con learned at the convention that seeing is believing. The policy one person who carries out the unrelentingly against the Taftgressmen, Belford Lawson, adopted for UPW CIO within the next two years will be full traditions of Jefferson, Lincoln, Hartley law and other represand Wallace.
anti. labor legislation.
noted attorney and community of fight.
On the second day of the Scores of other resolutions leader, and varios CIO officials.
Convention, Pascual Ampudia were passed, including the proThis was the wind up social GRAHAM LEWIS made a brief but powerful gram of Local 713 which is affair given the delegates, and Meeting with hundreds of other delegates of the UPW CIO, peech introducing the Pana dealt with elsewhere in Union, plans were concretized to build am firmly convinced that the salvation of the so called silvermanian delegation to the con calling for a better way of vention. He concluded with Vi life for all people.
up steam behind their program. employees rests with the power and strength of this great In vas los Trabajadores Públicos The convention culminated These plans included fund col ternational Union. Therefore, urge every employee of the Unidos de América, Viva with the election of intertationlection, publicity, and legisla Canal Zone to be a part of this Union which has demonstrated Abram Flaxer! The delegates al officers for the coming two tive activity.
democracy in action during the Convention sessions. Further rose to their feet in a mighty years. When the name of Abram As the delegates wearily more, am convinced, after my trip to the States, that all the that time on, the word Viva tion for President, the resulting roar of enthusiasm, and from Flaxer was placed in nominawaited for their plane to take propaganda and attacks against our Union have no basis and became the keynote of the con ovation left no doubt in anyoff from Washington airport are unfounded charges aimed to weaken and destroy our or vention. The halls of hotel rang one mind as to the desires on their return fight to their ganization.
with Viva for the duration of of the convention. Except for homes and families, they knew the Convention.
three or four glum faced disthey had accomplished an his Snccessfull.
mittee, fought a dying cause. On the third day, Paul Ro rupters Flaxer was unanimously toric mission. The shouts, apTheir leaflets petered out, their beson, the great Negro leader, re elected. Continued from Page. 1) hoarse shouts shrank to demo spoke to the delegates. His was Roy Eldean, a postalworker plause, and ovations they had ated and the unlimited funds ralized whispers and groans. a speech that vibrated with from Chicago, was elected Vice received still rang in their ears. they possessed for entertainThe convention proceeded the sincerity of a man who had President. Ewart Guinier, who The gasps of surprise and un ment. Many questions were ask with spirit and gusto. All mem dedicated his life to the full was born in Paraiso, was electbelieving looks on the faces of ed as to who were their wealthy bers of the Panama delegation emancipation of his people. ed as Secretary Treasurer. Guitheir listeners as they heard backers.
were assigned to important com America, he said, still had nier holds the highest office about silver discrimination, As for the delegates from mittees. Ampudia, Officers a long way to go in providing of any Negro in a CIO union.
were indelibly imprinted on Local 713, they had seen si Report; Bournes, Rules; Le a decent life for its people. Bob Weinstein was unanimously their minds.
milar characters in their own wis, Resolutions; Alexis, Con He spoke of his visits to mining re elected as Director of Orgaback yard and were well at stitution; Green, Credentials; villages in West Virginia and nization.
Later as they looked down tuned to their campaign of sa Brodsky, Appeals; and Sachs, in the slums of Chicago where Board members were elected upon the far land of Washing botage and disruption. Rules. The delegates were the blessings of democracy from every region of the union.
ton from the plane hundreds of President Abram Flaxer was busy. Brother Lewis had the rang as a mockery in the ears Local 713, which according to feet above, the delegates bid introduced to the convention on most exhausting job, being on of suffering people. The Ca a change in the Constitution, farewell to their thousands of the morning of the first day the Resolutions Committee, nal Zone, too, he said, in its now assumes full regional stanew friends in the unions, in and received an ear splitting which is always the busiest as shameful treatment of the sil tus as Region 14, has Mex the communities, and in Con and heart warming ovation. signment at union conventions, ver workers, is a stain in Brodsky, Pascual Ampudia, and gress and to the heartfelt me From this point on the dis He and twenty others had the American traditions of demo David Alexis as its represenmories of real democracy from rupters, renamed by the dele task of sifting through over 600 cracy. He concluded his stir tatives on the International really democratic People. gates as Bust the Union Com resolutions on subjects varying ring speech with a rendition of Executive Board.
sive BIBLIOTECA NACIONAL ERNESTO CASTILLEROR