The Potters Herald

Green Sounds Alarm, Urges
Prompt Political Action

Washington (FP) - Strongly emphasizing his "apprehension and feeling of deep concern" over the threatened attack on labor's rights in the 80th Congress, AFL President William Green appealed Dec. 17 to all state federations of labor and city central bodies for immediate political action to protect themselves and the nation.

Green said he was "confident attempts will be made to limit and curtail the exercise of the legitimate functions of labor organizations" through passage of "highly objectionable anti-labor legislation."

"Please bear in mind," he wrote, "that every working man and woman and every member of organized labor will be affected deeply by such anti-labor legislation. That means in communicating with those who represent you in Congress, you will be appealing in behalf of yourself as well as your fellow workers in all sections of the country."

The AFL president urged local groups to contact their representatives at once, to protect against the passage of anti-labor laws, and to request them to stand by labor with their votes. He also said they should keep informed on the actions of their congressmen.

"The voice of labor should be heard by the members of Congress," Green said. "They should know of your feelings of deep concern and particularly that you are alert - that you will watch how they vote and if they vote for anti-labor legislation they cannot expect the support of labor in the event they are candidates for re-election to Congress."

The AFL head warned that a large number of congressmen who voted for the restrictive Case bill in the last session were reelected by greater majorities, and they would see their reelection as endorsement of their Case bill votes.

Specific targets of anti-labor and reactionary members of Congress, Green said, were: to change the Wagner act, to modify the Norris-LaGuardia anti-injunction act, to ban union shop agreements, to restrict the exercise of the right to strike, to subject workers to civil damage suits in alleged illegal strikes, and to enact such laws as the notorious Case bill.