The Union Times

Full Resources To Repeal Of Taft-Hartley Act

Plan Educational Campaign To Give Facts About 80th Congress

A broad comprehensive program, which will affect every phase of activity by organized labor in this state, was unanimously voted by the delegates to the 62nd annual convention of the Connecticut Federation of Labor in Stamford. There are 25 points in the program, and they instruct the officers and executive board to proceed with a variety of subjects ranging from efforts to repeal the Taft-Hartley Act to urging the local unions to take more active part in Community Chest activities.

This program is based on the report of the convention's Committee on Officers Reports, headed by Herbert Murray, Typographical Union No. 503, Stamford. Here are the main planks:

Main Planks

1. That the full resources of the Federation should be placed behind the effort to repeal the monstrous Taft-Hartley Act.

2. That every effort should be made to bring about the defeat of all the Congressmen from Connecticut who voted for this law. At the same time, this convention should commend Senator Brien McMahon for voting right on this measure.

3. That the President and Secretary-Treasurer be praised for their initiative and courage in seeking to test in the Courts the validity of the political provision of the Taft-Hartley Law.

4. That every effort should be made to introduce an educational campaign to muster the votes of the workers and their families in the 1948 election in order to attain the objectives set forth at this convention. The acts of commission and omission by Congress have opened the eyes of the workers to the importance of the ballot as never before, as will be demonstrated on Election Day.

Local Committees

5. That every local union affiliated with the Connecticut Federation of Labor should have a political action committee.

6. That the State Federation should set up a political action committee to work in conjunction with the local union political action committees.

7. That every effort be made to bring about a united political front by all organized labor in Connecticut.

8. That we work for the early repeal of the State Sales and Use tax.

9. That the Public Relations Department should be expanded and its activities greatly increased during these trying times.

10. That we endorse the outspoken expression in the Officers Reports regarding the shameful neglect of the acute housing shortage, and that every effort be made to bring about the enactment of the Taft-Ellender-Wagner Housing bill at the next session of Congress.

Labor Institutes

11. The establishment of Labor Institutes to carry on Labor's Educational program is imperative, and the Executive Council should be empowered to proceed immediately with this important work.

12. Local unions should take a more active part in the Community Chest activities and to serve in any capacity when called upon to do so.

13. Labor should sponsor the establishment in their communities of Labor Committees to Combat Intolerance, and participate in any committees made up of various elements in their communities opposed to bigotry.

14. That every effort should be made by the officers of the Connecticut Federation of Labor to assist central labor bodies in a campaign to enroll every A. F. of L. Local within their respective jurisdictions to join the Central Labor Union.

15. Organizational work should be expanded if possible, and means to finance such a program should be seriously considered by the Executive Council.

Help Teachers

16. The full cooperation of the State Federation and its affiliated organizations should be extended to the State Federation of Teachers' organization campaign, in order that more Teachers Locals should be established in this state.

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Broad Program Voted By C.F.L.

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17. Every effort to assist State, County and Municipal employees to organize should be made continuously by all trade unionists in every community.

18. An official organ for the Connecticut Federation of Labor should be established as soon as possible. In the interim, the monthly Bulletin should be continued as a service to the affiliated unions.

19. The Executive Council should be empowered to find ways and means to improve the research facilities of the Federation as a service to the local unions.

20. That the steps taken to create a Legal Staff be approved.

21. That the officers of the Federation should do everything possible to encourage affiliated unions and their members to engage actively in Cooperative Consumers groups.

22. Every effort should be made to have every building trades union in the state affiliate with the Connecticut State Building and Construction Trades Council.

23. The publishing of the Connecticut Federationist should be continued with everything possible done to increase the advertising revenue.

24. That an automobile be purchased for the use of the Assistant Secretary to facilitate his duties and to enable him to carry out organization programs recommended in this report.

25. That the delegates be reminded that the members of the Executive Council are elected on a regional basis and not on an organizational basis. The officers regardless of their craft are on the Executive Council to serve all the workers in the State.

COMMITTEE MEMBERS

In addition to Murray, members of the Committee on Officers Reports included Leonard Bright, Office Employees No. 123, Bridgeport; James Corrigan, Central Labor Union, Waterbury; George F. Lawlor, State Employees No. 287, New Haven; Louis Hardvall, Carpenters No. 210, Stamford; Matty Ruoppolo, Teamsters No. 443, New Haven; Walter Arndt, Steamship Clerks Lodge, No. 2062, Norwalk; Eugene St. Pierre, Electricians No. 913, Hartford; and James V. Novaco, United Hatters No. 32, Norwalk.