*WEEKLY NEWS LETT- CALIFORNIA STATE FEDERATION OPIr OR A.*F. Le 810 DAVID HEWES BUILDING SANFKANCISCO 995 MARKET STREET CALIFORNIA SUitor 1-2838

October 21, 1955

NAACP BACKS SEBASTOPO%O T IKERS

(CFLNL) SAN FRANCISCO.--Action by the National Asociation for the Advancement of Colored People this weekl strengthened the AFL Sebastopol strike against the apple canning industry. The Santa Rosa Branch of the NAACP urged all members to rew spect the Teamster picket lines, and appealed to Negroes to help Afl..n its organization fight which started three months ago. The official appeal to cannery workers said: "The NAACP Of Santa Rosa is backing the Team.sters 100 percent. We hope you will back us also, by not crossing the picket line. Througot the state of California in every major battle in which the NAACP has participated, the AFt and the Teamsters Union have backed our organization 100 percent." Meanwhile, headquarters of the Western Conference of Teamsters announced that creation of a $200,000 war chest for the SebastopOl strike was underway. Creation of the tund 'was--revealed' by John J. SweneYJ, serer.- tary of the Western Conferece. -Sweeney said that to date the coom- plete cost ot the strike- har been? borne by the Western Conference, but that all local -Teamster.. wiionffe-re nowr ,being requested to par- ticipate in Joint -tnanoig aO the-organizing .campa Cannery Council, Peter Andrades, directorof the Western this the mier week deolared-that'Tptcket2.inesa boycott are go- ing stronger thAan ever,"' Andrade. added that the strike bring- ing heam tnas 2se t te Sebastopol plants. K_ California State Federation of Labor WEEKLY NEWS LETTER, October 23.o 1955la

WOLL ASKS AFL MEMBERSHIP TO BACK "CARE" FOOD CRUSADE

(CFLNL) SAN FRANCISCO.--More than ten million members of the American Federation of Labor were invited to Join the CARE Food Crusade this week by Matthew Woll, AFL vice president and a vice president of the CARE movement. "A contribution of only one dollar to CARE will send 22 pounds of U. S. surplus food to a needy worker's family or an institution in some especially needy area of the free world," Woll said. The letters CARE stand for Cooperative For American Remittances To Everywhere, Inc. Stressing that all AFL members and auxiliaries are also affili- ated with CARE, since the Labor League for Human Rights, of which he is chairman, was one of the founding agencies of the non-profit, co- operative welfare agency ten years ago, Woll added: "Food is a weapon, not only in the fight against hunger and want, but also in the struggle against ideologies alien to our own democratic way of life. With the surplus food that fills our stor- age bins, we, as a people, are able to win new friends abroad. Strengthening the organized free labor movement everywhere is the main purpose for which the Labor League for Human Rights was called into being. The CARE Food Crusade is an ideal means for all AFL unions, from the local to the international level, as well as for individual members and other civic groups, to share our own abund- ance with needy trade unionists throughout the free world." Woll explained that allocation of some 40 million pounds of basic foods, such as butter,powdered milk, cheese and edible oil, from U. S. surplus stockpiles to CARE by the Department of Agricul- ture, is making the new CARE Food Crusade possible. These foods are being converted by CARE into two million in- dividual packages of 22 pounds each, for distribution during the coming fall and winter months to needy families and institutions in California State Federation of Labor WEEKLY NEWS LETTER, October-21, 1955

Italy, Greece, West Germany (and Berlin), Yugoslavia, India and Pakistan, As additional surplus becomes available, other countries will be added by CARE to the Food Crusade. CARE, which with the help of AFL contributions distributed near- ly 1,500,000 similar packages last winter in 30 countries, is makring the new Food Crusade package available to American donors at the price of $1.00, to healp cover the cost of packing and internal de- livery in recipient countries. The price includes the usual CARE gtv rintce of free delivery and fredoin f-"om customs dutl-es and all other charges. Each package is plainly marked as "ta gi"t from the American people" and in addition will carry the name and address of the contributing union or individual AFL member. However, because of the special relief character of the Food Crusade, no orders for a specific person overseas can be accepted. Distribution of Food Crusade packages will be made by AFL repre- sentatives abroad strictly on the basis of need, determined in close collaboration with national and local welfare authorities. Orders for these special packages, or contributions in any amount to the Food Crusade may be forwarded to the AFL Representa- tive, CARE, 660 First Avenue, New York 16, N. Y.

DEATH TAKES VETERAN AFL OFFICIALS

(CFLNL) SAN FRANCISCO.--Death this month took two veteran AFL officials in northern California. Charles R. Wood, president and business agent for the AFL Car- ments Union of San Francisco, was buried last week following an ill- ness of three months. He was 57. F. T. Shipman, former vice president of the California State F'ederation of Labor, died last week in Eureka. Brother Shipman was a member of Painters Local No.1034, Eureka, sxid served as district vice president for that area from 1936 to

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* * * California State Federation of Labor WEEKLY EWS LETTER, October 21, 1955

INDUSTRIAL WELFARE COMMISSION ACTS TO BOOST STATE MINIMUM WAGE

(CFLNL) SAN FRANCISCO.--The California Industrial Welfare Com- mission last week voted to request funds for reopening all Industri- al Welfare Commission Orders. The orders regulate the wages, hours and working conditions for employed women and mibors in California. The minimum wage of 75 cents per hour now provided in the ord- ers was set in 1952. The Industrial Welfare Commission was created in 1913, and the first wage order was promulgated in 1916 with a wage rate of 16 cents an hour for 22,000 women cannery workers. Through the years until 1950, Californiats minimum wage orders for women have set a higher rate than the federal minimum wage. In 1950 the federal minimum was raised to 75 cents an hour while the California rate remained at 65 cents, but in 1952 California amended its orders to bring the rate to the 75-cent level. The new federal minimum is $1.00 an hour.

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WAGE HEARINGS ANNOUNCED FOR PUBLIC WORKS PROJECTS

(CFLNL) SAN FRANCISCO.--Edward P. Park, state Labor Commissioner, last week announced that Ernest B. Webb, director of the State Depart- ment of Industrial Relations, will conduct hearings on prevailing wage provisions for state public works projects. Park said the hearings will be held in accordance with the state Labor Code pertaining to the review of such rates. The first hearing will be held in San Francisco on October 27 at 965 Mission Street, and the second in Los Angeles on October 28 in the State Building. Both hearings will commence at 10:00 a.m. California State Federation of Labor WEEKLY NEWS LETTERt October 21, 195 Page 5.

AMERICAN FEDERATION OF LABOR Washington 1, D. C.

TO: THE OFFICERS OF NATIONAL AND INTERNATIONAL UNIONS, STATE FEDERATIONS OF LABOR AND CITY CENTRAL LABOR UNIONS Dear Sirs and Brothers: Throughout the and , citi- zens of all races and faiths are uniting now in a great humanitarian undertaking. The officers and membership of the American Federation of Labor, com- prising more than ten million, will be called upon in their own local communities to serve as volunteers and contributors in Chest and United Fund campaigns this Fall. Dependent upon our efforts with the other citi- zens are over 21,000 voluntary welfare services. These services protect children and adults, give guidance to boys and girls, and bring peace of mind to the aging, care for the sick and handicapped and help troubled families. Last year approximately sixty million persons received the services of Community Chest and United Fund supported agencies. In communities where people are served everyone leads a healthier, happier life. Services also make the community itself a better place in which to live and work. Since 1938, the membership of the American Feder- ation of Labor in local communities has supported the local and national agencies which are part of the Com- munity Chest and United Fund campaigns. May I, once again, urge our membership to continue their support of this worthy endeavor.

Sincerely and Fraternally,

/s/ President American Federation of Labor

OEIU-3-AFL( 31)