Labor unions

Former President Harry S. Truman and his daughter, Margaret, breaking ground at the site of the future Truman Library at Slover Park in Independence, Missouri. The Independence Lions Club donated the gold-plated shovel used for the groundbreaking. Members of Local 34 of the American Federation of Musicians played at the event. From: Copied from original photographs loaned to the library by Harry Barth. Originals were returned to Mr. Barth.

The Independence Lions Club donated a gold-plated shovel for former President Harry S. Truman (center, foreground) to use at the Harry S. Truman Library groundbreaking at Slover Park in Independence, Missouri. Members of Local 34 of the American Federation of Musicians played at the event. Others in the background are unidentified. From: Copied from original photographs loaned to the library by Harry Barth. Originals were returned to Mr. Barth.

Wage Stabilization Director John R. Steelman is shown signing the government wage policy to pave the way for payment to striking American Federation of Labor seamen of wage increases twice disapproved by the Wage Stabilization Board. He said he amended the existing wage regulations to provide that government agencies may pay wages and salaries "comparable to the wages and salaries paid for the same or comparable services by other operators". From: Beth Gore

Walter P. Reuther, UAW-CIO President, testifying before Congress against cutting the Marshall Plan funds on the assumption that "an apple a day will keep totalitarianism away." Reuther urged the Senate Foreign Relations Committee to take a "long second look" at the proposed $6,800,000,000 down payment to see whether it should not be increased, instead of reduced as many prominent persons recommended. From: Beth Gore

Walter P. Reuther, President of the United Auto Workers (CIO), charged at a hearing before the Senate Small Business Subcommittee on Steel, that the steel industry wanted "planned scarcity" and that that would cause a major depression. He stated the industry had no faith in the future. From: Beth Gore

Walter P. Reuther, President of the United Automobile Workers (CIO), as he appeared before the Senate Labor Committee. He told the Senators that punitive labor legislation cannot avert industrial strife which would be inevitable unless the economic lot of workers improved. During his appearance, Reuther had many sharp exchanges with member of the committee, Senator Joseph H. Ball (Minnesota). From: Beth Gore

Walter Reuther, Vice President of the United Auto Workers and Head of General Motors UAW Department, as he appeared before a fact-finding panel. From: Beth Gore.

James C. Petrillo, head of the Musicians Labor Union, is shown in testimony before the House Labor Subcommittee. From: Beth Gore.

Photo of CIO President Philip Murray as he testified before the Senate Labor Committee. Mr. Murray indicated that Congress would shove the nation towards economic "catastrophe" if it attempted to weaken unions instead of business monopolies. From: Beth Gore.

Photo of Philip Murray, President of the CIO, as he appeared before the House Military Affairs Committee to answer questions about war production shortages. He indicated that the shortages are due to upsurges in military requirements and mistakes of government procurement agencies, and that three-fourths of all manpower shortage figures and complaints would be eliminated if both unions and companies were required to certify manpower shortage conditions. He was testifying that no "work or fight" legislation was necessary. From: Beth Gore.