1969 Age Of Labor

In January. Nineteen A leavened F.D.R. starts his first term as state found.

Three months later the global conditions of sweatshop labor the price of the nation's attention. One hundred forty eight for instance mainly women and children of ferns and the fires sweeps through the twenty and when it introduces legislation favoring workman's compensation and factory inspection laws one of its most fervent supporters is the twenty nine year old Franklin D. Roosevelt. In the year nineteen eleven. Samuel Gompers Robert F. way Alfred E. Smith and I were liberals radicals when we fought for we succeeded in passing a bill for the New York State legislature limiting the work of women in industry to fifty four hours a week. Has won thirteen twenty zero government continues to get Labor's can't recognize.

Labor gives its own union is scarcely more the glass than six percent of American workers are organizing the poor you. Over the years at the I.R.S. convictions grow stronger that workers have rights which should be protected by law.

In one hundred twenty eight he becomes governor of New York. I call for legislation to guard the toilers in the factory and to ensure them of sale wage and protection from the dangers of the trades to compensate them by adequate insurance for injuries received while working. When F.D.R. assumes the presidency in one hundred thirty three he begins by making an unprecedented appointment as a secretary of labor. F.D.R. appoint the first lady cabinet member in history. Frances Perkins. Her reporting was whether she will not find her a sex act. Miss Perkins replies only in climbing trees. Most important single concept is the idea of keeping up the wage earner purchasing power without high wage earners I just think we can offer maintain business or industry or our population in ways which American than.

The overwhelming majority of the workers of America understand the overwhelming majority of them were of America that this is no time to seek special privileges and they were personal gain the car we face today. To assist economic recovery by raising the buying power of the American worker. F.D.R. sponsors the passage of the National Industrial Recovery Act. Sing definitely to increase the purchasing power of the American people here. Government hopes that the building up of wages and the sharpening of ours will result in an increase in the number of persons employ workers are here given a new charter of rights long sought and here are to deny. Buried in the heart of the N.R.A. is Section seven A which grants the right to labor to bargain collectively. Sections seven A says the workers can choose a representative.

They want to choose their coon dogs while they have a perfect right to do sell give a want to choose the royals is graphic society they can do is that they are free right to choose their representatives. The passage by Congress of the actor around has a storm of controversy. Try the die hard Roosevelt as a traitor to his class he has never met a payroll and his life he has no right to hold any opinion about labor he doesn't know anything about it. Didn't practice it. Two saddened that there were things that he didn't know anything about people never been inside the tenement until I took it he never had the feeling of superiority that I think people expected of someone with his economic and social background.

As a days roll by it becomes increasingly clear that seven eight is too vague the rights of labor are not always recognized by industry labor becomes more impatient with the. Feet. Yes. Thank. You. Thirty four opens with my so might as explosions and strikes become John Ross from my. In Minneapolis the Teamsters strike effectively paralyzes the city and class war threatens as the you know when you have a list Legion anti-labor mine. In West Virginia John Eloise calls a series of strikes against mine operators if this owners come and whine like a remain peacefully in their home. Conscious of the fact. That's very much in coal mines will not produce.

Industrial Recovery is been to some extent retarded by strikes I would not minimize the inevitable losses to employers and employees and to the general public through such contracts but I would point out that the extent and severity of labor this field during this period has been filed less than in any previous comparable very. True. In Georgia going to town make such a concentration camps for striking. A New England at textile trade journal says few hundred two miles will have a quieting including. San Francisco is virtually immobilised when the longshoremen on the Harry Bridges strike. Says bridges we workers have nothing in common with the employers where in a class struggle. In the San Francisco's strike a lot of people completely lost a head telegraphed me for God's sake come back Everybody them and then that I was sale in the San Francisco Bay all flags flying and guns double shot it and the strike they went completely off the handle. Own Labor has got to love like going through the actual process and not by end of Syrians from the federal government all from the president or from your knighted States tropes. From. The best customer service Merican industry is the well paid work. Must be to achieve and maintain a national economy always factors are so finely balanced that the worker is always sure of a job which will guarantee a living wage the wage earners of America will not ask for more they will not be satisfied with the less.

The N.R.A. simply isn't strong enough to enforce the rights of labor and the Senate passes a bill introduced by Senator Robert F. Wagner of New York City on February twenty first one hundred thirty five. Hundred light since it becomes a little officially called the National Labor Relations build it provide supervised union elections in industrial plant. It's creating a judicial board to weigh disputes between labor and management. The National Labor Relations Act is now. Along the land. Leave House see the dawn of a new era AD H.D. and justice for all in our economic life. Says the Oklahoma Manufacturers Association the N.L.R.B. well out style and start out Soviet the Russian Soviet. Says the communist Daily Worker it will be a weapon to destroy the power of the workers. A better relationship between labor and management is the high purpose of this act. Shoring the employees of the right of collective bargaining. It fosters the development of the employment contract on a sound and equitable basis it seeks for every worker within its scope that freedom of choice and action which is just Lake is. In the summer of one hundred thirty five American labor unions disagree as to whether they should organize by grants or by entire industry. Journal Lois head of the United Mine Workers. David Dubinsky president of the

International Ladies Garment Workers Union and city Hilman be another method clothing workers break with the American Federation of Labor Day pharmacy. F.D.R. was careful not to alienate even of the warring labor factions he wants a political tightrope between E.F. zero in the CIA both have large and the nine hundred thirty six election is coming up. Be distinguished representative of the American Federation of may. Give an intelligent analysis to the right of them to continuously. Anticipating a Democratic victory and a favorite place for the C.I. all journalists office Roosevelt a campaign contribution of two hundred fifty thousand dollars. Replies the politically astute F.D.R. No John I don't want your check much as I appreciate it just keep the call on us in the way and any small need arises. In one hundred thirty five F.D.R. turns its attention to the broader aspects of social work. Then social security measure. Games at least some protection to thirty millions of a certain. Rate direct benefits through unemployment compensation the old age pension and throw in increased services for the Protection of Children and the prevention of ill health.

F.D.R. so filled with Security Act overwhelmingly passed by Congress in the summer of one hundred thirty five provides unemployment and old age pensions as well as child rearing benefits. The National Association of Manufacturers cause the act the ultimate socialist the control of life and industry. Is as our Constitution tells us our federal government was established among other things to promote the general welfare it is our plain duty to provide for that security. Upon which welfare dependent. Strengthened by favorable legislation an F.D.R. sweeping victory in one hundred thirty six the labor movement introduces a new form of strengthening the sent down strong hold. We're going to spark in my plan. You refused to move until a settlement is reached. Labor always having it. Labor Pains it was just beginning to find its power under the new impetus as favorable legislation and the sympathetic government it is not quite grown up to such powerful. Industrial plants build up arsenals of gas bombs. She's done some right. The sit down strikes plague the nation in Michigan along the route fifty one strikes in one month. Then fled Michigan world a roof to resist so forty four day siege of United Auto Workers at the Chevrolet plant. System strikes a month Bob Dylan strikers will finally realize the labor cannot get very far if it makes itself unpopular with the bulk of the population in this country. They step in and they are them a billion dollars for a. Real day faster offending.

Soon I will determine in this issue whether or not some excellent balcony and they accepted sense of the way it's going to be aesthetically and me I don't know them and the own. Well the roof served in the United Auto Workers getting recognition by the automotive industry. The last of the basic you do the wages and always act on one hundred thirty eight establishes minimum wage it abolishes lucky it ends child labor for all time. The age long curse of child labor has been lifted their sweat job I would love and millions of wage earners are released from starvation wages and excessive hours of rule a buck pattern of a new order of industrial relations is definitely taking straight to the high branch Squire has travelled far since his first visit to a tournament brought the awakening of a social contact. Is made it possible for organized labor and to become a powerful political force he has brought dignity and acceptance to the labor movement. Or a the advancement of human progress by industrial progress always is the duty to work for that becomes a mission. When bitterness and distrust. Shall be replaced by mutual respect the you. This.

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Credit: Who Knew restoration/Edit film division

Rights: Words of F.D.R. spoken by Charlton Heston; narrator, Arthur Kennedy; consultant, Mrs. Franklin D. Roosevelt A Films Incorporated presentation