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United Automobile Worker
-
1950-03-01
-
Vol. 14 No. 3
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'4//////////
ywyyyyyyy~—w IYIIIIIIIT
\
Wilden
<a
MARCH, 1950
VOL. 14, NO. 3
CHRYSLER STRIKERS IN HUGE MASS RALL
Page Two
UAW Files Complaint | Strikers’ Insurance Is Against Radio Stations | Paid From Union Funds
Page
Five
Page
Two
Win GM Union Shop Vote; Demands Announced
,
Page Three
.
I
t
'
V
y
y
'
Chevrolet workers in Flint, Michigan, members of UAW-CIO
Local 659, ignored the discomfort of a rip-snorting snowstorm to
come out and vote in the union shop election on February 21.
Voting quarters would have been crude and cramped even in nico
weather—as this old bus, covered with snow and festooned with
icicles, plainly shows.
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Da
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LU
Uy Vito
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UNITED AUTOMOBILE WORKER
March, 1950
Page
9
S:
ER
RK
WO
T
EN
EM
PL
IM
M
FAR
AW Saves Labor Center for cid:
COUNCIL CALLS FOR UNITY
Court Rebuffs Attempted Grab
A complete UAW victory was recorded in the terms of a
settlement stipulation executed February 16 and adopted by
the Linn County District Court of Iowa in settlement of a dis-|
pute between CIO and left-wing anti-C1O forces in Cedar Rapids,
Iowa,
over
and
physical
control
administrative
of the
CIO
Labor Center there, it was announced by John W- Livingston,
Vice-President and Director of the UAW Agricultural Imple‘
ment Department.
voting majority on the Board
of Trustees for the Labor Center
building, owned jointly by the CIO
in Cedar Rapids, was obunions
supporters after
by UAW
tained
Workers’
Equipment
Farm
the
had been expelled by CIO
Union
A
for Communist activities and after
rebelled
had
locals of FE
three
-and yoted by near unanimous votes
to affiliate with the UAW.
“ADMINISTRATOR”
FAILS
(for1024
Local
Cherry-Burrell
merly FE Local 155), and Lattner
Mfg. Local 616 (formerly FE Local 235). All three are ‘now funclocal unions recogtioning UAW
nized by their respective companies as the bargaining agent,
ON
LOSE
ALL
COUNTS
Terms of the court settlement
s’
provided for dismissal t of the% leftie
ee
iti
Delegates from basic farm implement plants called for unity
of all farm implement workers in America inside the ranks of
UAW-CIO, at the regular business meeting of the Agricultural
Implement Wage-Hour Council held in Milwaukee, Wisconsin,
2 BW Locals
on January 27, 28 and 29.
Win Strikes
and
taken
Two UAW-CIO local unions
representing Borg-Warner
workers concluded successful
strikes in the month of February.
Local 363, with 580 members in
Cleveland, Ohio, concluded a twoweek strike by winning adjustment
of inequities and night shift premium retroactive to July 30 and
on
of negotiations
extension
an
pensions and health insurance.
In Rockford, Illinois, Local 803
struck
for
a month
to win
six
paid
o"|holidays for the first time, plus
Left-wing interests, led by Chas. petition to the Cae Z
ey
District eourt costs by the
Hobbie, who was former
lefties, res ors” | time study controls and a continDirector for FE and now is posing tion
funds; | ation of negotiations on pensions
and
building
of the
350
The
plans.
insurance
as administrator over the three lo- voiding
by the| ind
a Doman eee
embers of Local 803 picketed 14
eals for the UE with which the puppet
Trustees, walver|
o
Board
¢
to any claim of mem- | plant entrances and had wide
supFE merged, immediately began a by Hobbie
__._
f
Rockin
port from other unions
campaign of intimidation and sub- bership in the Labor Center by virford
terfuge to maintain control of the tue of the three former FE locals,
oblefties
The
properties,
CIO
tained physical control of the building by force and immediately carried out the meaningless mechanics
of ousting from their trusteeships
the representatives from the three
supporting local unions and
UAW
with hand-picked
them
replacing
unions
local
three
The
puppets.
involved were Link-Belt Spreader
Local 299 (formerly FE Local 146),
IUE-CIO Drubs UE
In St. Louis Plant
ST.LOUIS (LPA)—In its biggest
election victory yet, the International Union of Electrical WorkersCIO whipped the United Electrical
Workers 2,816 to 1,814 at the Wagner Electric Co. here. The International Brotherhood of Electrical
got 514 votes and
Workers-AFL
there were 45 votes for no union.
The election covered production
and maintenance workers, factory
clerical workers, and salaried office
The 82 ballots from a
workers.
imwere
technical department
pounded at the request of an AFL
union of technical and professional
employes who contended the unit
An
was not an appropriate one.
trial examiner will decide
NLRB
whether to count the ballots or order a new election.
The national CIO chartered the
IUE after booting out the UE last
fall for following Communist policies.
establishment
and
21
noon February
by the leftwingers.
The
court
order
of a deadline
for
of}
compliance
action
by
| wo ner
reports
gave
encourage-
ment to workers in the LaPlante
Choate Company, who are in the
only remaining FE local union of
Rapids.
significant size in Cedar
These workers are presently await-
ing
Wieoe-president
the
NLRB
on
so
election
for an
petition
also affiliate with
can
they
UAW.
their
that
the
Director
that
the
Gosser,
for
Borg-
UAW-CIO,
by the National
position| the Council in regard to the activi-
firm
CIO
in collec-
Department
in re-|ties
of the
Farm)|the
International
solving the question of jurisdiction | tive bargaining and organizational
which had been complicated by the work, as well as the activities of
tactics
party-line
Workers,
Equipment
of
the
recently
ex-
for
pelled by the CIO Convention
its Communist activities.
industries.
and
plants
in other
Union
BARGAINING REPORT
Reports were exchanged on the
BRANNAN PLAN SUPPORT
progress of bargaining by delegates
local unions of each farm
Kenneth Hones, President of the from
ad- | implement company under contract
Union,
Farmers’
Wisconsin
and with the UAW.
The strategy for
the Council Meeting
dressed
unifying the collective bargaining
called for support of the Brannan
In- approach of locals whose contracts
Plan of farm price supports.
dicative of the recognition by farm have not yet been completed was
of the inter- discussed with the purpose of givworkers
implement
themselves ing maximum support to those lobetween
dependency
cals,
and other segments of society were
resolutions adopted by the Council
Harvey Kitzman, Region 10 Dicalling for the enactment of farm rector, was host to the Council
price support legislation “accepta- Meeting and addressed the gatherble to the farmers” and an all-out ing on the last day of its threedrive for PAC contributions with day session.
officers of the
Top
which to support candidates friend- Council are President Steve Olsen,
ly to labor.
Tom
Vice-President
244;
Local
John W. Livingston, Vice-Presi- Walsh, Local 458; Secretary-Treasurer George Howell, Local 81.
Implement
dent and Agricultural
Borg-Warner
Council met February 25 to adopt
a standard pension and health pro-
gram
the
for
support
to
reported
Director,
The 35 delegates also voiced praise | Department
fof negotiation
by
Borg-
Warner.
Organization work is proceeding,
Agricultural
with
in cooperation
Implement Department, at Ingersoll Steel Dise in Chicago, where
1,500 workers are represented by
the anti-CIO FE union.
Local Wins Election, Strike
And Contract-All in 6 Weeks
SPRINGFIELD, Ohio—UAW-CIO Local 902, newly chartered here to bargain for 850 workers at Robbins and Myers,
Incorporated, wants to lay claim to a speed record as well as
top honors for starting the New Year right.
In a six-week period, the members of this local went through aj
and
representation election, which was | the election in a walkaway
promptly followed by a strike and| was certified on January 6.
rate
Fai
the signing of a new contract, ’ Re7
7
of the co
ailure
;
x
iS ate eo ape, Hae ye
gion 2A Director Ray Ross reports. on basic
demands forced the work-|
UE petitioned for the election in jers to strike on January 19, The
was so effective that the
early December, 1949—and UAW-|strike
30)
gave in on January
CIO intervened to give the work-|company
signed a contract which iners a chance to vote for a ClO|and
holidays
for
time
triple
union. A hearing was held on De-| cluded
ordered | worked and double time for call-in
election
the
12,
cember
won | pay.
UAW-CIO
for December 28.
Vy
UAW
Canada Hosts
Speed Skating Meet
UAW-CIO Recreation Department, in cooperation with the
Southwestern Ontario CIO Recreation Council and the Michigan Skating Association, has scheduled a history-making skating championship for Chatham, Ontario, city rink, Saturday,
March 25. The meet marks the first time international speed
skating competition under U.S. sponsorship has been held in
e
Canada.
Top
teed
is guaran-,
flight competition
of
presence
the
by
the Detroit
stars from
speed
151
alone.|
area
SOE
More entries are guaranteed from
Michigan|
Illinois, Northern
Ohio,
and Toronto. Marion Trafeli, state |
indoor champ; Terry Browne, state
De-|
Omer
titleholder;
outdoor
co-holder with Browne |
Schepper,
of
EY,
champion-|
indoor
Ilinois
the
OM
ship,
Bob
Tasket,
Jim
Thomson,|
George
and
Walter
Omelenchuk, |
|
John James, Jr., Clare Young and
|
Dick Klein are among the favorites in men’s competition. National
indoor champion Barbara Marchetcontingent,
ti leads the women’s
which
includes
June
Fraley,
Doris|
Droste and Florence Wrona Carter.
The
championship
races
were
originally slated for February
in|
ice conditions|
outdoor
Flint, but
forced postponements, The offer of
the
to host
Council
the Ontario
fevent was enthusiastically accepted by UAW and Michigan Skating
Association
meet
will
officials. It is hoped
the|
Canada,
ac-
further
skating
in
special
events
in these
events.
interest
te
Omer
in speed-|
where
ice
es
Local
DeSchepper,
member
skates
the
203,
with
of
Jerry
Omer is the former
Lynch
Boys.
tivities now center around
figure
skating and hockey.
| State Class B champ and on FebIn addition
to races
in senior, ruary 3, 1950, won the Silver Skates
Bete
+
Setnctne
intermediate, junior, toddlers and
cradle divisions, and novice races, | UP at Petoskey, Michigan.
will
be
held
for)
Finals will begin at
CIO|for 3:00 p.m,
skaters in the Chatham area,
affiliation is not required for entry|8:00
p.m.
Entries
may
be made
Qualifying
scheduled
are
heats
| through
|ment,
UAW
Recreation
Second,
5707
Depart-
2, Mich.
Detroit
CI O Pro poses H igher 3 Benefi ts
WASHINGTON
social
security
law,
program,
for
by
security
social
retirement
Average
at
(LPA)—Compare
a
the
single
age
for
House-approved
person
20
65, or
the
who
years,
in
the
has
bill
(HR
been
These
event
benefits
of
under
6000),
working
would
be
total
and
the
on
the
and
the
jobs
benefits
present
covered
either
permanent
Wage
Secretary-Treasurer Emil Mazey is on the receiving end of Chrysler strike donations,
too. Here he takes in a check for $1,102.50, representing a collection taken up by ChrysLeft to right are; Daniel L, Clarke, UPGWA Secretary-Treasurer;
ler plant guards,
Mazey; James McGahey, UPGWA President; Stanley Szczesny, Chairman, Chrysler Plant
Guard Council, ‘‘There’ll be more coming, too,’’ these spokesmen for Chrysler plant guards,
who are working during the strike, told Mazey.
differently
in each column)
co1o
Proposal
Present
Law
on
disability:
Monthly
(caluculated
CIO
HR
6000
$100.00
150.00
$60,00
72.00
$30.00
36.00
$55.00
60.50
200,00
84.00
42,00
66,00
250,00
300,00
400,00
96,00
108,00
132,00
48,00
48.00
48,00
71,50
77.00
77.00
‘
Page 10
;
UNITED AUTOMOBILE WORKER
Mareh, 1950
Saturday Evening Post Praises Flint Labor Show Has
Union Stations—With Damns 8.8 Hooper Rating
_ The Saturday Evening Post, eeu
with
low
purposes,
pays
the Us W-CIO
slick magazine®
a grudging
With
editorial
radio
compliment in citing the union's two radio ‘Stations as new
proof of what is called ‘‘the superior articulation of the Left.
SEP s editor worries for two columns in a recent issue about
labor’s
increasing
educational
activity
in general, and
““new politically conscious radio network’’ in particular.
Through
bracing
ly
owned
in
New
:
an FM network em-©
Washington’s
cooperative‘
WCFM,
York
Los
or
Angeles,
lets
in
ILGWU
stations
Chattanooga
i
E
=:
and the UAW’s
Detroit
and
Post
complains,
This
development
and
out-
Cleveland,
labor
is
the
; a
more
effective
job
of getting its
viewpoint
across than is reaction.
ine’s
-has
servativ
row
doing
the
maga-|
‘
Ss
ased
2
a
“peak
of
activity”
eras
of FM
a
E
public
mind,
is being made.
then
real
progress
(Thus far, no comFord nor Chrysler
grams
Of
Talks’?
of America’s
has
more
favorite
than justified
The
latest
Hooper
rates
poll
8.8,
which
on
our
leads
jlocal
Educati
Com-|Phil
Harris, and
Jimmy
, Bone
mittee unions,
of the the
Greater
Flint on Ind
Hit Parade
Can Durante
You Top
This.
S|
Sas
trial Union
Council,
ja
fifteen-minute
|known as “Flint
|
talks
|problem
:
While
launched
7:15
p.
m.
there
Ae
have
:
broth
Abhay Stecne
mee
=
ae
on
over
space
been
aa
permits
many.
di:
site ¥,
a
eo
site
nT ALA
on
Hae
aS)
listing
DECery
only
those
‘
:
,
who have been consistently active:
For
the first year
and 3 a half, '|Howard
:
*
Blundell,
John
Eleazer,
this program consisted chiefly of | Grace Sturk, Lloyd Sturk, Gene-
See
5
eINGUs:
radio
program
Labor Talks” on
evening at
Station WFDF
ABC
ane
CIO,
| Saturday
3
| with the union.
| panies—neither
Labor
some
lings of latent talent from various | OVer Such programs in this area as:
or
eae
phase
with
of
some/yieye
Donnelly,
unionism. |
Lawrence
Starwe
Huber,
P
Then
the
Education
Committee
in-|Kelyn
,
Barbara
Boor,
Marshall
| stituted a Radio Workshop Class} Boor Teak Gaver tRGberts Chas
c
While: Marquis
Childs was on ||
members who buy them will not
3
hard and constantly on liberal proonly be doing themselves a favor,
a nation-wide
lecture tour, |
gram,
the
Post
fears,
the
labor
but helping at the same time to | Mrs. Raymond Clapper
brought |
movement
is bringing the dreaded
| Sharpen labor’s most effective pub- la women’
s point of view to the |
Welfare State visibly closer.
| lic relations weapon—the truth.
daily Washington
Report
proThis comes as high praise indeed, |
|
Neither
of the
UAW
-stations
d by
Kai
F
|
considering
the
source,
for
the
(WDET
~in
Detroit,
WCUO
in gram sponsored
by
Kaiser-Fra-|
UAW’s
year-old venture in radio
| Cleveland) is run as a propaganda
zer at 7:30 p. m. on WDET and
as an instrument of public service.
jinstrument. Where the union has WwcCuo.
The union may well conclude that
|been
involved
in
strike
action
if a steady
house-organ
of
big}
| against
companies,
these
compabusiness such as the Post is distribjnies have been offered free time
uted about labor-radio’s impact on
to state their case in open debate
the
‘‘Flint
topping
bor’s story across and with sprink-|Program
_,Sweh
receivers
are
now
available
at
moderate
prices,
and
UAW
&
programs,
rating
nothing but a firm desire to put la-|
during
receivers.
a Hooper
the hard work on aspirations of its sponsor, the Greater Flint
CIO Industrial Union Gouna). ¢—<————_——__
Starting in the fall of 1945 with |img audiences in the nation.
this year’s election.
|
At present, the labor co-op radio
“network”
covers -a potential listening audience of 18 to 20 million
people.
Of these, a high percentage are members
of organized labor. A major problem in developing
actual
listening
audience,
however,
has
been
the
relative
scarcity
with
anxiety
By
pooling
its
edu-|
Rational: aa
tnbe
ei
pounding
a
reach
about
“Sr
us
through the W. E. S. of U. of M.
teaching microphone techniques,
presentation,
script writing,
etc.
Out of these classes emerged several
good
numerous
based
script
dramas
on some
writers
and.
who
nus
~
and Aileen Limsky, with the latter
serving in the dual capacity of actress and directress.
“We
wrote
hope,”
Robert
ucation-PAC
melodramas
phase
AILCT)
“that this
terest and
groups to
of unionism.
Over the years this program has
built up one of the largest listen-
J. Chase,
Ed-
Representative,
says,
story will stimulate inencourage other union
get their views on the
air in their localities.”
Other
conservative
brows
are |nor smaller corporations—have
creased
as well.
Arthur
Krock, ;}dared
expose
their
positions
to
who editorializes for the New York public scrutiny, but the offer
still
Times in the guise of Washington | holds good.)
correspondent, has also been view-|
|
The
large
amount
of time
on
ing with profound
alarm.
Krock
labor-operated radio stations given
gloomily
predicts
that
“this perover to public service programs of
fected
and
enlarged
publicity
of
educational
and
cultural
value
the Left, better than the moder(highest ratio in the nation) offers
ates have now or ever had,” will
significant
contrast
to
program- |
|ming_by the commercial networks. |
A sample Federal Communications|
|Commission
check
reveals
that|
“Four networks provided listeners|
with 5944 hours of sponsored pro-|
Turn your Dial to WDET-FM
KEEP POSTED ON
LABOR NEWS
(Detroit), 101.9
the FM Band.
Megacycles
on
1:00 p. m.—Chrysler Strike.
7:30 p. m.—Washington Report
with Kaiser-Frazer
Liberal
Commentators Marquis Childs
and Joseph Harsch.
10:45 p. m.—Frank Edwards,
AFL Commentator.
Tobacco
7:30 p. m.—UAW-CIO
Roundup.
1:30
p.
m.—Voice
Sports
Labor,
Michican CIO Council.
3:30 p. m.—It’s Your*Life.
5:00 p. m.—UAW-CIO Education Department.
Every evening at 6:30 p. m., Guy
Nunn, UAW-CIO
Commentator, ‘Labor Views the News.”
one
of
radio’s|
100
we
to|
| what’s said about the product, and |
|we give 10 per cent to the show.|
We are commercial, and we can-| |
afford
to
be
anything
else.
I|
| don’t have the right to spend the)
| stockholder’s money just to enter| tain the public.”
|
The Harmoneers, popular songsters of UAW-CIO Buick Local 599, Flint, Michigan, are
making frequent guest appearances on the WDET-FM Chrysler strike prog—
ra
heard
m
daily, Monday through Friday, at 1 p. m. on the UAW-CIO Radio Station. They are also
popular performers on the Flint CIO Council program, ‘‘Flint Labor Talks,”’ Saturday evenings at 7:15 on Station WFDF. Above are: Hardy Wafford, Jack Norman, Thermon Hopson, Mac Allen and John Fulton.
abandoned | put it at the service of the comits efforts to remedy this situation. munity, where it belongs.
| Until
the
emergence
of
union-|
Before the present decade is out,
|
of
Company,
| give 90 per cent to commercials,
|not
Sundays
55 hours|
largest
advertisers:
“Taking
per cent as total radio value,
Saturdays
Tempo.
Detroit.
these,
were devoted to soap operas and}
advertisers.”
The credo of orthodox radio was
expressed
frankly some
time ago}
by the president of the American |
Weekdays
11:00 a. m—Teen
6:30 p. m.—Inside
weekly.
The
FCC
has
all but
stations,
radio
was
.a it may well prove possible for the|
.
of rampant commercial- expanding
chain
of
community
lism. If FM audences can be ex- service
stations
either
to topple
panded through the help of union | commercial Goliath or, by power
members,
it will at last become |of
example,
set
him
to
honest
possible to break
the domination
labor in the vineyards of the public
of radio by the networks and to welfare.
i
sponsored
panorama
CIVIL LIBERTIES FORUM ON WDET
WDET will broadcast a
| five
half-hour
programs
with civil liberties on the
and international levels.
grams will be heard the
March 20 at 7:00 p. m.,
through Friday.
The programs will use
|
cordings,
made
at
the
series of
dealing
domestic
The proweek of
Monday
tape
recent
preme Court,” and talks by Senator Herbert H. Lehman, Roger N.
Baldwin,
retiring director of the
ACLU, and Patrick Murphy Malin,
the new director of the organization.
The first program will highlight
the story of how the ACLU came
to be formed in the days after the
first World War. Mr. Baldwin, now
chairman of the International Affairs for the ACLU, will tell this
story in his own words. These programs were produced by WFDR,
the ILGWU-owned New York station,
re-
na-
tional conference of the American
Civil Liberties’ Union.
Among
the highlights
of the
series will be heated debates on
Communists and Civil Rights, discussions on Women in Civil Rights,
“What to Expect of the New Su-
Recreation Leaders
Talk on WDET-FM
ENJOY THE BEST
IN RADIO
WCUO-FM
Recreation chairmen of local unions in the Detroit area discuss
their local union sports and recreational activities every week at 7:30
p. m. on WDET.
Jerry Snyder,
WDET sportscaster, moderates the
program.
Heard in March will be
the following.
Norm Larkins, Local 212, March
11; Barbara
Doherty,
Local
236, March
18; Ed
Pryor and Joe Gattler, Local 190,
March
25, and
Nicholas
Hyshka,
| Local 80, April 1.
Indiana Chrysler local union Presidents bring messages of solidarity from Hoosier State
strikers to their fellow strikers in Detroit on the WDET-FM ‘‘Chrysler Report’’ program
heard Monday through Friday in Detroit. Left to right are: Guy Nunn, UAW-CIO News
Commentator; Floyd Abston, New Castle Local 371; Robert Stine, Kokomo Local 685, and
John Sterneman, Evansville Local 705.
|
|
|
||}
|
instructor, UAW-CIO
Department.
.
ae
Megacycles
FM
Band
Weekdays
6:25
6:30
the
p. m.—Labor Leaders.
p. m.—A Liberal Look
at
News.
|
|
with Kaiser-Frazer Liberal
Commentators Marquis Childs
and Joseph Harsch.
|}
|
10:00 p. m.—Frank Edwards,
AFL Commentator.
|
Sundays
6:45
p. m.—Union
7:00
p. m.—Country
Story.
Church.
Every evening at 6:45, Guy
Nunn, UAW-CIO,
LABOR
VIEWS THE NEWS.
Rec-
e
aint an
on
| 7:30 p. m.—Washington Report
Among those who have already
appeared
on
WDET
are:
John
D'Agostino, Local 735; John Horning, Local 49; Olga~ Madar, Director, UAW Recreation Department;
John Boyne, Local 7; Patsy Urso,
boxing
reation
103.8
(Cleveland)
met aE les
aceite iL
al ae
YS
eal a
eta
R
*
—e
Page
12
UNITED
AUTOMOBILE
WORKER
Two Major Reuther Talks
Get Widespread Attention
UAW-CIO
President
Walter
P.
Reuther
delivered
two
im-
portant addresses to non-labor groups of citizens in the month
of February, both of which received widespread comments and
press
coverage
from
coast
to coast.
On February 16, in Detroit, h
spoke to the National Study Conference on the Church
and
Economic Life, sponsored by the Federal Council of the Churches
of
Christ in America. And on Febru-
Key UAW Council
Says Oust Denham
LANSING, Mich.—Delegates to
the
UAW-CIO
Gear,
Axle
and
convention of the American Asso- Transmission Council,
in their regciation of School Administrators in | ular quarterly meeting here over
the week-end of February 4 and 5,
Atlantic City, New Jersey.
teleIn his remarks
to the church} |} voted unanimously to send a
ary
27
he
group,
President
“We
how
addressed
have
but,
in
sciences,
social
ANSWER
“The
a
achieved
nor
that
TO
of
of
to
achievement
in-
social
H-BOMB
of
the
H-bomb
problem
equivalent
physical
sense
moral
ability of mankind
that
the
...
problem
power
moral
necessary
and
world-wide
al
physical-
not
physical
achievement.
know-
and
have
tangible
the
world
responsibility
translate
said:
human
mechanism
moral
to
the
the
we
annual
Reuther
achieved
to destroy
ly,
the
to find
of
we
of
the
the
the
inmor-
tremendous
create
sciences,
is
in
the
field
and
the
only
answer to the H-bomb is for the
free people of the world to find the
way to create the kind of social,
economic and political mechanisms
through
which
they,
together,
on
a
world-wide scale, can achieve the
moral equivalent of the power of
the H-bomb....
“Our problem in America is that
we know how to create the economic
wealth
necessary
to build
that good life which we talk about
So eloquently.
We have the tools
of abundance, but our problem is
we do not know how to divide up
abundance, because we have been
dividing up scarcities so long that
we are afraid to find a way
to
divide up abundance... .
SECURITY
WITHOUT
SLAVERY
“Instead
of talking
about
the
welfare state, raising phony issues
that
cloud
up
the
horizon,
we
ought to be trying to come to grips
with the basic problems that both-
er men—find the democratic Christian solutions to those
problems.
... If you tan get nations marching and fighting and sacrificing for
hatred,
for the negative ends of
war, then why can’t you get people marching and fighting for the
good things of life and peace? ...
I say it can be done and we in
America have the responsibility of
pointing the way, of showing that
we can acheive economic security
without spiritual enslavement. .. .”
For
the
1,300
delegates
to
the
educational convention in Atlantic
City, President Reuther re-affirmed
the UAW-CIO's dedication to the
public interest with the following
statements:
“In
the
complex
and _ interdependent world in which we live, labor and management have a tremendous responsibility to the whole
community.
This joint responsibility of labor and management transcends the responsibility that either
has to its special economic group.
“Decisions
in
the
field
of
collec-
gram
to President
Truman
demanding the removal of Robert N.
Denham as NLRB Counsel.
The wire to President Truman
stated that Denham was “applying
the Taft-Hartley Act against labor
unions beyond the limits intended
by those who sponsored the vicious
law.”
International
Representative
Joseph
Mooney
reported
to the
delegates
on
the success
of the
strike at the Rockford Clutch plant
in Rockford, Illinois, where a 13cent
package
was
gained.
He
praised
Borg-Warner
plants
for
their support of the strike.
Joseph Mattson, Assistant Director of the Competitive Shops Department,
reported
progress
in
attempts to catch up with Timken
Axle runaway plants in Ohio and
Pennsylvania.
The Council voted all-out support to the Chrysler strikers.
Muncie, Indiana, was chosen as
the next meeting place—with Local 287 as host—for the meeting
scheduled on May 6, 1950.
Swedish
G. Reuther,
UAW-CIO
WASHINGTON—Four so-called small business associations
have just been exposed as stooges of big business by the House
Committee on Small Business, headed by Wright Patman of
Texas.
Guests
DETROIT—Winners of a national
contest sponsored by the Swedish
magazine Folket I Bild, 40 active
rank-and-file members of Swedish
trade unions will arrive in New
York April 2 for a 20-day visit in
the United States.
The group will be guests of the
UAW-CIO and the Detroit Federation of Teachers, AFL, here April
6 and 7. They will visit Ford and
General
Motors plants and local
unions. Divided into smaller groups,
they will visit Detroit schools with
members of the DFT-AFL.
The Swedish unionists, including
four
women,
were
chosen
from
among
more than 3,500 who entered the contest sponsored by the
magazine.
The idea grew out of
Folket I Bild Editor Ivar Ohman’s
visit to the United States during
the holiday season.
He discussed
his plan with UAW-CIO Education
Director
Victor
G. Reuther
and
UAW Representative Joseph Mattson, who
gave their enthusiastic
support.
Editor
Ohman
said
that
the|
Swedish
Confederation
of Labor
would
invite a similar group
of
American trade unionists to visit
Sweden.
After Detroit, the itinerary of
the group calls for visits to Buffalo,
Chicago,
Gary,
Rockford,
Knoxville
(TVA), Washington,
D.
C., and back to New York.
They
will return to Sweden April 22,
Vic Reuther Helps Shape
Church Policy Statement
Victor
"Small" Business Outfits
Stooge for Big Business
Unionists
To Be UAW
Di-
March, 1950
The exposure
the newspapers
days before one
story appeared in
here only a few
of these—the Na-
tional Small Business Men’s Association
— met
in Washington and
threw
the
the
every
rack
news
at
big-business
the
Fair
story
of
bomb
Deal.
the
in
But
meéting
played it straight, just as though
this was a bona fide small business
organization.
NOTHING
SMALL
There's nothing small about the
business
backing
of
this
outfit.
It’s the grass roots front for the
Small Business Economic Foundation. List of financial contributors
to the foundation
reads like the
social
register
of
Wall
Street—
U. S. Steel, Standard Oil of N. J.,
Standard Oil of Indiana, SoconyVacuum,
Chrysler Corporation,
Goodyear Tire and Rubber, BorgWarner, Texas Company, Republic
the
achievement
tee report. They
ness
issues,
the
and
go
wants.
File NLRB Charges
Against Auto-Lite
LOCKLAND,
Ohio — UAW-CIO
Vice-President Richard Gosser announced that he was pressing National Labor Relations Board offi-
cials to speed up their investigation
of his charges that Auto-Lite officials connived with the AFL Lampworkers in a run-off election held
here early this year.
The
AFL
union,
supported
by
the IAM, which was knocked out
in
the
first
vote
in
December,
topped UAW-CIO 1,111 to 680.
Gosser said he had evidence in
the form of affidavits to prove that
scores of Auto-Lite
foremen
and
supervisors participated in the elec-
tion
in support
of the AFL
union.
DANA COUNCIL
ELECTS OFFICERS
for
avoid small-busicommittee
says,
things
big
business
ANTI-FARMER
While these two outfits are
ning
for
labor,
two
others
wrapped
in
the
cloak
of
gunalso
small
business are out gunning for farmer cooperatives.
These
also
are
given a face scrubbing in the committee’s report.
National Tax Equality Association and National Associated Businessmen
are the twin
operators
in this anti-farmer campaign.
Both of them claim to speak for
small
tem which has been strengthened
rector of Education, was a leading| in its operation and corrected in its
TOLEDO
— The Dana
(Spicer)
abuses
throug
h
variou
s
social conparticipant in the discussions that
| Intra-Corporation
Council
held
a
trols.
Some
of
the
most
crucia
l
| meeting here February 25, at which
formulated
the policy statements
controls are in the area of stabilof the National Study Conference
permanent officers were elected.
on the Church and Economic Life, izing incomes through
regulation
Elected were: Carl Schick of Towhich met in Detroit, February 16 of the volume
of money
in the
ledo,
President;
Bob
Conners,
of
through 18. As joint leader of a economy and regulation of governPottstown,
Pennsylvania,
Vicecommittee that attacked the prob- ment’s taxes and expenditures.
President,
and
Henry
Borim,
of
lem of “Freedom of Enterprise and
“We
cannot,
for example,
talk| Toledo, Secretary.
Social Controls,” Victor helped to realis
tically in terms of restoring
The delegates discussed pensions
prepare a report which said:
an unregulated, competitive price and insurance and other contract
“We seek the use of a price sys- system in America.
|demands
and laid plans for uniform contract terminations,
look“We recognize that the extensive
ing forward
to the beginning
of
tive bargaining must reflect prog- use of taxation to reduce inequalities that now exist is a desirable| corporation-wide bargaining.
ress for the whole community.
procedure
from
an economic
and |
The next meeting will be held
URGES CONFERENCE
Christian perspective.”
| in Detroit on April 15.
He suggested a national conference of labor, farm, industry, science and education
leade—rs
because these are the groups which
“must come to grips on a downto-earth basis with the problems of
unemployment,
Steel, Federal-Mogul, Libby-OwensFord, to name but a few.
These two so-called small business associations “concentrate most
of their guns on the labor unions,”
according to the Patman Commit-
business,
the
committee
says.
But it shows that what they are
up to is to put rural electric co-ops
and other cooperatives out of business, and large private power companies
provide
major
financial
backing.
Detroit Edison, Consolidated Edison of N. Y., Public Service of Indiana, Public Service of
Newark
utility
twins.
are
angels
among
the
of
these
INVESTIGATION
LAGS
numerous
two-faced
The House
Lobby Investigating
Committee,
it was
hoped,
would
dig into these small-business fronts
for big business. But that investigation now
appears
to have got
started
under
serious
handicaps
and
to have
spent
most
of its
appropriation talking to itself behind closed doors.
Little light and
no heat is the outlook at this writing.
A thoroughgoing lobby look-
see would cause
in Congress, on
aisle.
a lot of red faces
both sides of the
3 Locals Join
Skilled Trades
INDIANAPOLIS—Three
more
UAW-CIO
Indiana
local
unions
affiliated with the Region 3 Skilled
Trades Council at its regular meeting here February 5. The new affiliates are from Delco-Remy in Anderson,
Delco
Radio
in Kokomo
and Chrysler in Kokomo,
Regional Directors Ray Berndt,
of Region 3, and Joseph McCusker,
of Region 1A, attended the meet-
ing.
The next meeting will
in Kokomo on April 8.
be
held
of
full production
and full distribution, our housing and educational
needs,
the
problem
of removing
economic barriers to good health,
the
question
of civil
rights and
fair practice legislation, and other
basic problems which challenge democracy.”
The school representatives gave
him a spirited ovation at the end
of his address.
ees
POSTMASTER.
of
address
No.
3579
67B)
E.
and
on
Send
Form
copies
(Canada,
Washington
notices
3578
returned,
of
change
under
labels
(Canada,
labels No. 29B)
St.,
Indianapolis
Form
to 2457
7, Ind,
The staff of life, union made and delivered to the door, is donated to Chrysler strikers
by CIO United Bakery & Confectionery Workers’ Local 30 in Detroit. This load of Sil-
vercup bread went to Local 47 on February 27. Left t6 right are: Sam Abed, Local 30
Production Steward; Louis Morris, Local 47 Chief Steward; Ed Baker, Local 47 Vice-Pres-
ident; Earl
Steward.
Wolfman,
Local 30 Business
Manager,
and Bob Edward,
Local 30 Drivers’
- Item sets