Milford chronicle., 1937-07-30
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who thought they were casting
bread upon the waters by voting for
broad legislation In behalf of labor
unions now find that instead they
hurled boomerang which threatens
to smack them right between the
eyes.
The reason was that ,at the insis-
tcnce of the labor lobbyists, the leg
islators decided to impose no re-
strictions whatsoever upon the un-
ions. Now, after a year and a half,
the returns are coming in not only
from the back home precincts but
from the Capital itself.
ssss
There is one angle causing partic-
ularly furrowed brows. Although
public opinion, to say the very least,
is not friendly toward the CLIO, the
CLIO leaders are feeling pretty cocky
these days. They are collecting mil
lions monthly in dues and assess
ments, and are preparing to move
not only into remodeled six-story
office building which they Just
bought, but also onto the farms.
The Congressman who hail from
rural sections thought II was all
right for industrial employees to
join unions. But they left the farm
field open to unions toto their re-
gret. So the Southern Tenant Farm
ers Union called a national conven-
tion at Denver to get all cannery,
packing house and agricultural en-
ployees into one big union, affiliated
with John Lewis and the CIO.
The announcement of the call for
that meeting said, in part:
"In agriculture, we cannot organ
ize along craft lines of separate un-
ions for each type of work. We must
clearly build union including all
workers in agricultural and, related
fields, such as canneries, packing
houses. etc."
Part of the union idea is that when |
in certain factory want !
shorter hours or higher pay, they !
ctdl in union official from outside
that factory to talk with the boss for
them. Usually, that official knows
very little about the conditions In
that factory; but sometimes he even
claims to know more than company
officials ABOUT company profits and
losses.
A great many of the rural Con-
gressmen are wondering how the
farmer will like it when some fell
low from different part of the
"descends upon him and
threatens to take all the hands off
he farm unless he gets a union con-
.Iact for a 40-hour week at 40 cents
IN hour.
At the same time the CIO is con-
iUcting a big organizing campaign
lmOng Congressional secretaries. 1t
claims to be getting many new
members daily. When, and If, the
are sufficiently organized
or strike. that will play hob with
many solons. For whether they like
o admit it or not, there are many
legislators who leave their offices
ntirely in the hands of their secre- :
aries. The lawmakers would be lost
they had to see about getting a
OBJ for Bill Jones, or Strengthening
ut Tom Williams benefit check.
hey wouldn't even know what tele-
hone number to dial
Besides that, the CIO has started
mother organizing campaign among
'ederal government employees in
eneral. Many of the legislators saw
hat might be coming in a recent
tatement by an existing federal EN-
loyees' union. which wants to affil-
lte with the new CIO movement.
This union pointed out that "dur-
lg the period of provisional organi-
ition" there will be no strikes or
against government de- 1
artments. But naturally no prom =
es were made about the future. So n
lie legislators are wondering how =
any jobs would laugh at them IL p
| the Department Of Agriculture =
nployees Joined the union and .
ent on a sit-down strike. !:
The law already keeps soldiers =
Id sailors out of unions, but IL L,
VS. nothing about other federal en- Il
oyees. There are some whispers =
the effect that legislation will be n
esented forbidding strikes and NJ
exciting by employees of the fed
al government. h,