Imperial Valley press., 1937-09-03
LABOR,S CRISIS

LABOR'S CRISIS
Labor Day is the day of the working
man and woman. But not together will
millions of Americas organized workers
march down the main streets of the ma
tions cities and towns this year.
Their ranks cleft by bitter struggle,
craft unions and industrially organized
unions nearly everywhere will march
aloof and apart on Labor Day.
Significant are these words by a Cali
fornia editor: at is not too much to
say that this Labor Day dawns on an
American labor movement facing the
worst crisis in the 80 years since the
Federation of Labor emerged victorious
from its war with the old Knights of
Labor" This was uttered, not the other
day, but full year ago. The crisis that
portended last September has come no
nearer solution. During the past II
months it has, instead, been intensified
by increasing bitterness and disunity,
and marked by eXpulsions, reprisals,
threats, and physical violence.
This year of labor will long be remem-
bered for the period in which sit-down
strikes swept the country like craze,
as the year in which the vast ma iority
of strikes were waged, not for better
wages or hours, but for union recogni-
tion
The next step, and it is a critical re-
sponsibility, rests upon organized labor
to make peace between its two great
armies of workers and put an end to its
civil war. Only by an increasing sense of
its enormous responsibility to itself and
the nation will labor achieve peace and
dignity.
Today employer and employe are be-
ing drawn closer and closer together.
Time was when there was a line of dis
tinction between labor and the white
collar employer. By labor, generally
speaking, was meant the under-privileg-
ed. By employer was meant the special
privileged.
Despite a stimulation during the past
year, of class consciousness seldom be-
fore exceeded in American history, it is
being more and more realized that en-
ployer and employe are uniting together
for the success of the enterprises in
which they are jointly concerned. With
out the one, the other could not exist.
That is one fact we cannot, and never
will be able to, get away from.
Whoever works with his body or brain
is a worker. Whoever gives of his thought
and energy at a given task is a laborer.
The white collar executive entrusted with
the responsible task of coordinating and
directing a multitude of fellow workers
and guiding their producing organization
through the countless rocks and shoals
and tides Of economic existence, is just
as much a laborer as he who works a
given number of hours daily at machine
or typewriter.
If there is distinction left in the par
lance of America, it is because of the
trend toward readjustment of the divi-
sion of profits or earnings. Upon that
score will rest the events of the coming
labor years.
If adjustment is due, it should not
come too hastily lest the economic ship
find itself rudderless and helpless, and
all hands run to the bridge trying to be
officers. 1t should not be in the form
of class antagonism lest it partake of
mutiny with resulting chaos. And it
must take care lest the pendulum swing
too far to the left and thus overstep the
bounds of American freedom, American
opportunity, and American liberty.
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