The potters herald. [volume] (East Liverpool, Ohio) 1899-1982, 1939-01-05

labor off the books. If the costs Of a
machine must be paid even if it is idle
or if it is replaced, the property rights
of the owner in his financial invest
ment must no longer be superior to
the human rights of the worker to the
property value of his labor.
We believe that the worker must be
given conditions of work which will
not impair his health or safety. We
insist that any necessary protective
devices, sanitation, suitable ventilation,
light, heat, and so forth must be given
the worker just as carefully as costly
machinery is installed, maintained and
insured against accident.
Labor's Legislative Policy
We want these objectives, have
said. You must ask, how do we pro-
pose to get them?
American labor, like British or Swe-
by joining with strong unions Of their
own choice and by collective bargain
ing.
We prefer not to ask for the shorter
work week and higher wages by gov.
ernment action. Like our British
brothers, government action has SEEM
ed necessary only where sufficient or
ganization is lacking. Thus the reason
for the so-called interference of gov
ernment in industry is largely trace
able to the fact that industry in the
past has so substantially blocked
unionization. In other words, industry
has forced popular demand for gov
ernment Intervention because it has
prevented adequate expression of the
wishes and needs Of it's workers.
So despite the strong complaints of
the American Federation Of Labor to
the administrative policies and prac-
tices of the National Labor Relations
Board, the labor movement agrees
that the Wagner Act principles must
be maintained as the foundation for
the adequate and effective organiza-
tion of workers.
Unless management wishes to ac-
, complish its own suicide by seeking
refuge in the snare of Fascism, it
must sooner or later recognize that
it's best interest demand the strongest
possible labor movement.
The aim of labor is to organize the
great majority of all wage earners in
to a united and vigorous organization
through units appropriate for the
best representation of the workers in
, the individual craft or industry.
Such an organization will involve
, heavy responsibilities, of course, but
those responsibilities must be the
moral discipline of self-control. Just
, as long as industry combats unionism
t by guns, gas, clubs, stooges, spies,
, company paid sheriffs, vigilantes or
unjust injunctions, just that long will
!, labor unions be headed by militant or
5 ganizers. The struggle for survival
5 breeds the fighting union leader rather
f than the patient negotiator or COM
petent administrator.
My message to management on the
subject of labor union responsibility
is this: You can have discipline and
responsibility within labor unions as
soon as you stop waging war against
) labor unions and give your workers
chance to develop their own patterns
of union discipline and responsibility.
But the idea of incorporation is just
f the child of hostile and ignorant
: scheming. 1t is just the ballyhoo of
your own vicious propaganda. Regis
tration of labor unions in Britain in
fers a privilege of tax exemption and
that's about all it does.
, Industrial Peace
r The study of British and Swedish
: labor union practices in which | was
privileged to participate as member
! of President Roosevelt's Commission,
has convinced me that we cannot i'm
port a ready-made formula to legis-
late industrial peace. What we can
do is to take advantage of what they
have learned and try to reach our
destination without suffering all the
troubles and mistakes which they eX-
! perienced.
The responsibility for attaining har-
mony in labor relations rests with
/ management and the banker-b broker
, boards of self -perpetuating directors
who control management policies. The
responsibility rests with you gentle
men, not with labor Your short
. sighted opposition to unionism has en-
riched detective agencies, trouble max
; ing labor spies, and the Pearl Bergotfs
of the world; and your stockholders
and employees have suffered in conse-
: quence.
, You have chosen price competition
based on chiselling down labor costs
whereas you could have maintained
the interests of your stockholders bet
ter by improving the conditions and
; purchasing power of your workers.
We believe competitive industry
should be forced to refrain from COM
petition financed by wage cuts. In
dustry meets substantially the same
interest rates on money used in its
business. Industry must be prepared
to pay labor costs on comparatively
equal terms.
American labor does not seek this
: objective by legislation, except on GER
tain basic minima by which the mar