The Wilmington morning star., 1940-12-03
BY pFCtpp

l have learned with regret H..
the union has developed the aqnao.
OF a mob in some of its relaran1
with the community and nar5s
be brought under the same 1ou.
discipline that governs mos nj "a.
and should control US all, Tb's
would benefit the RAM, aod ~
members as well as non .rnios
workers and the rest of Society u.
unions were held responsible e..
misdoing they could not r~eason,bL,
complain unless it be argued 49,.
a mob has rights of lawlessneSs
After all, what is a union bnt
private association of in%djvidua,s@
Cannot imagine the member. -.
the Union league club pouring o,t
of their premises to surro1nd ,
factory and beat up New York NJ
llcemen as the electricians did 70.
Gently, but I know that if tbo,,
should do so vi little MAYOR wo,,7d
cause the degradation or djsmi,,
sal OF any cop who failed 10 brine
down his quota with firm, accurate
strokes of his blackjack. The nv.
lltlcal reaction of our city govern.
ment to the mob violence of tho
electricians was quite different
however, and the reason was that
unions possess political and phvsi.
cal power. This power grows in
width and depth and vigor as tbo
mob in question calls to It's aid
unions with which it has collectvs
treaties.
The union also has the aspect Of
the underworld or Capone TYNE nj
gang in its relation to its members
to non-members and to employers,
Members need not be consulted on
issues affecting their right to re.
tain for their own use money which
they have earned.
One-Man Power
The musicians, for instance, ara
wholly in the power of one man
Jimmy Petrillo, who admits that
he is a dictator but claims TO be a
good one. No dictator is good. but
even a good one would necessarily
be un-American or anti-American,
The union exceeds its Legitimate
reason for being when it ATTEMPTS
to coerce its members in their DO.
litical decisions, but this was done
flagrantly In the recent campaign
by two unions which claim 10 be
models CT propriety, honesty and
enlightened administration. These
were Sidney Hillman's clothing
workers and Dave DubinSky's gar.
ment workers.
But you don't want me to 20 into
fine detail about the many points
on which the union stands between
the citizen and his rights Or the
community and the communitys
rights.
However, I want 10 emphasize
my contention that neither the A.
F. of L. nor the C. l. Q. nor any
subdivision of either organization
has any more legal right TO violate
laws or prosecute citizens than the
Ku Klux Khan has. When it is
argued that prosecutions or other
abuses I as nothing compared
with the good of the larger number
the argument skeWers itself on the
bayonet which defends the legal
rights of minorities in our kind Of
country.
Our unions have become subgOy,
ernments under the protection Of
our public govern lent, but they
do not even acknowledge a duty 10
obey our laws. Unlike public gov
ernments, many of them do not
even pretend to account for Their
money or to hold free elections,
and this failure, l think, has gone
so far as to require compulsloa
from the government. | do not
say that all unions are laWless, but
I notice that those which are well
conducted resent the slightest sus'
gestion that they should be checked
up. In cher words, they reserve
the right to fudge.
Right to Bargain
Nor do l agree to compulsory
collective bargaining. l uphold the
right to bargain collectively, but
insist that the right to bargain n
dividually is equally precious, Of'
to put it better, | indorse col-ec'
tive bargaining for those who wan
to bargain collectively-Whlch IS %
Tar as the law goes, although Uh'
ions and the labor b I'd nave
forced many Americans to bargain
thus who didn't want to, This way
done by forcing them to JON u'
ions against their will.
Now, does all this show a olds
against labor or unions as SUCH,
Many union leaders insist tha' J.
does, but they are not unDlaStu
themselves, and anyone who rea"'
the labor press effectively VIII D.
sure to admit that it is very uila4
in its discussions of persons ano
opinions in disagreement with Tx
union position. I am sorry 10 nav
to say that the union leaders a.
whole have failed to meet the ~
quirements of character lA''D
gence, citizenship and hoNe't
which accompany the power u.o,
they have enjoyed. Because gs
restraints are almost ne9"sg@s
their position calls for unusual
fine character, but or the a|e'o5
these leaders have been no DSS'Ss
than our minor and more paul.
po1ificiopc