Detroit evening times. (Detroit, Mich) 1921-1958, 1941-05-07
BY WESTBROOK PEGLER

by WESIbhOUh PEULEh
7 HAVE counted 10 times 10
before undertaking a discus
sion of Mrs. Roosevelt's position
on union organization, as stated
under her signature late in
March, and I still have to insist
that this lady has given active
aid and comfort 10 enemies of
the non-union citizen and of the
involuntary union member.
Mrs. Roosevelt conce $
quite belatedly, ii seems TO me
that persons who prefer not to
Join unions should not have to
do so.
This seems to be an endorse
ment of the open shop, and If
that is the correct interpreta-
ton of her position I should like
TO know when she ever offered
any fight on behalf of this inn
portant right and principle in
the councils of her own union,
the Newspaper Guild, which
holds the contrary view.
The Newspaper Guild not only
insists that working journalists
with families dependent on them
should join its ranks, but re-
jects that provision of the sacred
Wagner Act which is supposed
TO guarantee workers the right
10 bargain through representa-
tiveS of their own choosing.
IN A RECENT case several
L journalists. becoming rebel
liouS against domination of their
affairs, resigned from the Guild
and joined a parallel union of
the American Federation of
Labor.
The AFL was the bargaining
agent of their own choosing, but
Mrs. Roosevelt's union conducted
a trial from which the defend
ants, having resigned, remained
absent, and fined all the here
tics.
OF course, these fines will not
be paid, but that is beside the
point.
The point is that Mrs. RooSe-
Nelt,s- own union insists that
nonmembers must Join.
| Asst Winter Mrs. Roosevelt
II personally appeared at
strike meeting called by a union.
certain of whose officials then
were under indictment on
charge of rioting against the
public peace and assaulting the
police.
Undoubtedly there were pres
ent to hear Mrs. Roosevelt's re-
marks individuals who had taken
part in this disorder.
Since then an agent of this
union has been convicted on the
charge of rioting and sentenced
TO priSon-hiS second conviction
of the kind.
On a past occasion he was
convicted of felonous assault in
the shooting of a man at a union
meeting, but the case was re-
VerSed on appeal and was
dropped when the witnesses re-
canted their testimony against
him.
The riot by the Mnion 10 which
Mrs. Roosevelt addressed the re-
mark that all workers ought 10
Join unions was the result of a
double-cross.
The unions representatives
had considerably agreed not TO
riot, and the police department
trustingly reduced its guard 10
a small force to protect those
workers who, in the exercise OF
their rights and their judgment,
had preferred not TO join.
TliE union agreed to picket
u peacefully and in numbers
just sufficient TO advertise the
fact that a strike was in prog
reSs.
Then. suddenly. mob OF riot
ers appeared and the small
police detail was temporarily
routed until reinforcementS
could come up.
In a case that was brought TO
Mrs. Rooseevlt's attention at a
congressional hearing in Wash
ington, it was shown that des-
titute citizen had been unable to
take a job on a contonment
project because he could not put
up an initiation fee, and didn't
want to, anyway.
On that occasion Mrs. Roose-
welt said she thought the case
must be unusual, which just
showed that she knew practi-
cally nothing about a subject in
which she has taken a very busy
part, on the union side.
In her statement of policy.
Mrs. Roosevelt said there have
been abuses in the labor move
ment, and 1 think we should
fight them" and / here invite
any one in the house to cite a
single instance in which Mrs.
Roosevelt fought any abuse by
union leaders or closed shop adj
vocates.