The potters herald. [volume] (East Liverpool, Ohio) 1899-1982, 1941-07-03
MednY Cites Wu1 and Navy
Records Proving Full
AL Cooperation

Washington, D. C.-In nation
wide radio address, Secretary-Treas
urer George Meany cited the official
records of the War and Navy De-
partments as proof of the fine coop
Grafton of the American Federation
of Labor in the national defense pro-
gram and as evidence that repressive
labor legislation, such as the Vinson
Bill, is wholly unnecessary.
Speaking from the Columbia Broad
casting Systems studios here, Mr..
Meany said:
"The facts prove that, so far as
the American Federation of Labor is
concerned, the unions affiliated with
our movement have turned in one of
the finest pieces of cooperation in all
history.
"Let us take a look at the War
Department and the Navy Depart
ment's building construction programs
in which, as everybody knows, the
workers involved have been A. F. of
l.. members. Secretary Of War Slim
son recently issued very interest
ing report This report dealt with
the $1,20O0,000,0C0 cantonment con-
struction program of the War De-
partment. Did the building trades of
the A. F. of l.. impede the cantonment
construction program? The report of
Secretary Stimson supplies the an
swer. The answer is this: Out of
total of 40,607 900 man-days worked
on the cantonment program, only A.
875 man-days were lost as a result
of labor difficulties.
"This percentage of delay were so
small that it amounted to only O3 of
l per cent.
as this cooperation? Of course it
is. | have no desire to make invidi-
Gus comparisons, but in view Of the
vicious attacks which have been made
upon organized labor it is only fair
to point out that neither industry
nor any other part of the national
community can point to a record of
cooperation surpassing-or, for that
matter, even approaching-that of the
building trades unions affiliated with
the American Federation of Labor
which | have just cited.
"On the Navy's air training station
and other building construction the
story is much the same. The records
of the Building and Construction
Trades Department reveal that there
was only one stoppage. This was in
Boston and it was ended within two
days.
"Now, of course, there is much
more to the defense program than
just construction work. In the fac
tories and the mills we are turning
out a thousand and one different arti-
cles in staggering numbers. In this
regard the record shows that, taking
all defense work from the start of
the program through the end of last
month, only one man-day of work has
been lost by an American Federation
of Labor strike for every 2,4OO man
days Of work performed. Translated
into percentage terms, that means
that only one twenty-fourth of one
per cent of defense work time was
lost.
Notwithstanding this almost 100
per cent record of avoidance Of pro-
duction stoppages, the American Fed
Grafton of Labor is not satisfied On
May %, Immediately after the Presi-
dents declaration of an unlimited ma
tional emergency, the Executive Coun-
Gil of the American Federation Of La
bor renewed its pledge to avoid
strikes, to use to the full the facili-
ties of the United States Cancellation
Service and the National Defense Me-
diation Board and went even further
than that. The Executive Council
called upon every union affiliated
with the American Federation Of La
Dor to refrain for any reason whatso-
ever from calling u strike interfering
with national defense production until
full opportunity has first been given
to the Cancellation Service and the
Mediation Board to bring about IA
peaceful settlement
"The need of the hour is for ma
tional unity. Sound management.
constructive liberal government and
free, loyal labor-all must unite in
this effort. We must work and, what
is more important, we must work to-
gether.
at is for this reason that legisla-
tion designed to punish the workers
of America because Of the sins of a
few obstructionists is so very unde-
sirable. Were such legislation ever
to go on the statute books of our
country, our national unity would be
torn to tatters and Adolf Hitler, with
out having fired shot, would have
won his greatest victory.
"Not in any narrow spirit but with
the welfare Of our country at heart,
the American Federation of Labor
urges with all emphasis that compul-
sorry ry-servitnde Legislation ought not to
be and must not be enacted"
SAVE NOW, AFL URGES