The potters herald. [volume] (East Liverpool, Ohio) 1899-1982, 1941-12-04
Facing The Focfs
With PHILIP PEARL

going to get spanked.
That's about the size of the current
drive to impose anti-strike Legislation
on labor.
Forgotten are the loyal services
rendered by 80 per cent of the work
ers in America, forgotten are the sac
rifices voluntarily and cheerfully made
by most AFL unions in order te
further the defense program, forgot
ten are the basic principles of com
mon sense in this sudden and over
powering lust to "get even" with Bat
Boy Lewis.
But will this new legislation hurt
Lewis? Not on your tintype. He's
got most of what he wanted right nov
and is practically assured of the rest
And will this new proposed legis
lation accomplish the objective of pre-
venting unnecessary strikes in the
future? Far from it. Instead, in al
likelihood, the more legislative re
straints Congress imposes on organ
lied labor, the greater the danger Of
an increase in strikes.
Lewis Stands Indicted
Why, we ask, should Congress GU
off labor's nose to spite it's face
There are two reasons. First, there
has always been a small but bitter
and relentless minority in Congress
which hates labor and represents the
interests of big business. Secondly
these labor haters are now counting
on the votes of members who were
sympathetic to labor in the past bu
have become thoroughly disgustet
with Lewis latest eXcesses.
That's why labor today faces it:
gravest crisis of the century. That i.
why labor today is fighting with it:
back to the wall to defend the legis
lative gains achieved after years o.
struggle.
Beyond any question, John l.. Levi!
stands indicted today in the eyes o:
every workingman in America as the
greatest enemy of labor. Members Of
| the CIO as well as the AFL must re
gard him as the cause of labor's woe!
and as a traitor to labor's cause. NJ
other individual has given greater ait
and comfort to these who hate anC
would like to destroy labor.
But in these times of extremity
labor cannot content itself with de
nouncing it's enemies. 1t must fins
means Of defeating them and circum
venting their nefarious schemes. Tha
is our outstanding problem.
All sorts of wild and unworkable
proposals are being offered in Con
gress. Every one of them would limit
restrict or destroy the freedoms o.
American workers. If organized labol
is to survive, if democracy is going tt
remain the keystone Of the American
Government, these anti-labor pro
posals must be defeated.
A Workable Program
Our friends say to us:-"All right
pending are no good. But something
has got to be done. We can't LEI
strikes slow up or break up the de
fense program. What sort of legisla
tion has labor got to offer to prevent
strikes?"
Our answer to this question is shor
and sweet. No law ever devised b!
man will end strikes. 1t just can't bt
done. Many countries have attempted
this impossible feat. They have passet
anti-strike laws in Canada, England
and Australia, among others, ye
these nations still have strikes, just az
many as we do in America.
This is human problem and tire
mendously difficult one. Human be
ings smart under injustice. They viii
never give up their right to redres.
wrongs. Congress can pass all th'
| laws it wants to but it can't force mel
and women to work against their will
But even though it may be impos
sible to completely eradicate strike;
by outlawing them, it certainly i:
fairly simple to reduce strikes to (
minimum and prevent any importan
| delays to defense production.
We know that. 1t was done before
in the last war. 1t has been done even
more recently during this very defens'
emergency. No new laws are neces
sary. No compulsion is called for. Th'
finest results can be achieved on ;
completely voluntary basis. We sub
nit this program:
| Let President Roosevelt appea
! to the reason as well as the patriot
ism of the workers themselves. lie
him do so directly.
2-Let the leaders of labor do tn,
same and pledge themselves to a no
strike policy as the American Fed
Grafton of Labor already has done.
3-Assure the workers a squar,
deal and convince them that by volun
tarily surrendering the strike weapon
during the period of the emergenc.
they will not be double-crossed.
4-Establish a mediation agenc.
! similar to the War Labor Board o
the last war and back up its decision
with the full power and prestige o