The potters herald. [volume] (East Liverpool, Ohio) 1899-1982, 1941-12-25
we Pledge Our
(Continued From Paqe One)

lea and the world today. we, tnere- |
fore, renew our offer for unity in the
labor movement and for the common
defense of our nation against mortal
danger. We hope our call to this end
may not be in vain.
We, too, call upon the National
Labor Relations Board to desist from
the formulation or enforcement OF any
policy, procedure or decision that may
create dissension or intensity existing
differences and conflicts in the house
hold of organized labor.
We likewise urge that those in gov
ernmental positions of authority III
this moment of national peril forego
their unjustified attacks upon trade
union organizations and their legitl-
mate functions.
We declare that the right of wage
earners to collective bargaining and
TO function freely and fully in the
legitimate sphere designed for them
is fundamental condition which
gives opportunity for economic free
dom and social advancement. These
rights and opportunities must not be
impaired. While we reject represslve
labor legislation and insist upon the
preservation of the essential demo-
cratic right of workers to cease work
collectively as a last and final resort,
we nevertheless pledge ourselves to
forego the exercise of this right dur
ing the war emergency and to prefer
submission of pending differences with
employers to approved facilities and
processes for voluntary mediation,
Cancellation and arbitration. We most
heartily endorse the "no-strille" policy
voluntarily assumed by all divisions
and character of labor as announced
by the Executive Council. Labor needs
no restrictions upon the right to
strike, when to cease production is to
strike at the very heart of the nation
Labor will produce, and produce with
out interruption.
We commend the Executive Coun-
Gil for its recommendation that there
be created a War Labor Board similar
to that which functioned so success
fully during the last World War. We
believe the general principles then
enunciated for the guidance of this
board should be made the policy Of
this hour, namely, that neither labor
nor management should take advan-
tage Of such an agency to prosecute
either's advantages at the expense OF
the others, that industrial relations
be preserved and that every stoppage
of work essential to adequate national
defense be avoided and averted. In
this regard we hold that the work and
service Of all our people are inextrica-
bly, interviewer and involved whether
engaged directly in war or defense
work or whether applied to the neces-
sites, safety, comfort or convenience
of our civilian population. Total war
today is no longer confined to the
military forces Of the land but en-
braces as well the civilian population
young and old-men, women and
children alike.
Experience has demonstrated that
protective labor legislation and hour
standards are for the purpose of con
serving workers in orders to make
possible sustained maximum produc-
ing power. They are the safeguards
to national well being. In war cmcr-
gencies there may be temporary need
for aboishing some standards or for
modifying special standards for spe-
cial industries. All such notifications
and changes, however, should be the
result of proven need and should be
approved in advance by representa-
tves Of the workers. The same is true
of protective labor and employment,
standards established through collec-
tive bargaining and trade union agree
mcnts.
TO assure an uninterrupted flow OF
production and the maximum Of de.
fenSc effort, organized labor should
be accorded by Government adequate
and effective representation of its own
choosing in all defense planning and
execution. The validity Of such par
ticipation by labor in all our emer-
gency efforts and undertakings is fully
justified and its efficiency is demon
strated beyond pcradvcnturc of doubt
in the experience of the British Gov
ernment policy. Then, too, our eXpcrt-
ence in the last World War confirms
the soundneSs Of this policy.
We declare ourselves fully and com
pleteIy in accord with the several rec
concentrations of the Executive Coun-
ell and "a embraced in its statement
We pledge ourselves Individually and
collectively, promptly and fully, to en-
force these policies and procedures
without hesitation or evasion and to
take such further actions as time and
experience indicate essential to our
nations triumphant victory.
We are mindful that many of our
members, and members of their fam
lilies have been and will be called to
the military service Of our land We
pledge to them every possible aid and
a full measure OF devotion. 1t shall
be our purpose not alone to sustain
the military forces of our land but as
well to safeguard the interests of our
civilian population and hold secure the
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