Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1941-06-11


They create incidents" and
make them the cause of calling
strikes.
Their technique is exactly the
same as that ofgangSter-rack-
eteers. II the majority have no
protection in law against them
If they are organized and ruth
less while the majority are in
dividualists and decent, they will
win. After all, the whole world
is being conquered by this tech
nique, and it is very easy indeed
to employ it against few thou
sand men, with the cells right in
their midst.
Detective Methods Futile.
To try to get at this by the
usual detective methods is per-
fectly futile. Those methods end
by having to call in armed guards.
What is needed is a code of
fair practices for unions, rigor-
ously enforced by the union
leaders at the top and by the
Governmental code that will
democratize the unions.
1t would be infinitely desirable
for the unions to draw up this
code, but since the unions have
so far shown no disposition TO
do so, the Government should.
And the democratic unioniSts
should organize counteraction,
to see that the code is respected.
The workers must know that
they don't have to yield to terror.
The honest members must know
that if they set out to get con-
troll of the unions in behalf of
the majority and against traitors
and termiteS they will have the
support of the union leaders at
the top and of public opinion all
along the line.
They ought to be able to tell
the authorities what they know
without being branded as "scabS'
and "stooges for the employers"
Provisions for Code.
Such a code ought to include:
ID Prohibition of all strikes
without previous mediation and
Cancellation. No strike without
a majority vote in which every
worker concerned votes with
secret ballot. Supervision of all
strike elections.
~ Establishment of a tribunal
in every factory by the union,
with the participation of the
public, before which workers can
present claims against terroriza-
ton and intimidation. Any one
found guilty of using terror and
intimidation to be expelled from
the union.
80 No expulsion of a member
from a union permitted because
of opposition to a union official
or his policies, except through the
tribunal.
ca Elimination of "profes-
sional' union leaders by rule
that no one may be a union Off
cial who has not been a member
of the specific industry for at
least five years.
90 Regular accounting to the
rank and file of all funds and
expenditures. CSome of the So
called progressive unions never
account for their funds and use
them for Communist organiza-
ton and propaganda0
90 No supporter of Commu-
niSm or Nazi-lSm may be a union
official. Opportunity for hear
ings on the matter on complaint
of any 10 union members.
Cd Limits on initiation fees
and abolition of the practice of
collecting such fees on a commits
sion basis.
90 Enforcement of democracy
in the election of officials, the
formulation of programs, and the
presentation of resolutions. No,
punched" resolutions, whereby
the union member must vote for
something he wants and some
thing he doesn't at the same time.
Give the workers a chance real
ly to exercise government in
the unions and to protect them
selves against racketeers and To-
mentors of chaos and they will
take care of these strikes. They
are the people who suffer most in
the first place.
Released by the Bell Syndicate, Inc)