Detroit evening times. (Detroit, Mich) 1921-1958, 1941-07-19
Forgotten
Man Believed
Without Hope
But Tone Of Letters
Is Now Changing
BY WESTBROOK PEGLER

" cases involving the forgot
ten man and unions enjoying
the political protection and sub
sidy of the peculiar type OF
government which Americans
now live under. few typical
examples are presented today.
At present there seems to be
no hope for such people. Per-
sons cited in today's piece are
typical, scattered, unorganized.
politically helpless and des-
perate.
For our first horrible exam
pie let us consider a man who
worked in a factory under the
jurisdiction of a union, which
Mrs. Eleanor Roosevelt singled
out for special honor.
4 FTER five months the man
"A was required to join and so.
with a number of other for
gotten men. went 10 the union
office, Where for two hours they
were kept waiting for the au-
gust boss OF the local TO hear
their petitions.
Our victims wife was sick.
and he was needed at home, but
every anxious inquiry as 10
when the great man would con-
descend TO interview him was
met with the reply that he
would have to wait"
At last the great man did
appear. and our victim re-
marked, It's about time"
whereat he was ordered to step
forward. abused and notified
that he could not return TO
work.
He apologized. but the great
man was firm. and our victim.
with family dependent on
him, is out Of a job for lese
majesty.
II SHOULD not he forgotten
u that a boss of this same union
was convicted OF shooting two
fellow unioneers some years
ago but was legally indicated
after making substantial pay
ment as compensation for
wounds.
Then We have the case OF the
girl working at a sandwich
stand in a big office building
who was told by her employer
that the company had signed
closed-shop contract and that
she and her fellow-employes
would have 10 join or lose their
jobs.
They had no chance to vote
for or against unionism. They
were just told 10 join-or else.
The initiation fee is Sl0.75
and the dues are 50 a month.
but their pay is only s. a week.
plus tips.
nUR next is the experience OF
" a couple of brothers-native
Americans. each with wife
and baby who got themselves
some money and bought three
buttonhole machines.
Our work" says the letter,
"is To place buttonholes accord
ing tn markings on garments
sent In, then return the same
Ia the manufacturer. In n short
time we were visited by q gen
tleman with n thick foreign ac-
cent who says our shop cannot
he organized unless We hire two
union members. Only one OF
our partners can work at q ma
chine.
I've set to as an outlaw shop,
but our errand boys are traiIed
and our customers are informed
we are nonun'on and they must
not deal with us. Sooner or
later the account drops out
afraid Of retaliation for giving
us work"
4 NOTED New Yorker re-
"A counts the next case: A
business associate of his, operat-
ing oil tankers, was aboard n
ship chatting with a union boss
when sailor decided to sign off
or. in other words. not To sail.
SO the union boss asked 10
see the sailors card, and when
il was produced he tore IL up.
threw il over the side and. in
this informal manner. kicked
the sailor out of the union.
No charges: no trial: no hui
man rights. The boss Of the
union just reScinded the sailors
right TO follow the sea.
In THE West an old firm of
i florists laid off for the Sum-
mer. when he was obviously not
needed. fireman whose job i'm
the cold months was TO keep
steam in the dollhouse. There
upon a deputation from a local
union demanded that the fire.
man be given some other Job.
Soon afterward a 30-foot plate
glass window was smashed. Next
the hothouses were struck and
picketed. and finally the green
houses were broken into, the
water was sturned off and the
meter was smashed. with the
result that all the plants died
from lack of water.
With the exception OF the case
of the fractions sailor. which was
related in persons. these incidents