Evening star., 1941-09-09

plant of the David Lawrence.
Federal Shipbuilding and Drydock
Co. at Kearney, N. j.? Have the
workers been given an opportunity
to express themselves by secret ballot
as to their wishes? Surely in a
democracy, the wishes of the work
ers might readily be ascertained
Judging by several letters written
by workers in the Kearny plant to
this correspondent, the employees are
far from happy at the sudden
change in their employers. One
worker writes:
Former union men are now very
cold toward the union since they
called the strike which they knew
was called by a small minority. A
great number of men are union
members because they fear bodily
harm by some union fanatic. En-
closed you will find a c. I. o. union
bulletin which circulated through
out the yard today. Paragraph
seven holds to my mind a threat that
is thinly veiled. The c. 7. o. evi-
IDENTIFY does not believe in freedom
of speech
The Bulletin in Part.
The C. I. o. bulletin in question
reads in part as follows:
I'VE understand that certain in
dividuals are circulating rumors in
the yard which are designed to un-
dermine Local is, Industrial Union
of Marine and Shipbuilding Work
ers of America. The most over
worked 'rumor' is to the effect that
there is no labor contract between
our union and the naval operators of
the yard.
This is a deliberate lie which is
being spread by certain people in
order to demoralize the efficiency
of the men in the yard.
"On the express words of the
President of the United States, we
are assured that all contractual re-
lations as negotiated by this union
will be adhered to in the fullest
measure
These are not our words but those
of the President of the United
States. Those who want to question
these words are invited to read the
full text of the presidential order
taking over the yard.
1--WE know that the people who
are responsible for this campaign of
Misrepresentation have q very sin
lister purpose in mind.
1--WE earnestly urge those men at
whom the finger of suspicion is
pointing even now, to be careful be-
fore they are called into ques-
ton.
I'VE have accepted the word of
the President of the United States
and intend to abide by his wishes.
Any individual who refuses to accept
the decision of the President is not
only an enemy of this union but is
also a menace to the vital defense
needs of this Nation
No Presidential Promise.
When, it may be asked, did the
President make any such statement
as is reported above? Surely the
White House Is interested always in
setting the public right when the
words of the President are quoted
inaccurately. Here is a case in
which the President has not said
word in his executive order about
the demands of the union, and so
far as known he has not given any
commitment to obtain for the union
all their demands. The Navy De-
partment's spokesman did say that
all matters of wages and classifica-
tions of job, etc, which had been
agreed upon between the company
and the union before the seizure of
he plant would be continued. But
to infer that the President has
granted the union maintenance de-
mand is to state to the workers
something as fact which the White
House has never seen fit to confirm
to, the other citizens of the United
States who would have an equal in
terest in the accuracy of such
statement.
Another letter from worker says:
''I was good union man prior to
the latest swindle by the local. 1t
must be taken into consideration
that many employed at the yard
are of foreign extraction and do not
understand the issues involved in
the contract. I can safely say that