The Butler County press. [volume] (Hamilton, Ohio) 1900-1946, 1942-05-08
Greetings:

We understand the election to de-
termine the bargaining rights at the
General Machinery Corporation will
take place at the plants, at date
that will soon be determined, under
the supervision of the United States
Labor Relations Board, the contest
ants being the International Associa-
tion of Machinists, and the United
Automobile Workers Union. Repre-
sentatives of both the Machinists'
Union and the Auto Workers Union
will meet with Regional Director Phil
lips at Cincinnati, to set date for
the election, and this date will no
doubt be set by the time this issue
reaches you as we expect a notice as
we go to press. to confer with the re-
gional director for this purpose.
The Auto Workers, like all new
organizations, appear to be full of en-
thusiasm, and confident of success.
They try to build their strength by
making the men unheard-o of promises.
since they have everything to gain and
nothing to lose. However, if they
should win the election. the men will
naturally expect delivery, and that is
where those who have been making
these wild promises will have their
own troubles. 1t is an easy matter to
get large increases at the hall where
the members are meeting, and it is
no trouble at all to tell the men in the
shop that they will get specific in
creases in wages, of from twenty to
thirty cents per hour; such state
ments, of course, plainly show lack of
experienced leadership.
inexperienced leadership frequently
leads to strikes and turmoil. There
fore, as a good American citizen, you
owe it to your country to take every
precaution, in order that the boys who
are fighting "over there" will not want
for material, because of strikes, dur
ing this great emergency.
We can only promise you that if
the Machinists' Union re-establishes
it's bargaining agency in this plant at
the coming election, we will do every
thing in our power to secure for the
men the best possible wage rate con-
sistent with services performed, and
comparable with rates paid for similar
work in plants where we have agree
ments.
Our many years of experience have
taught us long ago that increases are
granted in negotiating with the COM
pany officials. We hope that the work
ers of the General Machinery Corpora
tion will stick with the international
Association of Machinists, and not let
yourselves be influenced by vicious and
misleading statements by those whose
only interest in you is of selfish one
to promote their personal gain. All
we ask is for you to do your own
thinking, and investigate the history
of the two organizations.
We want you to know that we are
not satisfied with the present wage
structure, and, from conferences held
with the management, we feel sure we
can correct the principal causes OF
complaint at these plants, without re-
sorting to strikes or stoppage of work;
in fact, this would have been cor
rected if it had not been for the in
reference of the CIO and the added
fact that the company was afraid to
make move to increase wages, fear
ing that it might be construed as ar
effort to influence the coming election
The International Association OF
agent for the past four years, and have
from time to time been able to get
wage increases totaling twenty-five
cents per hour through these years
We are human just as you are, and
in the eyes of some, have probably
made mistakes, just as you have done
but we wish to assure you that we are
big enough to correct our mistakes
and clean up this situation to the en-
tire satisfaction of the employees
whom we represent.
The International Association 0.
Machinists, with very close to foul
hundred thousand members, with as
sets of two and one-half million dol
lars, is the most experienced ant
stable organization in this content
We urge that each and every one 0.
you workers who is eligible to vote, t.
cast ballot, as this election will meai
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