Toledo union journal. [volume] (Toledo, Ohio) 1942-current, 1942-12-11


of workers who want to see
quickly. And while the AFI
brotherhoods pound away for
total war mobilization through
centralized planning and con-
troll, there are some indica-
tions that they are being
heard in Washington
Perhaps the control of manpower
mobilization will be shifted out Of
reach of tories, who would rather
straitjacket labor than mobilize
anything, and into the hands of the
Labor Department with Harold l..
Ickesas new secretary of labor.
And, too, there is definite fight
to give WPB-salted with some
new labor representation-control
over production, now vested in
Army and Navy brasshats.
But labor's fight for overall con-
troll goes on with labor's story of
near breakdown in the nations war
machine being told daily. Briefly,
here's some of what labor has TO
say:
VICE-PRESIDENT WALTER p.
REUTHER of the United Auto
Workers (CIO): "The UAW and
Ford Motor worked cut a program
to standardize motors of Ma tanks.
For today, with four separate types
and kinds Of motors in the tanks,
there aren't enough parts on any
battlefield to repair those put out
of service. After being stalled off
for some time, the UAW finally
got to the Army's "civilian expert
in charge of tank engines" He re-
jected the plan because, as he said,
he was viee-president Of General
Motors-maker Of one of the tank
engines"
A GIN. plant in Pontiac, making
big gun carriages and other mech
anisms for the carriages, closed
down tight. The UAW wanted TO
know why. The reason: The ear
riages were piling up, but the Army
hadn't even yet awarded the con-
tracts for the guns themselves.
PRESIDENT A. F. WHITNEY
Of the Brotherhood Of Railroad
Trainmen (unaffiliated): at takes
IL to 13 days to move single
freight car only 800 miles, while
only two days are actually required
for the transportation. Overlap
ping of lines, Of facilities, keeping
freight cars idle on sidings for So
called special privileged customers,
doing away with safety regulations
instead of speeding transportation
will, perhaps, "bring a total break
down of transportation early in
1943."
PRESIDENT JOSEPH CURRAN
of the National Maritime Union
(CIo): Eight ships left an east
coast port. Out in the Atlantic
they had to turn back because Of
improper loading. Four of them
foundered, one broke in half, one
turned over and one was torpedoed
on the way back. All because there
are 20 government agencies run
ming all over each other in the
shipping industry.
There were 105 fires in six
menths aboard ships in eastern
ports - including the Normandie,
Seamen are drafted while the gov
ernment itself puts on radio pro-
grams, adyertises in newspapers
and uses movies in appeals for more
seamen."
PRESIDENT HARVEY BROWN |
Of the international Association of
Machinists (AFL): Because there
was no coordination, no planning
and thus no finished planes--Con-
solidated Aircraft Corp. of Texas
attempted to fool President Roose-
yelt on his recent cross-country
tour of war plants by importing
oombers and exhibiting them as
products of Consolidated
This is not the whole story. AS
Is chapters unfold in mine, mill
md factory and on Capitol Hill in
Washington, they will be brought
o you in special Federated Press
dispatches.