The Waterbury Democrat., 1942-11-20
s5OOOOO WOMEN ADM|TTED.INTO
 TRADE UNIONS

Washington, Nov. 20. (UP)--About s,500,0O0 women belong to trade unions today, according to the womens bureau of the Department of Labor.
 "vvhere trade-union resistance to women as co-workers and co-men- bers has existed, this Is disappear Ing" according to Mary Anderson, director of the women's bureau. Tt was based largely on mems fear of replacement by lower paid women, The use of women as cheaper labor is not the fault of women but of a tradition that must be uprooted and cast out for the good of all.
 Some groups have gone on record to take women into their unions and have even voted in favor of equal pay-for-e r-equal work resolutions. Some labor unions that have advo- cated this principle are the United Automobile, Aircraft, and Agricul- tural Implement Workers of Amer lea, the United Electrical, Radio and Machine Workers of America; the Amalgamated Association of Street, Electric Railway and Motor Coach Employees; the Los Angeles council, and the national council of the National Maritime Union.
 In San Francisco women welders in the shipbuilding industries were for time refused clearance by the A. P. of L. Boilermakers' Union to work at Sausalite yards of Marin ship because of lack of proper la cilities."
 Issues Ultimatum
 Because of the shortage of labor William Hopkins, regional west coast director of the War Man power Commission, issued an ulti- matum that women must be erl1- ployed to help build ships. Women are now being granted work permits, and all women welders in the Kaiser shipyards are now being d. mitted to the union.
 The government has favored equal pay rates for both men and women for some time, as evidenced by an- nouncements by the labor, war, and navy departments. So does the Na- tional Association of Manufacturers
 However" Miss Anderson said, much missionary work remains to be done to get this principle firmly woven into the nations economic fabric. I believe the individual labor unions are a very potent force to help effect this"
 Elizabeth Christman of the wom- ems bureau calls attention to the fact that equality of opportunity must have meaning for women in the shop. Women must carry their full share of the load-do more than pay dueS,-serve on grievance com mittees, negotiate wage contracts, work at labor-managemen commit- tees wherever they are set up,"
 Several women are serving on labor r-management committees .n the West Coast war industries, aeN cording to the women's bureau.
 Some labor leaders admit 1t Is hard to get women interested in unions because women workers are making more money in war indus try than they ever have before In all their life. They see little or no need for unions because they are satisfied with their jobs "as is,," Often, too, women have not felt welcome In their unions, and have not taken an active part in union meetings.
 Tn New York 6 school to train women for leadership in trade unions has been formed under the direction of the New York Indus trial Union Council of the CIO. The school has two objectives: to supply women to replace men en- tering the services, and to encourage women to take part in union activ- ities in proportion to their numbers tn industry.
 Some unions report sizable num- Der of their membership is female. For example. the membership of the National Union of General and Municipal Workers was 685,426 in June, le42. Of this total, 2i6,000, or g per cent, were women.