The union times. (New Haven, Conn.) 1941-1948, 1942-09-26
AS We See It
by
THE STAFF

gift to Connecticut, will have to
answer a few embarrassing ques-
tons before the campaign is over.
And the questions are being asked
by workers, not by politicians.
HERE'S ONE of the questions !:
Why, in her keynote speech at the
COP. convention in Hartford, did
she ape Westbrook Pegler, and say
that soft gar extends "vote-get-
ting special privileges and exorerd-
lions to mbatriotic labor leaders,?
Who are these "tmpatriotic labor
leaders,?
OF COURSE she tried to even
the bill by slapping at "war pro-
fiteers and employers who try to
protect their machinery or plants
for profitable postwar use," but
it won't do. In proportion to its
size, Connecticut is making as
large a contribution to the war
program as any state in the Union.
Under the leadership of Gov. Hur-
ley, the Connecticut Federation of
Labor, the State Manufacturers
ASSN, and the State CIO, there has
mot been an important work stop
page in this state since Pearl Har-
Dor. Our workers lead i'm produc-
ton; and the population as whole
leads the nation i'm per capita pur-
chase of War Bonds. We ask
again: WHO ARE THE UN-
PATRIOTIC LABOR LEADERS,?
MRS. LUCE PAID lip service to
our commo,sder-in-chief, President
Roosevelt, but reversed her field, and
said: ut is q commonplace to de-
scribe Washington as mad house.
What makes this mad house unique
among zCartine mad houses is that it
seems to be largely run by its 0amt-
inmates"
WE DOUBT that Mrs. Luce was
speaking for the rank-and-file of
the Republican Party when she
made that statement. Despite the
many difficult problems of the
War Program, the rank-and-file
does not believe that President
Roosevelt is mad, or that he is rum
ming a mad house. The lady, it
would seem, protests too much.
Running for Office does change
things, doesn't it?
BE SURE TO hear the broad
cast Saturday (Sept. 26) by DAN
TOBIN, General President of the
Teamsters. Stations WABC, WBRY
1and WDRC, 1O:15-1O:45 p. nj.
.Tobin will speak as F.D.R.'s special
representative. This is a must.
MEMBERSHIP In THE AL has
reached an all-time high of 5,482,-
581 as of August 81, this year,
according to the Secretary-Treas-
urer, George Meany. This repre-
sents a gain of 9l3,525 members
in the last year, and almost three
times the 32I, 6l3 gain in 1910.
'sTHESE FIGURES include only
dues-paying members i'm good
standing" Meany said. Sin addi-
ton our unions have an estimated
floating membership of some
100000, bringing our aggregate
membership up to six million"
SOME OF THE LARGEST gains
have occurreS in war industries.
The metal trade unions, whose
members work in shipyards, air.
craft and armament plants, have
made some remarkable gains i'm
AFL union membership. Large
membership gains have also been
scored by the laborers, teamsters,
carpenters, railway clerks, textile
workers and seafarers.
1T is GRATIFYING to note that
the AFL is growing at such rapid
pace In organization there is
strength, but only to the degree its
power is put to use. A nucleus of
&, OOO, 900 intelligent active trade
unionists is a mighty bulwark
against Nazism at home and
throughout the world.
THE WOMEN'S VAR MOBILE.
EZATION Conference that got off to
start in Hartford this week under
the joint sponsorship of the AFL
Continued on Page Four)