Detroit evening times. (Detroit, Mich) 1921-1958, 1942-06-16
Socialism
Hits Rights
Of Unions
Government Ownership
Bars Strikes
BY PAUL MALLON

uuIlnR lnlS war 10 learn
how government ownership and
operation works out.
Certain experiments in So
cialism have been thrust upon
the gov nm e It. some ex-
perience has been acquired in
the X ind of naturalization"
which the British labor leftists
strangely are coming to advo-
cate as postwar system. and
that some unthinking liberals in
this country lean toward also.
The government took over and
operated the Brewster Aviation
Company, turning it back about
three weeks ago to private man.
agement. Before government
operation and afterward. the
union in that plant had a closed
shop and a check-off.
But while the government was
in control ii had nothing, not
even the right to strike. When
the government took over the
plant, labor became the servant
of the public and lost all its
rights.
Earlier in the Kearney ship
building plant, striking workers
wanted a union of maintenance
shop practically the s a m e as
closed) and foolish union leaders
urged the government to take
over the plant when they could
not get their desires by negotia-
tion with the management.
THE government accepted their
l. invitation, to their regret.
The navy ran the plant, but
without the union of main
tenance or any other shop, and
when the plant was turned back
the Union was still without its
objective. It would have been
against the law for the govern
ment to have done otherwise.
The workers finally got their
union shop through the War
Labor Board, after private man.
agemen was resumed.
This is not a situation peculiar
to war. but is the unbroken
history of all government peace
time operation or ownership.
Take the cases of the IVA
and the federal barge line.
These AFOREMENTIONED bust
ness enterprises are typical
peace time experiments in the
socialist theory. Both have
unions of employees, but main
tain an open shop. and the
unions do not have the right to
strike.
iva has about $1,000 en-
ployes and majority are men,
bers of some trade union, the
largest being the electrical
workers. But these trade work.
ers for the government do not
enjoy the same privileges as
private workers.
In government shipyards and
srsenals it is the same. There is
not much reason for a union.
OBVIOUSLY then. labor should
" be assuming the leadership
against socialism of the Nazi.
Communist, proposed British or
American varieties.
Such a good friend of labor
as Mr.. Roosevelt outlined the
realities of the situation in a
letter to federal employees Aug.
Is, 1873 letter which could
have been entitled:
Tho Case Against Socialism"
He wrote:
Tho very nature and pur-
poses Of government make IL
1 m p ssible for administrative
officials to bind the en-
ployer In mutual discussions
with government employe or
ganixations. -.
upon employees In tho fed
eral service rests the obligation
to serve the whole people, whose
interests and welfare require
orderliness and continuity In the
conduct of government activi-
ties. This obligation IL para
mount"
Any union man who works
for socialism then is working to
nullify his union and destroy his
existing rights. If you have.
been thinking that ii would be a.
good postwar policy for the.
government to own and operate,
for instance, u. S. Steel or
General Motors or North Amer
lean Aviation, you are really
proposing to wipe out all the
gains labor has made under pri-
vate management.
COULD any more convincing
~ proof be offered that labor
has been misled. again in this
instance; that its real future
depends upon maintenance of a
private profits system, and that
its real interests require it to
work for profits for manage
ment as we'll as itself. because
labor cannot milk a dry cow
United States Steel. General
Motors. and all other big or lit
tie manufacturing businesses
have no wealth aside from their
ability TO produce and a little
cash in the bank. IL they can
not obtain employees TO do the
work or raw materials to make
their products. or If for any
other rpacnn SiiCh ne national