The CIO news. (Cumberland, Md.) 1942-????, 1942-09-07

all CLIO policies and activities during the past year.
Looking back over labor's year, might think
at first that December THE day of Pearl Harbor-
big dividing point.
But actually, labor was not caught by surprise
The CLIO had long before chosen its direction and
adopted policies which had only to be intensified
when the United States entered the war.
X X
In his 1941 Labor Day message, CIO President
Murray stressed the leadership of the CLIO in
increasing defense production I'VE have shown"
he sad that labor has the brains and public spirit
to take its place responsible participant in the
national defense effort"
ut is in these efforts to improve the economic
and physical strength of the nation that the intense
and vigorous patriotism of the workers in the CLIO
expresses ITSELF" the CIO leader said
"It is the determination of the Clio that this
nation shall be land worth defending with every
effort"
In those months before Pearl Harbor, the CIO
was fighting to keep labor free, building its strength
and demanding greater voice for labor in the
national production effort in which it was playing
such leading part.
The CLIO convention last November in Detroit
was devoted almost entirely to preparing labor for
coming
About effort against Hiterism the keynote
of nearly every convention resolution and speech.
President Roosevelt and the reedom-loving peoples
everywhere were assured they would have the Go
100 per cent behind them in every effort to combat
this world menace.
So when America actually entered the war, the
of
and eager for the fray. There was not moments
hesitation or doubt.
December saw the calling of the labor-industry-
government conference which the CLIO had long
advocated Out of this conference came labor's
voluntary pledge to lay aside the strike weapon for
the wars duration. Out of it, too, came the war
Labor Board as the agreed body to settle all
disputes which could not be adjusted through direct
collective bargaining
Every one of CLOS pre-war policies stood the
test of war time. It's demands for real production
planning, for labor-management plant committees,
for more labor representation and its opposition TO
labor stacking and wage-freezing legislation-al
these had but to be pushed more vigorously than
Fl ever under conditions
Labor unity became more urgent issue as
part of the nations unity. Clio and AL, both
nationally and locaiy, Joheu hdhus Ioi uiiteu wal
effort. And the Presidents creation of Labor's
Victory Board, with both Clio and ALL represented,
found the two great branches of labor united as
never before on all major national issues.
The one discordant note however, was the
descriptive efforts of John L. Lewis, who chose this
time for attempts to split the CLIO and to disturb
labor's unity.
But such attempted descriptions resulted only in
emphatic and unanimous reputation of the former
CIO president by the movement he once led and
tremendous rallying of the whole CLIO behind the
win-the-war policies of President Murray.
The success of united action by CIO and ALL
led finally to acceptance of Murray's proposal for
negotiations looking toward organic unity-wth the
proviso that these must not interfere with the
present healthy growth of united war effort.
X X X
This Labor Day finds the CLIO still fighting to
loan labor frea and strong tn win the war