The potters herald. [volume] (East Liverpool, Ohio) 1899-1982, 1943-07-29
THE NO.STRIKE PLEDGE STANDS

THE ACTION of Congress in passing the war
- Labor Disputes Act over the Presidents veto
puts upon that body the full onus for this un-
wise legislation which will inevitably retard war
production because of it's confused inept provl-
sions and the humiliation it places on the millions
engaged in war production.
Organized labor recognized the responsibility
which war brought to it and responded at once
with the no-strike pledge, which assured the gov
ernment orderly procedure and cooperation Labor
at the same time told the Administration that all
out production could be secured only upon one
basis-by bringing the officials of management and
the work force into the service of war production
in representative capacity and making them re-
sponsible for maintaining production.
Such an organization would have given us
authority and responsibility for dealing with
difficulties as they arose There is no evidence that
our suggestion was even considered.
The record shows that the American Fedora
ton of Labor has done everything humanity pos
sibe to keep the no-strke~ pledge despite en-
ployer provocations and despite the governments
failures on the price control front. In the face OF
skyrocketing costs of food and the denial OF COM
pensatOry wage increases in spite or aStronOmlc
corporation profits permitted to be amassed al
though the people were promised that no ons
would cash in on this war; Americas workers have
stayed on the job.
We have stayed on the job because we know
our country is at war, because our sons and pro-
theirs are on the firing line. We cannot let them
others.
A situation developed that was not of Oul
making The miners, whose long hours under
ground are necessary to keep the war effort al
capacity, attempted to negotiate new contract
Coal operators had already been granted price IN
creases Unfortunately neither coal operators nol
certain government administrators were able tt
transcend political eXpediency; negotiations bog
ged down This Is not the time to evaluate OF
judge that situation, any more than 1T is the time
to judge the meat packers who are refusing to &c
business. What we are gravey concerned abou,
is the threat Of disorganzation on the home front
The gravity Of the situation is increased by the
fact that the military program requires that there
shall be no slowing or interruption or the how OF
supplies.
Last October the convention of the American
Federation of Labor recommended the creation
of an overall board of strategy with authority tt
act in order to keep our production front func
tioning in support OF the military front. We re
war. We hold our Commander-in-Chie in higl
esteem, but it is humanity impossible to give per
sOnal attention to the scope of world and mllltar!
issues for which he is responsible and also tt
operate war administrative agencies. We urge hln
to delegate adequate authority to board OF eco
nomc strategy responsible for war production ant
the home front.
AS regards the Connally- Smith Act we urge
Congress to reconsider its hasty and il-advlset
action which Weakens the hand OF the Com
millions of workers whose cooperation is essentia
to our war effort. The production army has beer
doing the greatest job in history. The muntion
of war are pouring out. The workers have mad
and transported the supplies which our forces am
those of our allies are using effectively 1t i
not craftsmanship for Congress to reward sucl
efforts by facilitating conditions that make fo
the destruction of democracy itself.
We ask the cooperation of representatives 0
industry against legislation which shaclles fre
for md
autocracy destroys free unions, it turns mex
against free industry. Business men need only t
recall what happened in Germany to realize tha
this is so.
We urge Congress to reconsider this legisla
tion But in the meantime we urge every unio
and every union member to honor our no-strik
pledge and to let nothing force them to deviat
from lab0r's chosen course By following tn
course which we have recognized as wise an
necessary we can preserve our freedom from thi
locriclafiar fn. we sh all he ahnue II