, 1943-04-14
(The following statement was adopted by the UE
Stewards Conference of Sunday, April ~
Statement Adopted by the Dayton
UE Stewards Conference

democratic nation cannot unite internally and fully mobilize its re-
sources for total war. Today our country is challenged to prove that
Hitler Is wrong. We are challenged today, because a never before
in the sixteen months in which we have been straining to win this
peoples war, there is dsunity and confusion in Our government, in
our Congress, and in our state Strong forces of disruption seek to
undermine the unity and determination of the American people to
win the war and seek to weaken the determination of the American
people to win the war and seek to weaken the unity of the United
Nations against the Axis powers. These reactionary, disruptive, ap-
peasement forces are on the march. They have engineered a political
and economic crisis at home reflected in anh-labor, anti democratic
threats in the National Congress, in our state legislatures; in frozen
wages In skyrocketing prices, and in soak-the-poor taxes.
The feversh campaign against the people takes place in the
face of the historic declarations of the Casablanca conference
pointing the way to victory through offensive military action. It is
designed to hamper and hold back the opening of a second land
front in Europe which would crush Hitler between the mighty
British American forces in the west and the magnificent Red army
in the east. The failure to launch this full-scale coalition war pro-
vides the defeatLts in our country with a fertile field In which to
continue their maneuvers and attacks, to undermine our national
unity and to intensity their efforts for a negotiated peace.
Total military war demands total unity and total mobilization
of the home army as the foundation for the front army. The work
ing people if they are to produce to the maximum, if they are to
maintain their morale and physical efficiency, ae entitled to and
must have adjustment of their economic needs. We know our grev-
ances cannot be adjusted by increases in money wages alone, with
out regard to prices, to ratoning. to taxation, and total economic
sterilization The new executive order brings to a climax of con-
fusion the failure by the administration to achieve the stable econ
omy needed to win the war. The working people are slapped under
q wage freeze. They are forbidden to alleviate their economic
predicament by seeking jobs at better pay. They are asked to
believe that the price rises that took place since May !, one year ago.
the terminal date IN the Little Steel formula, did not happen at all.
We will do our best to hold The lines of production and stabi1iza-
ton In spite of the obstacles which the executive order puts in the
way.
We approve the International Unions wage proposal, which re-
lates the need for wage rises to the other elements of stabilization;
which recognizes the importance of hating further price rises; of
bringing about aI-out rationing of the things or people need; of
enactng the tax program that will leave the workers enough to
buy the things they need; of proper control of exorbitant profits
as a means of Strengthening our country economically. We again
ask MIR. James F. Byrnes to call a conference of the responsible
government agencies ourselves and the employers to consider our
proposals.
Our demands are not demands for our members only. They
~ IaroouSS for $hiu0e uhich mil apab III ka ~aor1 k~ J.~~
going in their about fight against our common enemy. We there
fore call upon the people of Ohio to support us in the following
program:
Take the offensive against the enemies of this country by
opening a western front in Europe, when the President deems
it advisable.
2Halt rising prices by al-out price control Support President
Roosevelts veto of the Bankhead bill. Defeat the Pace bill.
8. Ration all essential goods and services in a democratic way.
4Enact a fair tax program Repeal the S per cent gross tax on
wages. Raise the personal tax exemptions. Place the proper
additional taxes on swollen profits and huge personal and cor
poraton incomes.
s. Support cooperative, democratic handling of manpower ques-
tons. Stop the schemes to set up labor battalions on the Naz
model. Defeat the Austin Wadsworth bill
STOP the drive against organized labor, the back bone of the
war effort. Rally for the defeat Of the totaltarian French bill
IN the Ohio legislature, of the Hobbs bill and similar pending
legislation In the national Congress
We, leaders of the UE in this community, pledge to give
leadership in the peoples fight to awaken in every agency of gov
eminent a true reflection of the people will to victory. We shall
conduct an intensive campaign among our membership to move
them into greater personal activity on this program. We will under
take by means of newspaper advertisements, town meetings, visits
to government representatives and similar methods to mobilize