Toledo union journal. [volume] (Toledo, Ohio) 1942-current, 1943-11-12
Continued from Page /

resented on some type of govern
ment board to settle disputes aris-
ing between industry and labor.
DUCK OPENS ATTACK
After Chairman Gill had con-
cluded his remarks, he called for
questions from the audience. Al
first, the questions were not too
difficult, but finally Edward Duck,
arose to discuss the Swartzbaugh
case.
In his discussion of the Swartz-
baugh case, Duck stated that the
Swartzbaugh Company had evaded
and stalled on every issue. He re-
ferred to the retroactive wage
agreement made by c. E. Swartz-
baugh, President of the Toledo
Chamber of Commerce, with whom
the War Labor Board dined We'd
nesday night at the Commodore
Perry Hotel, and said that the COM
pany had repudiated its agreement,
attempted to break the union,
sought to corrupt the union COM
mittee by promoting one of them
to a supervisory position, and done
everything in its power to hold up
final settlement Of the case.
Instead of answering questions
asked by Mr.. Duck, Mr.. Gill at
tempted to tell the story about a
frog, which, he said, was not aimed
at Duck; but which was very OBJ
viously intended for him since ne
ended his story lamely with the
point that, the frog should be
killed, because it talked too much" ;"
AVASIVE ANSWERS GIVEN
After he had been slapped down
hard by the audience, which round
ly booed his story, Mr.. Gill gave
evasive answers to Mr.. Ducks ques-
tions. Finally, Richard Gosser,
UAW-CIO Regional Director arose
and asked if the regional WLB
would set a date for an overall
meeting with all Toledo labor un-
ions for discussion of the tested
and going rates" used by the WLB
in its decisions.
Mr.. Gill told Mr.. Gosser that he
would gladly arrange such a meet
ing, if Mr.. Gosser would get the
Toledo labor organizations together
and ask for such a date. He stated
that he would arrange such a meet
ing within two weeks after hearing
from Mr.. Gosser.
AFL MAKES SUGGESTION
William Sturm, AFL business
agent made a suggestion which was
we'll received by the audience, that
the WLB arrange to have a panel
set up in Toledo TO expedite cases
here. He based his suggestion on
the fact that Toledo is one Of the
most important industrial cities IN
the state and has many cases pend
ing before he board. Mr.. Gill made
no definite commitment on the sug-
gestion.
In his reply to Mr.. Sturm, Mr..
Gill stated, "there is nobody more
troubled about these delays than
] am" but he did not say that Mr..
Sturm's suggestion would receive
any special consideration.
SAHADI TELLS THEM
One of the best criticisms of the
evening of the War Labor Board
was given by Dan Sahadi Of the
Textile Workers-CIO. Mr.. Sahadi,
after reviewing the case of the
Textileleather Co, workers told Mr..
Gill that the Textileleather CO., one
of the first plants in Toledo to he
awarded the Army-Navy "E", was
being denied its six month star for
continued good production because
Of the laundering of the War Labor
Board.
SO convincing and logical was
Mr.. Sahadi's criticism of the WLB
that Mr.. Gill had to admit that
maybe we did tumble this case"
and was rewarded with Sahadis
comeback, 'well, the next time, you
had better not tumble our case"
WORKERS STATE
OPINIONS
When the meeting finally came
10 an end little clusters of work
ers, AFL, CIO and others gathered
outside Macomber High School to
discuss the meeting. General con-
sensus of opinion was that the War
Labor Board meeting in Toledo was
"a lot Of bull" and that nothing
had been accomplished. Some men,
here gFaEnJ 4Lns. n..s.,,-.. 49, rs1l