The potters herald. [volume] (East Liverpool, Ohio) 1899-1982, 1943-09-02
WAR PRODUCTION IS A UNION-MADE JOB

WHEREVER there is discussion OF our war
W effort one hears Of the heroic deeds Of our
fighting men, and rightly American fighters
are the best in the world and we are proud OF
them. They are making rapid progress against
FasciSm on every battlefront.
However, when the critics Of organized labor
refer to our gigantic production on the home
front they invariably refer to ships tanks, planes
and other munitions OF war. Seldom dO the
enemies of labor unions mention the human ele-
ment-the American Workel-Who has made the
miracle of our production possible
The American Labor Union is the active agent
of the human element in war effort. Recently,
an official Of the War Production Board stated,
Our secret weapon is the initiative and lntelll-
oence and know how Of the free American
workman Eighty-live per cent Of American work
ers are in plants covered by labor union con-
tracts" 1t is these men and women members OF
organized labor who are performing the llerculean
task Of Transforming raw materials INTO ships,
tanks, planes and other munitions. American pro-
duction is a Union-madc Job. The critics OF labor
seldom refer to the fact that had it not been for
the skilled workers who display the Union Label,
Shop Card and Service Button, America would not
have the trained and experienced craftsmen TO 90
so big job 50 rapidly.
1t seems only fair that instead Of referring to
the material things some credit should be given
to the human lactOT-the American worker.
American labor and American fighters are work
ing together like cogWheclS. They are meShln2
perfectly. ne results can DC seen III Alltot oiSll
and in Italy. They will soon be found in Germany
and Japan. The "V' in Victory stands for the
Vitality of American soldiers and workers.
On Labor Day, one year ago, the President
asked Congress to pass legislation under which
he would be specifically authorized to stabilize
the cost of living, including the price of all farm
commodities He set deadIine Of October /,
asserting that naction on the part OF Congress
would leave me with an ineScapabe response
bility to the people Of this country to see to 1t that
tl,,l I,,yt of
economic chaos.
'n the event that Congress should fail to act,
and act adequately" said the President, 81 shall
accept the responsibility, and ! will act At the
same time that farm prices are stabilized, wages
can and will be stabilized also. This will do"
Congress acted. There was some criticism Of
the tone Of the Presidents utimatum, but a bill
satisfactory to him drawn, passed and signed.
Wages were stabilized under the little steel"
formula But the cost Of living has continued to
skyrocket. The leaders Of organized labor have
delivered a strong warning TO the President that
unless prices are rolled back they might Withdraw
support Of the price and wage Stabilizaton pro-
gram Surely if wages can be frozen, 1t should
not be more difficult to freeze prices. Even when
~ nation is at war as much consideration should
be given to human welfare as to the material
factors.
We are fighting the greatest war in the history
of mankind for HUMANITY and not for material
things The Four Freedoms of the Atlantic Char
ter are the concrstOnes Of human welfare for
deserving peoples throughout the world Every
factor in postwar planning has 4 human con
sideIation.
On this Labor Day, lets give more thought to
the welfare Of our fighting men and our working
men. Let's make a sacred pledge that those men
who have died on the battefeds and also in our
factories have not died in vain. Let's make
HUMAN rights the foremost consideration in
both our war and postwar planning.