Imperial Valley press., 1943-07-11
HOBBLlNG THE WAR EFFORT
ON THE CIVILIAN FRONT


This is not an attack upon government
operation.
1t is. on the contrary. an explanation
of why there are so many accusations
that, sincere as may be the effort OF the
Washington plan of bureaus, neverthe-
less, the system isn't working, and is
hobbling civilian operation unnecessarily.
The letter of the local Laundry Work
ers' union to the War Labor Board.
The letter sent the War Labor Board
the other day by the Laundry Workers
union in connection with threatening dis
turbances at the local laundry, is mas
terpiece in that it shows how red tape,
divided controls, diversified authority in
government binds and hinderS American
methods to a dangerous degree. This
letter is the cali in the wilderness, not
from employers but from workers. Here,
the lay public gets picture of the facts
which abstract explanation and wide at
tack has failed to make clear.
These parts of the letter, reproduced
from the news columns of a previous is
sue of this newspaper, are really worthy
of note:
Since March 27, 1s49. there has been filed
with your board an application for wage adjust
ment in the case of the Valley Steam Laundry of
heard no word from the NwLB to the disposi-
ton of this case. which is causing disruption of
business on the part of the laundry and general
labor unrest within the union.
I'VE have attempted to the best of ability
to keep people on the job and to recruit new en-
ployes but have found it almost impossible with
the competition of higher paid jobs. The fact that
the employees of Valley Steam Laundry are repre-
sented by this organization has been detriment
to them in view of the length of time it has taken
the NwLB to rule on any proposed wage increases,
as competitive laundry and cleaning establish
ments have raised wages voluntarily without
sanction of the NLWB and have come to this
plant of ours to pirate workers at higher wages
than now getting
Even the state of California has recognized
the substandard wages in this laundry and order
ed wages in the lower brackets raised above what
we have petitoned the NLWB for The low wages
now being paid have made it impossible to keep
crew large enough to take care of the work
with the result that laundry is piling up to the
extent that we have three weeks backlog of
work with the plant running at half capacity
with notice of the new anti-strke measures
recently passed by congress, our members are
thoroughly disgusted with the whole setup. We
have tried to abide by our no-strike pledge and
keep things running but we are frozen on the
Job had our right to strike taken away, and flag
wavers steal our employees and ignore the wage
freeze while we wait for -FOUR office to rule on
wage increase that could not possibly have any
bearing on any economic initiation. wage in
crease that the public and employer alike admit
we have due us.
We have given up certain rights to insure the
armed forces of the services of this laundry. in
view of the current situation it is out Of our
hands to adequately supply the services required
There it is,
Government red tape in form that
everyone can understand it.
Government inefficiencv-not purpose
full nor wilful-but ineffIcency just the
same, the kind of inefficiency that should
have been corrected long ago by the right
policies.