The potters herald. [volume] (East Liverpool, Ohio) 1899-1982, 1943-03-11
Labor's "Absenteeism'
Isy |. NJ. ORNBURN

Even before Pearl IIarbor labor WAS
fully aware of its responsibility in tn"
national policy of making this country
since the beginning of Lend-LeaSe
shipments, labor knew that upon its
efficiency and cooperation rested the
success of production and delivery to
those of our Allies who were then
fighting alone. After Pearl IlarbOr this
labor has been infinitely strengt hened,
and our productive expansion is proof
of that.
We are aware that national produc-
ton has not been aS good and as rapid
as we want it TO be. Anxiety on this
subject is legitimate, because we must
all be determined to Overwhelm the
enemy and to win this war rs quickly
rs possible. But we should not fool
ourselves about difficulties, so that
when our goals of production are not
realized we must not he led to despair.
Rather must this failure serve as a
stimulus for overcoming obstacles and
for further intpnSiiicatiOn of the war
effort. Labor knows as we'll as, if not
better than, any other group that this
war for the survival of democratic in
stitnions is its own war for life or
death, because upon these institutions
rests its very existence.
1t is because of this awareneSs of
our war aims that organized labor
often loses patience with its critics in
search of cheap causes, when they talk
about "absenteeism' and point an ac-
cuSing finger at labor rs the sole re-
sponSibile factor Though it did not
publicize it, absenteeism has been the
concern of labor much before these
professional faultfinders heard of the
word For months we have been think
ing of ways and means of eliminating
ii completely. We know as we'll as any
body else that abSenteesm may mean
victory or defeat in North Africa or
the Solomons, and every individual
worker knows that abSenteeSm may
mean the life or death of his own son
in the services. We do not need self
appointed guardians to tell us that.
our concern with the problem was nor
prominent in the past, because we were
! looking for the causes of this disease
of industry for the sole purpose of
eradicating it. We knew that speeches
would only stir up arguments at n
time when action was necessary, and
50 we tried To find out first what were
the circumstances producing absentee
ism and second how we could help
eliminate them.
Without rowing accusations
against management, against the gov
ornment or against other groups, as
some people are invariably tempted
lO do, we discovered that there were II
few concrete, specific factors which
lead to this national weakness. We
found out that workers lived in crowd
eel conditions, often away from home
without any of the convcnirnc"S and
relaXationS that the home offers. We
found out that the workers in many
industries had no time tn do their
shopping because of overtime, they had
no decent recreation, no decent meals
and few eating facilities at the fac
tories or around them. Then there is
also the fact that the Wagc-rarncr
works overtime and that his task is
more intense and more fatiguing than
before. We discovered In addition, fire.
qllrnt difficulties in transportation. We
also found that every war industry
today employed Il larger number of
women who often have responsibilities
of home ana children ON their shout
dcrS and are likely In have divided
loynltics. Women in general are re-
SponSiblc for twice as much absentee
ism rs men because of difficulties in
the home and in providing for the
home. All of these problems are real
and not imaginary, but they can he
handled by true cooperation among
| labor, management, and the govern