Toledo union journal. [volume] (Toledo, Ohio) 1942-current, 1943-09-17
Political
Action Is
War Duty
By Philip Murray


labor dedicates itself above all to
increased and intensified effort to
support the glorious offensive of
our armed forces and to speed
the day of total victory over the
Axis.
The successes and advances of
the armies of the United Nations
must lead to no let-down of eff
fort on our home front. On the
contrary, every such advance in
creases the tempo of conflict and
leads to ever greater demands on
war production and war supplies.
American labor must match every
forward step by our fighting men
with increased effort and enthu-
siasm to bring our boys home
victorious at the earliest possible
moment and with the least poss-
ible casualties.
The Congress Of Industrial Or
ganizations is proud of the record
it has established in the past year
in promoting the increased war
production which has broken all
world records; in faithful adj
herence to its no-strike pledge,
despite all provocations; and in
every field of war activity.
Proud of Fighting Forces
1t is especially proud of the
million members from its union
ranks and the countless sons and
brothers Of CIO unionists who are
in the fighting forces.
No effort or sacrifice on our
part is too great to back up our
fighting men. In the months
ahead, the CIO will not rests on
past achievements but will set
ever higher goals of war en-
deavor in every field of its
activity.
The CIO has grown in strength
and influence during the past
year, because its patriotic aims
and activities reflect and imple-
ment the heartfelt desires Of
American working people. 1t has
won numerous Labor Board elec-
tions and many new collective
bargaining agreements and has
expanded its membership to the
highest point in its history. This
basic union work must and will
continue, for it is only through
organsNation that working men
and women can achieve the max
imum results in constructive war
activity.
To Increase Political Efforts
On this Labor Day, the CIO is
also resolved to increase its legis-
lative and political efforts to
strengthen our home front under
the leadership of our Commander
in-Chief. To make our home front
a solid base for our whole victory
effort, we must fight off the
dangers of initiation; we must
have tax system that will pro-
vide the sinews of war without
damaging the productive effic-
iency of low-income groups; we
must preserve our democracy and
legislate in the spirit of national
unity; and we must back to the
limit win-the-war policies of our
Commanders -inChief in both do
mestic and foreign affairs. p
Unfortunately, the last session
of Congress was reniss in many
of these respects. 1t hurt national
unity by much labor batting and
administration batting politics-as-
usual. 1t encouraged initiation by
hampering and opposing admin
stration efforts to roll back living
costs and control prices. 1t adopt
ed, over the Presidents veto, the
anti-labor Smith Connally act, de-
spite warnings that this was a
strike-provoking bill that would
undermine labor morale and ham,
per war production.
The CIO therefore deems it an
important war duty to impress on
the members of Congress the
American peoples desire for an
end to such descriptions of our ma
tional unity, and for a real effort
in the next session of Congress to
strengthen and solidify our home
front, SO that this may truly be-
come victory Congress.
For these and all other win-the
war purposes, the CI0. urges the
closest unity Of action between all
sections of labor and all groups Of
our population who set the cause
of speedy victory ahead of all
selfish considerations.
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