Detroit evening times. (Detroit, Mich) 1921-1958, 1943-05-08
Union Pledge
Of No Strike
RidicuIed
Promises Violated Time
and Aeain-PeeIer \
BY WESTBROOK PEGLER


much capital has been made
of the famous promise of the big
unions 10 waive labor's right to
strike for the duration of the
war, that the facts and the rec
ord should be examined.
This pledge has been violated
not once but a hundred times in
war plants, large and small, by
unions of the AF'L and the Go
and VIGOROUSLY by the United
Mine Workers.
Like most union undertakings
il was worthless in the first place
because unions have no person.
ality or entity and thus no re-
SpOnsibillty.
The unions were granted GER
tain advantages and special con-
Slderation in return for the
promise not TO strike and the
record OF strikes in violation OF
the pledge, puts them in the po-
Sition of having obtained such
favors by fraud.
Under our laws, however. no
penalty may be exacted from
any union for striking or may
any individual he punished for
calling a strike. even though the
Stoppage be caused ny the arbi-
trary order Of one man or a
committee and without a vote
Of the rank and file.
I AM NOT arguing that in all
i cases the employers were in
the right and that the workers
had no grievance.
But do point out that under I
the labor policy Of the govern
ment, an employer may be
quickly and firmly called 10 &C.
count and compelled 10 adjust
the problem.
The same policy almost invari-
ably pleads with and placates
the union bosses even though a
referendum 10 the rank and file
might show h a I the workers
would like to repudiate these
officers.
To weigh the value Of William
Green's undertaking on behalf or
all the unions ~ the AFL which
have flouted his promise again
and again and again. as Presl-
dent Roosevelt would say, il IS
necessary only 20 refer 10 his
own reiterated explanation that
he has no power over the auton-
omouS national unions and their
constituent locals and councils.
When. about six years ago, IL
first dawned on the public
through newspaper exposes that
at least four of MIR Green's big
national unions were run by ex-
conVictS and that raCketeerS
were using unionlSn As A salts
factory substitute for bootleg
Cing since repeal. he issued
public statement IN which he ex-
planned that the AFL was
loose confederation of independ-
ent and autonomous unions and
that he was powerlcSS 10 inter-
fere in their affairs even 10 drive
out predatory raScalS who were
robbinG and prosecuting the
workers.
IN THAT. he was technically
correct bat the fact remained
that a man honestly devoted 10
the cause Of unioniSm and with
heart sympathetic with the
workers could have exerted
great influence by Snubhing the
more notorious rackcteerS.
This Creme did not do.
on the contrary he was care
fll 10 show tho same Consldera-
ton 10 the notorious double
dealer. Joe Fay. Of the operating
engineers, who is both a union
boss and an employer Of Oper-
atlng engineers IN his role OF
contractor, that he showed 10
any upright union official.
In a 81. Louis case, Green up
held a gang Of spectacular
thieves against the downtrodden
rank and file who had rlsked
their very lives 10 revolt
So. taking Green AT his word
when he said he was powerlcss
10 interfere in the affairs Of an
autonomous national or local
union. We observe that he had
no authority 10 promise that
there would be no strikes.
TT HAS been only by good luck
Il and public decorum that we
have escaped some dreadful eX-
periences on the home front
since Pearl Harbor.
President Roosevelt. in his
radio address on the strike OF
John l.. Lewis coal miners, a
strike contrivcd by devious
little scheme, referred 10 express
sions which he had received from
men wounded in the war and
returned home.
| do not know whether such
sentiments are a recent develop
mcnt in his fan mail but / do
know that for more than year
| have been receiving angry let
ters from fighting men and
from the parents and wives OF
fighters, some Of whom are 80
bitter against all unionisrn now
that they would endorse capital
punishment for unIoneerS who
order strikes in war industries.