Toledo union journal. [volume] (Toledo, Ohio) 1942-current, 1943-09-10

tion as to the wars progress,
limiting quite broadly that the
whole thing may end much SOON
er than any of us think if every
thing continues to go as smooth
ly as in recent weeks.
Newspaper editorialists are be-
coming more vicious than ever,
because they realize that their
time will soon be up. The poll
ticians, too, are becoming a bit
uneasy because they see the be-
ginning of the end for them.
They know that when the boys
return from the fight they will
want to see something tangible
in the way Of results, something
like Roosevelt and Wallace have
in mind, which the enemies of
the people are trying to sabotage.
This is the time we have wait
ed for. 1t will be here perhaps
before we know it. We, too, must
get our house in order. With men
like Frederick Crawford, presi-
dent of the NAM, giving forth
their views on postwar problems,
it behooves us to unite as never
before and support those who
really represent us.
MORE THAN POLITICS
This support goes a bit fur
ther than politics. 1t pertains to
the unity needed right there in
your shop. There are lots of
things wrong with some Of our
shop committees, if we wish to
be critical, but nevertheless,
these people were chosen by you
in free elections, and it wouldn't
be bad idea if, instead of pick
ing at the faults or weaknesses
of the committee, you would of
fer a bit of constructive advice
to them on how to improve them
selves as union representatives.
And to the shop committees we
say this: 1t isn't like it used to
be. You don't bluster any more,
you know your stuff, in plain
English. Labor relations is sub
ject to be studied and practiced
by intelligent people, men and
women who are honest, unselfish
and willing to learn. The union
representative of today combines
the knowledge required in part
by the attorney, economist,
mathematician, salesman and
psychologist. The days of pugi-
listic leadership are gone. One
blunder by the representative
and his constituents have lost
money, sometimes lots of it.
What some of the shop COM
mittees don't know about the Ma
tional Labor Relations Act, the
NLRB, the NWLB, the United
States Cancellation Service and
its procedure, and a lot of other
phases of unionism, would fill
few libraries.
ON YOUR TOES
If we are to prosper, and if
our families are to be we'll fed,
well nourished and housed, and
live as decent. human beings
when this war is over, it is up
to each Of us to be on our toes
and keep our representatives on
theirs.
Our opponents, the Industrial
lists, are working night and day
In an attempt to put profits
ahead of human rights. Whether
we ever succeed in obtaining
things like the thirty-hour week
with forty hours pay, improved
unemployment insurance and in
jury compensation, better work
ing conditions in the plants, and
all the things which tend toward
making this a better world, de-
pends largely on ourselves.
The thing that's worrying the
big shots more than anything
else, is the possibility of the la
boring man taking an interest in
elections. Once the workers unite
at the polls, the industrialists
know that they are completely
whipped. You don't need picket
lines when you're protected by
the law. What if the national
wage scale plan were adopted as
national law? What if the an
nuai living wage guarantee were
passed by an Act of Congress
Would you need to struggle for
a living then?
Wake up your fellow workers.
Tell them to get in there and
pitch, and give the Peglers and
the politicians something to