The Detroit tribune. (Detroit, Mich.) 1935-1966, 1943-08-28
Labor Da!eGne
BY OTIS EATON
President Production Foundry
Local 500 UAW-CIO

htfht thiou bl>tipiine
Efficient Union Discipline This
being credited by the Governors
Riot committee and mentioned in
Mr.. Riddles report to the Presi-
dent as being responsible for an
absence Of friction in the Detroit
War Plants during the Race riots f.
Your writer shall make an attempt
10 enlarge upon the small mention
given the unions Tor big job
and one well done.
In the first instance the unions
DID no, have 20 order the so call
"a kid Gloves policy discon-
tn,ued, as did Police Commissions
or Witherspoon lwe contend that
the cops never had kid Glove
policy that extended 10 the <egro
tisfrictsl The unions police: adj
boring 20 International tnion poll
ley has never worn Kid gloves to
handle racial political or relig-
ious intolerance
The International ClO policy H.
SELF gave birth 10 the efficient
Cnion discipline And strangely
enough that policy is not different
from the policy as enunciattd, ~
the constitution Of he United
States But. because the unions
are "practieine what they preach
naturally then we couldn't have
run into he difficulty that Mayor
seffries did when he sought the
aid OF Federal troops Special Tn
ion Policy troops We're not need
ed for the occasion IN the plants
instead Prcsidonf Thomas sent
them into Woodward avenue and
Hastings street
Tha, Detroit was due for race
riot was noi wholly unexpected
in labor circles The strong po-
stions taken hy the international
union iu the Huds an-C hrysler and
Packard hate sllikcsr was indie
ati,e Of what was TO be and the
union clearly demonstrated to
civic authorities the pre- per meth-
obs 10 employ. as well as naming
Tho infm Us agency responsible
the XXX II he proper cooper
alton MAS fi,cn labor organiza-
lions IN Detroit by our civic
fathers a far better city would
be- the result for there is abso-
lntely no reason OF all why IF
f.cient onion Discipline should
be restricted TO War plants while
police wear Kid Gloves on
Woodward avenue.
No prodding or haliyhoo was
needed 10 enlist the mighty army
~ labor behind the war effort The
Auto WORKERS had been fighting
incipicni Fascism T r years we
naturally look upon Race riots as
being nothing les than Feseisiic
manifestations Of hate-rruly a
divide And Rule strategy We
also understand that in event o. a
Fascist vieseFy-tAat labor would
be chief victim Hence the strict
adherence 10 the policy Of the
International union, that reaction
ma fascism win be fought on the
home front ns We'll as abroad.
The Negro ran well afford TO-
look 70 labor for his way ont in
10 the sun. FOR it was the Jaw
Go who first took the position
that the war should not only
bring about the defeat Of Bitter
and his Axis. but should Setyc
as turning point in the history
of human relations Realizing that
the war was The result ~ nation
aiistic ambitions. Of false theories
Of racial superiority: and that
the dem1gopues who sold the
German Italian. and Japanese
! people on these false slogans.
found fertile ground In the bitter
moss caused by the economic and
social poverty OF their masses la
hor was able 70 point 70 identical
conditions in America British La
Dor vas able 70 do likewise 81
conditions IN Britain. To what