The Michigan chronicle. [volume] (Detroit, Mich.) 1936-current, 1944-05-13
5 THE FACTS
M OUR NEWS
n. AARAHG a MAlYl
DETROTT's LABOR
SITUATION TO-DAY

SITUATION TODAY
There are some glazing incon-
gruit!es about Detroits labor situ-
alton. We hear over the radio and
read In the newspapers that Detroit
is very greatly In need OF man
power 70 carry on the war produc-
ton schedules as set UP by the army.
On the other hand. the factories
are laying men OF because they
have presumably no work for them
70 do. The factories say that they
have TO lay men of temporarily
because they are ahead OF their
war production schedules. Women
are being laid of at a fairly rapid
rate In several Of our war plants In
the Detroit area. Ex-soldiers coming
back from camps and from combat
zones are finding II already a diff
cult task 70 get employment In war
industries in the Detroit area. This
is true in face OF the fact that the
public receives the information that
manpower Is needed. and urgently
needed In war plants.
Certain public services such ~
streetcars and buses are curtailed
during this emergency period pre-
sumably for the reason that there
is manpower shortage for the
Operation OF these much needed
public carriers.
AS one looks at these incongrui-
ties In our labor situation, he Is
brought to the position OF doing
some serious questioning about our
whole matter Of labor and its use
in the Detroit area. There are sew
eral possibilities that can come 10
ones mind in trying to understand
this inconsistency that appears evil
dent from the fact that we say we
need labor in our war industries.
and at the same time war plants
are laying of workers because there
| is no work for them to do.
The first possibility is that manu-
facturers are unaware OF this exist
ing contradictory situation. In other
words. II is very possible that the
momentum gathered-in-an- effort to
supply the Detroit labor market In
its very critical days Is going on
undated because Of the lack OF
adequate knowledge about the pres
ent situation. II this Is true. it would
seem that the employers OF labor
would quickly seek TO correct the
situation. The other possibility as it
relates TO the manufacturer IS that
the great employers OF labor are
endeavoring to use the emergency
hysteria to build UP large UNI
controlled and unorientated labor
supply in the city Of Detroit and
its vicinity. II this Is true, and it
can we'll be true, il behooves labor
leadership 10 make the facts known
10 the public and to plan labor's
stratagems in relationship to a
labor market that can have little
hope Of being absorbed. In other
words. II Detroit labor IS not to find
itself combating some OF the forces
in organized capital likened unto
the days before 1884 in Detroit.
labor and it, leadership must begin
to zee that workers are not thrown
into too sharp q competition for Just
any kind Of work to keep body and
soul alive. A labor market too big
In Detroit will work to the detri-
ment Of organized labor. II can
weaken very seriously the position
OF labor In the nations industrial
capital. Detroit. Your correspondent
is disturbed by the fact that indus
trialists and big business men in
Detroit are playing labor against
emergency hysteria. and too often
we And certain labor leaders play
| ing organized labor into the hands
OF emergency hvsteria.
These inconsistencies az We watch
them at work In our Detroit area
should not 20 unnoticed by public
officials. II there Is any one thing
that creates intense race strife in
large industrial community such
as Detroit. Is the fact that workers
are without employment Too many
workers for too few jobs equals
merciless and thoughtless competi-
ton among the workers. COMPETE
ton among the workers without
any organized controls from public
officials In the matter or seeing 20
il that workers have reasonable
chance OF securing jobs creates race
riots and race hatreds. One OF the
great weapons OF competition used
by an over-crowded labor market
In meeting diminishing Job oppor-
tunities is color prejudice.
Therefore, II seems that X we
need the workers in our defense
plants as badly as the general public
is lead to believe. the present lay
offs in defense plants should be ex-
planned to the public. II we do not
need more workers In our defense
plants in Detroit. this fact also
should be made known 70 possible
Immigrants. The responsibility for
informing the public Of this situa-
ton rests with employers Of labor,
labor leadership and public admin
istrators OF the manpower prob
! lens.
1