Imperial Valley press., 1944-02-27
STRIKE MENACE GROWS
THROUGHOUT NATION


are coming home to roost' as strikes and
walkouts continue throughout the coun-
try. That the failure to inaugurate prop
er safeguards against these war-hlnder-
ing actions before or Immediately after,
we entered the war was an invitation to
irresponsible leaders to encourage strikes
is seen in the thousands of instances OF
wilful halting of war plants; that there
will be no remedy now also is apparent.
When the strike fever invaded the civil
service-and California has been chosen
for two of such cases-the poWer-mad
labor leaders reached tops. Serious as
some of the major strikes have been in
the nations main war industries, they
have not equalled in effrontery the walk
out in Los Angeles where $500 idle men
threatened an entire area of the nations
most vital war plants.
However, it has made no difference how
much a strike might peril the wor effort.
In fact in many instances it seems the
most vital plants have been picked for
strikes.
Despite the shoutings of labor leaders,
big and little, how they "deplore these
strikes nor how loudly they proclaim
that there will be no more. the Situa-
tion grows more serious, and there Is
plenty Of indications that this year will
outdo last year in strike interruptions.
In the midst of the power strike on
the coast AFL Green. whose body repre-
sents those strikers, publicly 'frowned on
the strike" but not until it was we'll under
way and the damage done. CLOS head of
the auto workers union also chose the
same moment to blast all wildcat
strikes" in a statement from Detroit. If
he was referring to the l.. A. strike as of
l., inh
ance means small strikes, then he plain
ly was either ignorant of what that strike
meant, or wilfully was trying to fool the
public.
The failure of the administration to
prevent strikes is all the more blamable
when one considers the agencies set up
to handle these disturbances and dis
putes. More often than not, WLB has
been hndrance and the whole mess is
emphasized when many Of the strikes
officials keep on trying to lead the pub
have been against the WLB itself.
1t is a pitiful situation, too, when high
lie into believing that strikes have dwin-
died and practically are non-eXistent,
and when these self-same officials un-
dertake to minimize the damage.
The record shows these statements to
be false Last year there was a total of
can be added many more than escaped
official notice and were settled in spite
of WLB or other agencies. This year, if
the present rate keeps up will see even
more.
Set up as a final cure-all for labor dis
turbances and disputes, whether between
employer and employe or jurisdictional,
WLB utterly has failed to clear and set
tie the issues back of the strikes. This
only means that a fostering sore is only
waiting time to break out and go out of
control.
While most observers fear it is too
late to put brake on strikes or to formu-
late firm policy, there is a mighty de-
mand over the country for an effort even
at this late day.
Declarations of work or fight" don't
get anywhere and no one need be sur
prised at that, as they only were gestures
onyway. Heralded as buffer, the presi-
dents message on universal service cauS-
ed ripple of interest, only to be passed
along as just another gesture.
About the only thing to do now, per-
haps, is to 20 along, make temporary
settlement, depend upon the great rank
and file of workers to keep on taking up
the slack in war plants set back IN pro-
duction, and hope for the best.
The war will be won.
There will be reckoning.