The Wilmington morning star., 1945-12-21
Fair Enough
Bv wEsTBROOK PEGLER
downright, 1915 BY King Features Syndicate)

have written to ask me whether believe thew
ought to Join unions. But the question, in some
cases is not SHOULD I?'' But "can I?'' be-
cause some unions are job-trusts which re-
fuse to tske in new members. One young man
reported that he found this out, to his atonish-
ment and rage, when he was offered very
nice job in Hollywood movie studio by an
old friend who knew his ability. He was happy
in the prospect until the union refused to give
him a card and, of course, P. ST. he didn't
get the job -
AS to whether they should or should not
ioin, who can mike a flat answer?
If were E, fiddler I would want a union
to make the employers in the amusement and
saloon business, VIGOROUSLY tricky and ire
sponsible, pay me decent scale and really
pay. But the only union that could do that
for me is Jimmy Petrillo's and I wouldn't
want to contribute to the price of a $50, 900
mansion for Jimmy as his 'boys' back in
Chicago had to, or pay any share of a $50, 900
ransom to get him back from snatch In
salaries and expenses, amounting in all to
about $50, 900 a year, Jimmy should be able
to solve his own housing problem and the ran
som would strike me as personal expense. Pos
sblv the union should carry snatch-insur-
ance on q man in such an exposed position
but if that were done and the fact became
ktlOWll, tAlC WI oJ PASoAAA' ~ WI wv
ed every weekend
of a man operating under a constitution which
permits him to suspend the whole thing at
will and rule by ear, to fine me $500 for
nothing and to levy a sales tax on the general
public with vague intims ton that in some
sweet bye and bye I might get few cents
as an unemployment DOLE but with no prom
Use to that effect.
Still, for protection against GYP employers,
would like to have a card and, moreover,
as to most opportunities, I couldn't get job
in the first place without a card, and I do
want to eat.
So guess I'd join the union and become
just another faceless subject of the tyrant.
Mrs. Eleanor Roosevelt sometimes says the
thing to do is join and work within the union
for reform. AS often as she says that I Won
der whether she can possible be that ignorant
or is deliberately taking. don't see how any
one who has been around IS much as she has
and knows as many professional unioneers as
has Chinaman's chance in oppo-
sition to such a boss as Petrillo, or her great
friend, old Dan Tobin, the president Of the
tesmsters.
There was an example Of that in Boston
when two real, working truck-drivers appeared
before committee Of the state legislature to
endorse bill that would have compelled I'M
ions to account publicly for their money. This
wasn't a proposal to limit their collections or
restrict the uses of the money such as man.
sions for the union executives. state dinners
in their honor testimonial watches and politi-
cal campaigns. Accountability was all the bill
And yet, because these two work.
ing men exercised a right Of every American
l.. TO-
committee, they were suspended and so. Of
course, lost their jobs.
All right they stuck their necks out to work
for reform within the union as Mrs. R. pro-
posed but if this lady ever said {. word in de-
tense Of their rights the fact is a secret from
me.
Some publicists who disagree with me, in
Guiding several members of the Catholic cler-
gy, have deplored the fact that I rarely see
anything good in unions. I plead guilty be-
cause the bad simply overwhelms the good.
Our union movement could be a public bene-
fit under certain laws affirming the human
and civic rights of our people but only few
states have such laws and the federal laws
and administration almost always prevail and
they are all lop-sided and rugged to impair
the rights not only of employers but of the in
dividual members. Everything that, by any
distortion or flagrantly dishonest construction,
can be identified as interstate commerce in
labor relations cbmes under the federal law
In this process itsShas even been decided that
an elevator man in building in New York
is employed in interstate commerce because
some tenant of the building mailed letter
to firm in Jersey. -.
AS I see it, the veterans are tricked, trapped
and helpless. They are dealing by and large
with school of the most cunning shysters
that the nation has ever known, men with
fascist souls, selfish, jealous, clamorous and
horribly dishonest and the rapacty and bad
ness of the executive group Of unionism, in
the present lack of restrictive laws and regu-
lations, simply precludes hope.
In demanding the closed shop they argue
that there should be no free-riders to enjoy
the wages and other benefits of unionism with
out paying dues and performing the duties OF
membership. They never mention union para
sites who loaf, ruin material and hold their
jobs and draw their pay at. the expense Of
decent, efficient workers who then have to
walk out and lay off on strike for weeks be-
cause some contemplate bum has been fired
for good cause.
I can't see how any honest man can report
otherwise to the veterans. They may be de-
ceived by the unioneers who are working on
them now to convince them that the stories
of strikes, loafing and disgraceful waste under
unionism in the war industries were all pack
of lies. Unfortunately, they will learn later
but, even then, IS far as can see, they will
have fo submit and take if