Toledo union journal. [volume] (Toledo, Ohio) 1942-current, 1945-12-07
Murray Moves

Failure of the Washington Labor-Man-
agement conference; magnificatiOn OF
strikes in the daily press; anti-labOr legis-
Iation in the overloaded hopper in the
nations capital plus the tendency of Presl-
dent Truman to become a Democratic
Coolidge has finally led to a break be-
tween CIO President Philip Murray and
the White House.
1t must have been obvious to the Presi-
dent when he called the LabOr-Manage-
ment Conference that without govern
mental aid and guidance that the meet
ing would end with but few accomplish
ments. Despite this knowledge, the meet
ing got under way with the none.toO-
subtle inference from Mr.. Truman that
unless labor and management settled
their own difference some action would
be forthcoming.
With the conference ended and no
major gain accomplished, the President
has grasped upon the General Motors
strike and the threatened steel strike to
set up "fact finding commission" which,
while it may sound innocent cannot be as
harmless as il appears on the surface.
Thus the President who has been eau
tiously but surely moving over on the side
of big business, takes another step which
places him in the corner of the industrial
lists who reaped the greatest profits in
their history during the war and who now
wish to continue TO go on with the har-
vest, this time aided by the administra-
tive and legislative branches of the gov
ernment
Under these circumstances, President
Murray, who is calm and mild man has
revolted. Surely, il the president of CIO
who has never been considered an aggres-
sive man has seen fit to express some
blunt statements against the administra-
ton, he must be entirely justified by what
he knows is occurring on the Washington
scene.
And Congress is not unprepared for
the job that apparently is TO be attempted
on labor. Dozens of vicious anti.labOr
bills calculated to weaken and destroy the
effectiveness of labor unions are ready.
Bills which would even commit the gov
ernment 10 denying labor unions the right
TO political action and emulate the ex-
ample of Herr Hitler are prepared and
will be submitted to Congress.
The great war which we fought to de-
fend democracy and liberty in other
countries has in less than three months
come to nought. We destroy Fascism and
intolerance throughout the world and be-
come infected ourselves with its virus.
And in the face of the situation which
exists throughout the country where mil
lions of unemployed are minimized and
100000 strikers magnificd; where labor
is being intimidated by the administra-
tive branches of governments where EN-
ployerS are not mentioned or are even
overlooked; where corporations draw ben
efits for two years as a premium on their
own strikes against the whole people, la
Dor is being made ready for the attack of
those who control the ecOnOmc Setup of
the country.
We have won the war and are losing
the peace. We have destroyed faSciSm
abroad and now find ourselves fighting it
at home. We have found full employ
ment in war and unemployment in peace.
Labor has no choice but 10 fight for
justice and the principles upon which all
human progress is based. Let the fight
come out in the open and those who are
the enemies of labor plainly show their
hand.