Milford chronicle., 1945-10-19
SDoS

THE LABOR STU ALTON in the United
States today causes amy person with the vel
fare Of his country ut heart, to think Of its
future with Il feeling almost of fear We see
powerful labor unions calling strikes which
force hundreds Of thousands of men to be
idle. If there are 4 million men in the United
States today without work. who do not care
to JOIN unions. they will not be permitted to
take Jobs in "Struck' plants Little dicta-
tors ;lll over the United States can lawfully
prevent Il man from exercising his conStltu-
tonu right to earn 4 living, unless he Joins
and pays" for the privilege. regardless Of
his wishes ih the NATTER
Take the situation in the oil industry, for
example. The president Of the Oil Workers
international Union which has a dispute with
major oil companies has the authority to
call out nearly 30O,O0 oil workers and close
down oil production without regard to the
damage and suffering caused nation Of
133 3OOO.0OO people. The oil workers are
among the highest paid in the land. and
they work short hours. They not only claim
the right to destroy the oil industry if nee
esS;trN to enforce their Demands but they
can prevent other men who might be idle
from taking their Jobs. And they do this
under the law. How can such a condition
exist in 4 country that is supposed to have !;
dvidual freedom?
What would happen if the oil companies
should organize a union OF corporations, anC
say to the public: I'VE ale going to raise the
price of oil products 80 per cent, and we viii
hire any man, union or nOn-uniOn.' Thai
would be cOlluSlOn in restraint of trade anC
such companies would find themselves in tn,
hands Of the law. But how would that be col
luSlon any more than in the case Of labo
organizations that agree on a uniform pol
icy and price which must be met by com
paneS and the public to prevent a shut
down?
The whole situation is prepoSterous
First, because one man or Il group Of me
can tell another man or group Of men tha
they cannot work, and by right Of might ge
away with it, Second. because an unregu
lated ''international' organization can, b
colluS0n and agreement within our bOarC
crS. close an entire industry. Third, becauS
our national labor policies actually prevent
''Struck' company from hiring American cit
lzenS who might dare to 90 through tn
picket lines" Of strikers. Fourth, becaus
we consider passing full employment law
and paying unemployment compensatio
: when our national labor policy permits unre2
I ulated labor monopoeS to prevent unen
ployed men from working if they so desl
or employers from hiring them if they nee
them.
/ While maintaining this buresque on fire,
p dom IN the United States which leaves 13:
/ 100000 people at the mercy of unregulatt
: labor organizations and labor dictators, "
\ are preSumtuouS enough to think that "
4 can be 4 major influence in working out peaC
!. policies for the rest of the world, that "
guarantee liberty and opportunity for o
pressed individuals in other nations. VIII
t pattern OF freedom can we offer from o.
e own land where man hasn't the right
work without joining specified organization
# and paying for that privilege whether or n
Il he 50 desires?
+ Unless labor organizations adopt "a
i'll peal and SerVice' as their drawing card
i'll securing members and social gains. rath
is than force and coercon' they are repu,
le atlng the principles ON which they we
p founded. and destroy ING the freedom of t