Toledo union journal. [volume] (Toledo, Ohio) 1942-current, 1945-01-05
w ard
Continued from Page One

opI lIlSLlClN, 1A1AilO1os "iiSAS bAAS
Hummer Manufacturing Com
pany, a Montgomery Ward divi-
sion, has been operated by the
War Department since last May.
For more than a year." the
President continued "the COM
pany has refused to accept deci-
sions involving workers in 10 of
its retail stores. Four of these
stores are in the Detroit area
the very heart of war produc-
ton from the viewpoint of urg-
ency. A strike is in progress in
these four stores, and stries are
threatened in other cities where
the company's stores are locat-
ed. There is a distinct threat
that workers in some of our most
critical war plants may join the
strike in support of the Mont
gomery Ward employees if the
government fails to act. We are
not going to let this happen.
1--WE cannot allow Montgom-
cry Ward and Co." said the
President in conclusion to set
aside the wartime policies of the
United States Government just
because Mr.. Sewell Avery does
not approve Of the governments S
procedure for handling labor
disputes. Montgomery Ward and
Co, like every other corporation
and every labor union in this
country has a responsibility to
our fighting men. That respon-
sibility is to see that nothing in
terferes with the continuity of
our war production. 1t is be-
cause Montgomery Ward and
Co. has failed to assume this
obligation that l have been fore
ed to sign an Executive Order
directing the Secretary of War
to take over and operate certain
properties of Montgomery Ward
and Co"
Avery Injects HumOr
The one element of humor
was ironically injected by Ave-
ry, who, eight months ago, was
carried out of his office by two
soldiers when the government
for the first time seized Ward S
Chicago offices. Avery declared
that Wards cannot in good
citizenship accept or obey the
governments orders.
Wards workers won several
major points as soon as the Ar
my took over, including main
tenance of membership, check
off, seniority and arbitration. In
addition, President Samuel VOL
chok, of the URWDSEA estimat-
ed that more than 81 100000 is
due to Ward workers in back
pay under the WLB directive.
Matching the vigor of FDRs
statement, WLB Chairman Da-
Wis told President Roosevelt
that Montgomery Ward and
Co. has so flagrantly, so repeat
edly and over so long a period
refused TO settle its labor dis
putes in the peaceful manner
established in the national no
strike no-lockout agreement that
the company stands in the eyes
of labor as the symbol of oppo-
sition to the fundamental clause
of that agreement which pro-
vides that all labor disputes in
wartime will be decided by the
National War Labor Board" "
Davis told the President cal
ready the presidents of more
than 200 local unions in Detroit
have pledged the full support of
their organizations to the strike.
This is an ominous sign in a
city where workers have been
averse to aiding each other's
struggles and where a referend-
UNI ballot on the continuance of
the no-strie pledge is shortly to
be conducted among all mem
bers of the United Automobile
Worers-CIO, who are nearly all
engaged in war production. "
Labor's enthusiasm for the
Presidents action is tempered
only by the fact that the govern
ment will not take over Ward s
profits during the period of seiz-
ure, as recommended by Walter
Reuther, UAW-CIO vice presi-