Toledo union journal. [volume] (Toledo, Ohio) 1942-current, 1945-04-06
The
Beam

solved.
Eric Johnston, Bill Green
and Phil Murray have put
their noodles together to cook
up a new charter" for labor
and industry.
Under this charter" a bet
ter life will be built on the
basis of the following prin-
ciples:
THE rights of private prop
erty. under a system of pri-
vate competitive capitalism.
must continue to be the foun-
dation of our nations peace
full and prosperous expanding
economy.
"The inherent right and re-
sponsibility of management to
direct the operations of an
enterprise shall be recognized
and preserved; management
must be free as well from un-
necessary governmental inter-
ference or burdensome re-
strictions.
COLLECTIVE
BARGAINING
"The fundamental rights of
labor to organize and to en-
gage in collective bargaining
with management shall be
recognized and preserved. -.
"An expanding economy at
home will be stimulated by a
vastly incre a sc d foreign
tra de-"
/ rise to express a vigorous
dissent from the policies ex-
presse in this so-called
charter"
President Murray and other
CIO leaders may mean well
by lending themselves to the
formulation of this charter"
but as a dues-paying member
of the CIO, l reserve the dem
ocratic right to criticize the
labor statesmen who have be-
come parties to this agree
ment with the Chamber of
Commerce.
The rank and file of labor
should have exercised their
right to discuss this thing be-
fore 1t was agreed to, but
since there were no chances
to engage in such preliminary
discussions, the best we can
do is to take the thing apart
now.
FOUGHT FOR RIGHTS
In the first place, the Cham
Der of Commerce Is not giving
labor anything when 1t agrees
that we have the right to or
ganize and bargain collective
ly. We fought for this right and
won it, over the combined OPP
position of the Chamber of
Commerce, the National Asso-
citation of Manufacturers,
flocks of reactionary politi-
clans and most OF the daily
press.
So, now that the right to or
ganize and bargain collective
ly Is secured by the Wagner
Act and the contracts that
have been negotiated and
placed in effect-the Chamber
of Commerce very kindly
says: We recognize this right.
So Eric Johnston very
charitably gives us something
that we already have.
COMPETITIVE CAPITALISM
Secondly, refuse to accept
the theory that a System of
private competitive capital
ism" Is the one and only eco
nomic arrangement that will
guarantee prosperity and de-
mocracy in America.
The organized capitalists of
this country talk much about
competitive capitalism, but
they do not practice it. Mon
opoly capitalism more nearly
describes the system that Eric
Johnston has persuaded Green
and Murray to agree to per-
petuate.
And monopoly capitalism is
the force that gives Fascism
its power. When the mon-
opoly capitalists move into
government, and use 1t to pro-
tect their profits, privileges
and power, the result is Fas-
cism.
AS an ardent believer in the
cooperative movement, ! re-
ject private capitalism as a
cure for the worlds ailments.
The brave new world that !
want to build Is one In which
capitalists will be relieved of
their power to get fat and
sassy on the profits they make
out of other peoples sweat
and labor.
Unlike the Daily Worker, ]
still believe, that If labor is
talked into acting the role
of the lamb who laid down
with the lion, II will be COB
bled up by the Chamber OF
Commerce.
"The trade-union movement
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