Toledo union journal. [volume] (Toledo, Ohio) 1942-current, 1946-06-28
Regional
Views
By Richard Gosser
Director Region 2B, UAW>ClO
UNITY

TOWARD UNITY
When the Auto Workers conference at
Cedar Point last week voted to accept the in
vitation of the Toledo Area Railroad Brother
hood take part in joint Labor Day Parade,
it was step in the right direction.
Again, when the conference delegates
voted unanimously approving resolution call
ing for national conference of CIO, AFL and
Railroad unions to unite for political action it
showed how labor is thinking
While labor unity is not just around the
corner the action taken last week shows the
trend of labor and proves more than anything
that has occurred in long time that the in
terest of labor eventually will find the work.
ers united at least for action along political
lines.
Efforts of big business in making of all
the forms of public communication, newSpa-
per- radio and paid propaganda in making it
appear that the epidemic of strikes from which
the country is at the present time nearly free,
were caused by irresponsible leaders of the
labor unions, and the anti-labor legislation OF
Congress have driven labor closer together.
AWAKENING
No labor leader would be worth his salt
if he did not recognize the connection between
: the efforts of big business on one hand and the
legislative activities of a large group of con-
gressmen the other. And the rank and file
are equally awake to the meaning of what has
been taking place IN JnlS country Since the emu
of the war with Japan.
Sooner or later, and hope it will be soon,
something is going to occur to help the varl-
Gus labor jurisdictions solidify their positions
When this happens and only then, can we be
certain that labor is ready to join forces with
each other and to make common cause with
the farmers, small businessmen and others
whose welfare and economic position is de-
pendent upon labor.
What is taking place now-the efforts OF
big business to eliminate price control, the
willingness of Congress to weaken OPA and
practically kill all efforts to hold the line on
prices resistance of business to meet the in
creased cost of living with increased wages
damaging propa ganda against labor unions--Is
slowly but surely leading labor to an awaken
ing and helping it discover that without unity
it is going nowhere
VALUABLE
For many years, the labor unions have
been trying without any marked success to
educate the workers to their ecoomic interest
and show them the meaning of what big busl-
ness and Congress was trying to do to them.
II the pressure which has been placed
upon the labor unions for many months, dur
ing the war and since has no other value, 1t
is valuable for the education it is giving the
workers, and judging from the reaction shown
by the UAW-CIO regional conference, the
rank and file is learning fast.
Once labor learns that it can control the
situation from the political angle, once the or
ganizational lines are wiped out in the inter-
est of economic lines and we fight with equal
unity on both the economic and political fronts,
labor will have come of age and take the place
which it must take before 1t can ahleVe ltS
more advanced goals.
Our goal may still be long way in the dis
tance, but it is plain that progress is slowly
being made.