Montana labor news., 1946-04-04
(Radio Address Made by Ray Leo
Friends and Fellow Workers:

\ANa0tO A0NN ~ A~
Friends and Fellow Workers:
First Of all, l wan to thank Mr..
Claxton and the network stations for
making their facilities available to me
this evening. The topic shall speak
on tonight is: Labor Struggles and
the Need for Political Action Nat
urally, during the course of my remarks
it will be necessary to deal with some
phases OF the impending strike action
of the miners and smeltermen in Mon
tana. So that no misunderstanding
viii arise l wish at the outset to make
it plain that | do not speak officially
for any of the labor organizations with
which | am or have been associated,
but merely as an individual, a rank
and-file miner who has definite con-
~victions about the things | have to say.
The struggle Of the Butte miners and
the Anaconda and Great Falls smelter-
men is part and parcel Of one Of the
broadest wage movements in American
history involving many industries
steel, oil, auto, lumber, coal, machine
building, printing, radio-electric, and,
of course, metal mining. At one point
the number of workers involved in
strike actions reached two million.
This huge wage movement is not a
red plot Matched in Moscow as the ed
itors of the local company-controlled
press would have you believe. Its true
causes are plain for all to see. Its
basis is the organized resistance OF
workers in the c. l. O., A. F. of l.,
and independent unions to the general
assault on wages and fundamental
workers rights carried on by industry
since the end Of the war.
During the war the workers wages
Jagged far behind the rise in living
costs. Under the Little Steel for
mula,. basic wage rates were allowed to
increase not more than IS per cent
above the rates in effect on January !,
194l. Actually the cost Of living had
risen during this period about 50 per
cent, leaving the workers holding the
bag with an indirect IS per cent wage
cut. On top Of this, at the close OF the
war, overtime pay was largely elimi-
mated. Many workers were reclassified
to lower-paid jobs or fired outright
Pay rates were down graded and. in
general, weekly pay checks showed
from 20 to 80 per cent less earnings.
At the same time that all these direct
and indirect wage cuts we're being
handed out to workers, the big indus
t~rialists themselves we're INDUCING in
an orgy Of profit-grabbing. Their
wartime profits, after paying taxes
actually averaged three times higher
than the prewar year 1889.
Certainly you must agree that any
labor organization that would not re-
act swiftly and decisively to such a
state Of affairs is o worthy of the
name. Fortunately for we American
workers, the labor movement, with the
c. /. O. in the forefront, is acting de-
c~isively to hold the line against this
drive on our living standards.
OF course, it is impossible to de-
scribe the overall picture Of the strike
situation in 10 or Is minutes. Wher
all the facts are put together, we see
that labor's wage demands are not fol
an increase" but instead are for .
Restoration" Of lost earnings and los'
purchasing power. We see that labor
is defending itself against a long range
plan Of the employers to cripple ane
smash its organizations. We see that
labor is fighting against price increase:
that would rob it Of any gains made II
wage struggles. VIZ see that labor j!
threatened by reactionary congressman
with a whole series OF repressive legls'
lation that is designed to steal away it
legal rights and place it in handouts.
This is only part Of the picture tina
has brought disturbance into million
of w~orking-class homes. Shattered be
fore the workers eyes is the hope TO
a better postwar America. A Who'll
series OF progressive legislation spon
sored by the late President Roosevelt
for the benefit Of workers and small
income people has been either amascu
lated or killed in Congress. The mos
important of this projected lcgislatio
was: the full employment bill, the s.
for 26 weeks jbless insurance bill, tn
65-cent minimum wage bill, the bi
for fair employment practice and tn
vast federal housing program. An
along with these went the legislatio
creating a Missouri Valley Authorit
that is so important to Montana peopl
When President Truman took tn
reins, the dictionary Republicans an
Tory Democrats in Congress wei
quick to scuttle this program and sta'
clamoring for anti-labor and ant
strike legislation.
Briefly, these are some Of the reaso,
why the worker feels disappointment c
all sides, and. is rapidly losing conf
dence in the Truman administratio
1t is the reason why he is all the mo-
determined and aggressive on the que
ton of wages. 1t explains, in pal
why at least four. million workers a