Toledo union journal. [volume] (Toledo, Ohio) 1942-current, 1946-04-26
What's
New
By
Edward Duck
Local II
Educational
Director
DANGER SIGNAL

1t is plainly evident to any
informed member of our or
ganization that the present
time finds the UAW at the
crossroads of its career. Now,
more than ever before, do in
ternal politics threaten to tear
the union asunder.
1t is understandable that r.
]. Thomas feels unhappy be-
cause of having lost the pres
idency to Walter Reuther.
1t makes sense that George
Adde's should not refuse the
votes of the many Communists
who support him, but it does
not mean that he should pro
tect" them in order to insure
a large bloc of convention
votes which they control and
which each year they deliver
to him 100 per cent.
Adde's and Thomas have adj
mitted that they willingly ac-
cept this support, but they
deny that the Communists ex-
ercise any influence over
them. When Communist Party
members and followers supply
candidates with the margin of
victory, it sounds foolish for
anyone to claim that nothing
is exacted from these candi-
dates in return for this sup
port.
KEY PLANNER
But this is not the main is
sue by far. 1t is generally
known that the key planner
in the UAW is Walter Reu-
ther. Even before his eleva-
ton to the unions presidency
it was he who authored the
progressive programs which
have been widely acclaimed
by the rank and file member
ship in the shops. His re-
sourcefulness n d initiative
have been recognized from
coast to coast by friend and
foe alike. The Thomas-Addes
clique's attitude is merely a
negative one. The purely po-
litical considerations are the
only ones an observer can see.
Reuther is for something, so
they are against it. There's
the story.
If top union leadership can
justify its position in denying
that the ability-to-pay theory
has a place in wage bargain
ing, someone ought to explain
it to the rank and file men,
bership, because they are the
people who suffer when blum
ders are made in contract ne
gotiations or in statements of
union policy Thomas and
Adde's opposed Reuther on
this point, and what is most
important, they mustered the
support of their followers who
are members of the interna-
tional executive board, there
by outvoting Reuther and his
supporters.
POLITICS VS. PRINCIPLES
Som e h ing is radically
wrong when one can name
the position that % men are
going to take on these issues
before the questions are even
discussed. The only logical
conclusion that one can draw
is that when board members
line up in the same manner
on practically each and every
issue, politics is taking pre-
cedence over principle.
Of course, the negative"
faction was smart enough to
agree not to fight about every
single thing that Reuther pro-
posed. But when they did dis
agree, they could rely upon
support from each and every
political cohort in their camp.
This business of sticking
together" in factions is all
right for political arguments,
but where the future of the
union is concerned, and where
the bread and butter of the
hangs in the bal
ance, that is something else.
The only solution now for
President Reuther and his fell
low officers who believe in
the progressive program
which they have indorsed in
the boards minority report"
is to hit the stump and ex-
plain the issues to the mem
bership in the various local
unions. Adde's and Thomas
are attempting to gain control
of the unions three channels
Of education and publicity, in
order to stynie their opposi-
ton and to prevent them from
telling their side of the story.
The United Auto Worker. the
unions national publication,
the frequency modulation ra-
dio program, and the UAW
educational department are
he outlets for dissemination
IF rank and file education on