Toledo union journal. [volume] (Toledo, Ohio) 1942-current, 1946-06-07
An Old FaIIaey


In nointinq out that increased COM
modify prices have almost completely
wiped out recent wage raises Kicharo
Gosser. UAW-CIO director, placed MS
finger accurately upon an old tallacy re-
garding wages.
There can be no doubt that the ORA,
big business, newspapers and the forces
which form public opinion, have to con-
siderable extent succeeded in convincing
large part of the public that the higher
nrices of commodities are due 10 the
higher wages granted to labor.
Director Gosser in pointing out that
wage increases always follow price sd-
vances was making an observation that
every worker in this country should know
1t was true during the war and 1t is true
TODAY, that the wages of the workers never
did balance with the price structure and
that only by long hours of overtime dur
ing the war were the wage earners aple 10
keep up with increasing prices.
OPA, big business and the newspapers
have sought to make it appear that the
price hikes have been due to increased
wages. when it is obvious that exactly the
opuOsite is the truth. Thus, when the dis
parity between wages and prices reaches
the point where the workers cannot earn
fair living, more wage demands are made
and eventually won and more price hikes
come about, again on the grounds that in
creased labor costs force the increases In
prices.
Through this upward spiral comes an
infIationary process, which, if not con-
trolIed by government eventually leads
to a breakdown in the economic chain
with a resultant downward spiral in when
wages decrease first to be followed by
prices. The upward spiral is cOrpletely
reversed and the wage earners. ii they are
fortunate enough to have jJ0s, find them
selves again handicapped in deflationary
process which leads to economic stagna-
ton, and as was the case in the last de-
preston, to near-chaos.
While millions of dollars in increased
wages have ben granted to the Auto Work
ers in Northwestern Ohio, the value OF the
inflated dollar becomes meaningless IN the
face of advances in all prices which con-
spires to rob the worker of his gains and
places III the pVo''iO" III
he found himself following vi Day when
he suffered 30 per cent loss in pay due
to reduction of working hours.
In the face of the inflationary process
which is taking place, and we are told that
this is only the beginning, there can be no
alternative for the workers except to seek
additional wages.
We all know what has occurred in the
past few months as n result of labOr's de-
mand for iustifable and necessary wage
increases. Strikes, industrial warfare, anti
labor legislation, governmental strike
breaking and bitter struggle in which
labor has been victimized by n hostile
press, a stupid administration reactionary
legislators and big business have robbed
the workers of their just demands and
turned a large section of public opinion
against all labor.
To combat the forces which have been
at work, and to a large extent succeeded
in discrediting labor, il is necessary that
the unions of the country unite themselves
in common cause against their common
enemy. They must begin now, before ii is
too late to effectively combat the forces
which have not only deprived them of
their just wages, but which have sought
and succeeded in making the American
people believe the lie that prices follow
wage