Toledo union journal. [volume] (Toledo, Ohio) 1942-current, 1946-09-20
What's
New?
By
Edward L
Representa-
2.B
UAW>CIO


pie seem to have forgotten
this, but the example set by
the Spicer crowd, in doing in
stead of talking, should wake
us all up.
While we gripe about pay
ing exorbitant prices for al
mosteverything we buy, par
ticularly for the things we
cannot possibly do without,
the Spicer crew has set out in
earnest to fight the thing in
the only way 1t can be effect
lively. fought.
Consumer action is some
thing we speak about in terms
that are usually too broad.
Spicer workers stated the
thing much more simply. They
said, Lets own a store of our
own" And they didn't just say
it.
They have banded together
financially, much in the man
er OF forming credit unionos,
or as all of us have done in or
ganizing our shops into unions
for collective bargaining with
our employers. It's as simple
as that.
The largest super-market in
the City of Toledo will open
before long, and 1t will
belong to the Spicer workers
and thier friends who had
the courage, and wisdom to
take the bull by the horns and
organize their finances as well
as their muscle.
Does the right Of ownership
belong to any particular
group? We guess not Free en-.
terprise is something we hear
a lot about, but if workers
don't become owners, free
enterprise doesn't interest
them much.
Wages paid to industrial
workers amount to millions of
dollars every week. If a small
portion of our wages were in
vested In the consumer CO.
OF tive movement we would
sdUR be offering competition
to the organized monopolists
who today are showing their
utter disregard for the con-
suming public.
NOT NEW
The consumer cooperative is
nothing new. You haven't
heard too much about it be-
cause the public press has
given it the silent treatment"
II $4,000 Toledo workers
and their families were to pool
a few bucks each, think of he
savings that would be made
by collective buying and elimi-
nation of the profiteering mid
dlemen, Suppose we begin
with just a few dollars in
vested, then reinvest our saw
ings for the purpose OF ex-
panding our coop. The saving
accumulated by dealing at our
own store would be tremend-
Gus, and as we grew we would
be able to buy at lower and
lower prices.
The union has failed miserably
in promoting consumer coop
eratives, The problem rests
with each shop committee, not
with the UAW Consumers Di-
vision, although guidance and
assistance from that office is
needed,
LEADERS
No one had to prod the
Spicer people. They led the
way and their organization,
known as Toledo Consumers
Cooperative No. ?, will be a
model for other shops 10 fol
low. There is no reason why
Auto-Lite, WHY'S Overland,
Champion, and others cannot
do what Spicer has done. All
that is needed is a handful of
progressive boys and girls to
promote the organization i'm
each shop II is not even neces-
sary to form new branches. In
fact, It might be best to Join
the Spicer branch or the No.
| coop, located on Detroit
Avenue near Delaware.
The coop is at least as inn
portant as the union itself.
What good is there in raising
your wages il prices raise
.hree times as much as the
amount you gained in wages?
Viii the picket line keep
prices down? Is the consumer
'trike 1909 effective? You
Snow the answer. We cannot
'eat organized monopoly ex-
.ept by competiong against it.
Political action helps, but 1t is
lot a lasting solution. Politics
hange, and we can lose to-
morrow what we have gained
yesterday.
In future articles I intend
o elaborate on the coop
movement until those who
hould promote the thing be-
I'm to do so. And when the
mass meeting is held in Civic