Arizona sun., 1946-10-04
Both Labor and the Public
Respect Veterans Picket
Lines At Palmer Plants

Not only members of organized
labor but representatives of other
business and industry are respect
ing veterans picket lines at the
Palmer Manufacturing Company,
Seventh Avenue and Jefferson,
Phoenix, according to reparts COM
ing in to the Phoenix Central La
Dor Council from the veterans
themselves.
The Palmer plant is engaged
principally in the manufacture of
evaporative coolers, but it does
other types of metal work, as well,
including repair of automotive
radiators, and the boycott spread
to that branch as we'll as to other
sections of the plant. Employees of
automobile repair shops, carrying
faulty radiators, when they see the
picket lines, are backing off and
turning away, the veterans say.
Veteran trainees under the CT
bill of rights walked out of the
Palmer plant ten days ago after
the management refused either to
give them the training to which
they were are entitled or to pay
them living wage. At the height
of the dispute, Oscar Palmer, head
of the establishment left town to
attend a meeting of the National
Manufacturers Association in the
East.
The strike of the veterans at the
Palmer company has the whole
hearted support of the Phoenix
Building Trades Council and the
Phoenix Central Labor Council.
The secretary-treasurer of the Ari-
zona State Federation of Labor
was authorized by these organiza-
tions last week to request all men,
berS of the American Federation
of Labor to respect the veterans
picket lines.
Union officials point to the sit
uation at the Palmer plant as a
good illustration of what would
happen to labor if the rattlesnake
"right-to-work" amendment to the
State constitution were adopted by
the people at the general election
this fall. The veterans at the
Palmer factory have the fright to
work" It is guaranteed them by
the federal constitution and by di-
rect legislation, as well. But in an
"open" shop like the Palmer plant,
the fright to work., without union
support, becomes merely the right
to starve.
While Oscar Palmer journeys to
a meeting of the National Manu-
featuring Association - perhaps to
learn new means of crucifying Ia
Dor - the veterans for whom he
contracted with the federal gov
ernment to give technical training
are picketing his place because
they not only did not get the
training to which they are entitled
under the law, but he put them to
work doing janitor's work and re-
fused to pay them enough wages
on which to live.
If the Palmer plant had been
organized, with union plant
agreement, officials point out, it
would have been a simple matter
for the unions to step sin and see
that the veterans got their just
dues. There would have been no
dissension, no suspension of busi-
ness and no picket lines.
AS it is, the Palmer situation is
similar to what would exist if the
m s n a m "right-to-work" bill
were passed. In that event, every
employe, like the veterans at Pal
mer's, would be ION his own" If
the veterans at Palmer's win their
fight for their rights, it will be
only with the assistance which the
labor unions under the circum-
stances are able to give them thru
boycott action. Lacking a closed
shop contract, they can have no
al