Evening star., 1946-07-23
Letters to The Star
Spokesman for Printers Union
Replies to MIR. Lawrence

I
David Lawrence in his TRADE against
Columbia Local 1ol, the Interna tionsl
Typographical Union and the labor
movement in general tstar, July 49,,
shows serious inability or unwilling
ness to understand reasons and meth
DDS of collective bargaining This is,
indeed, unfortunate because he has
access to complete Information on all
phases Of labor questions.
He must have been aware that when
| the contract proposals which he con-
demns were drawn up the temper of
Congress on OPA was known and prices
already had started the upward spiral.
Surely, Mr.. Lawrence knows that col
lective bargaining is based on give and
take, so the charge of abusing" the
collective bargaining privilege" becomes
absurd. After all, the employer does
have bargaining rights plus economic
power beyond that Of the working man,
so really he isn't so terribly abused,
If we are to judge by the greatest
profits in American history for busi-
ness during the war years
And Mr.. Lawrence must know that
of all the alleged wealth accrued by
the working man during the war, the
Bureau of Labor Statistics researches
prove that considerably over one half
OF the working population has little
or nothing in liquid assets. And this
is true with labor unions at their
highest peak of power
Why then does the union make such
extreme" demands as double pay for
overtime and triple pay for Sunday
and holiday work? Is 1t really an
attempt TO force men out of businessP
Mr." Lawrence cannot help but know
the answer: 1t Is, frankly to place q
heavy penalty on those businessmen
who cannot or will not run their plants
efnciently enough to avoid incessant
overtime. So, instead Of being an ex-
orbitsnt demand, 1t Is q challenge to
the businessman to run his business
emciently and not wear out the en-
ployes. 1t Is part Of the drive which
started years ago when the 12-hour
day was common, to enable the work
ingman to have some leisure, to live
full life instead Of becoming 4 wornout
old man at the age OF 49,
And further: Since when is paid
sick leave unres sonable? Mr.. Lawrence
grants it to most OF his employees, SO
ne can hardly condemn others for
wanting the same treatment, even for
80 days q year.
II they can be won through collective
bargaining. Is there any more honor
able or lawful way to achieve this
objective?
Finally, that demand for So an hour.
1t sounds lots worse than it Is. Frank
examination of the facts shows tha
the current rate of s153 an hour is
far below what Is necessary properly
to raise family at present living
costs. And there are thousa nds of
Government workers. whose work re,
quires far less skill and training who
receive far more. Besides, Uncle Sam
would reduce that s. appreciably. SO
the tske-home pay would be substan-
tally lower. And the cost OF living
continues upward.
1t Is almost time for men like Mr..
Lawrence, with access to all the facts
to try to understand that the Amer
Icsn standard of living can best be
maintained by genuine collective bar
gaining, even when points Of view seem
miles apart, instead OF condemning
honest effort to better those standards
UNION PRINTER.
More on Philippine Collabor.tors
To the Eoitor The Star:
Two items of counterpoint for sour
notes emanatine from our noble expert
ment in democracy, the Philippines:
Luis Taruc has met the sme fate rs
Tommy Confessor in the Philippines
Legislature Remember how Confessor,
with his unimpea chsble record, sug-
gested that he might define what col
lsborstor was: and how. rs reward
for this suggestion. the Legislature, with
record not quite so unimpea enable,
deprived him OF = chance to become
Secretary of Interior Now Tsrucs cleo
ton 'stsr, Sunday, July 40, has been
called fraudulent, and the LEGISLATURE
TO which he was elected refused to
seat him. Strange democracy, this
In Pampsnsa, Taruc. leader of the
Hukbalahap, could win any election he
entered hands down--by the simple
process of counting ballots once
Point two: A great deal of ink has
been devoted lately to assuring the
American public that President Manuel
RoXss, exonerated by Gen Macarthur
OF charges of cola bora ton with the
japanese, was not typical member of
the Laurel puppet government. there
fore not only not subject to exile to
Pslawsn but eligible to become first
president Of the Republic of the Philip
pines. During the election campaign,
l attended meeting in which speakers
from the three factions presented the
views Of their candidates and answered
questions from the floor Manuel Roxas
was represented by Congressman Fran
cisco Ramos, one of the former OBJ
struetionist clique which shackied Os-
nnena and lately one Of the group which
rejected Tsruc. Ramos was asked by
a member OF the audience: Does your
faction consider that Laurel was
collaborator?"
Such simple and perhaps foohshly
obvious question: but note Ramos an
swer: We consider that Laurel was
a collaboration, but we think that he
cola borated in the interest of the people
OF the Philippines"
That from the official representative
~ poNee Ca Avrs