Toledo union journal. [volume] (Toledo, Ohio) 1942-current, 1946-03-01
Political
Action
by
Clayton
Rusch
Chairman
of the

AS pointed out in last
weeks column the program
of the CIO-PAC stated briefly
is simply short enough hours
that everyone can have a job
and high enough wages to live
decently.
The unions as such can ac-
complish a lot in this direc-
ton, but full employment can
only be secured through pass
age of social legislation.
The CIO Political Action
Committee is the political or
ganization which endeavors to
have enacted into law the le-
gislative program of the CIO.
This program can only be en-
acted into law If we succeed
in electing progressive people.
In order for the Lucas
County CIO-PAC to play an
important part in public cleo
tions it is necessary that we
have a large and active men,
bership.
It is the responsibility of
the Lucas County CIO-PAC to
send representatives to the
various shop meetings to urge
members to join and be-
come active in PAC. Very few
people will be unwilling to
pay dollar year to belong to
PAC if they understand that
only through passage of social
legislation can we ever secure
full employment and world
peace.
Public politics represents
the clash of interest between
the workers of shop and farm
and the employer class
POLITICS
There is another kind of
politics which can interfere
with the success of this pro-
gram. That Is shop politics
which represents difference of
opinion on which particular
people can best serve the
union as officers. Shop politics
Is inevitable where officers
are elec tie d and demon
strates the democracy of our
Union. However, if we are to
be successful in the game OF
public Politics, shop politics =
must be subordinated to it.
In the great task of assuring
the election of the peoples
candidates, the workers must
all stand together and the
CIO must set the example.
We must set 1t by shelving
our inner union differences
when dealing with a legisla-
tive issue.
l want to appeal to all shop
chairmen to forget shop poll
tics when a PAC represent
ative comes to a shop meeting
to talk to the members.
assure one and all that
PAC representatives have not
and will not interject them
selves in shop politics. Our
purpose is rather to urge the
members to interject them
selves in public politics.
COOPERATION
The vast majority of shops
are cooperating one hundred
per cent in this program. l
wish to assure the tiny minor
ity who are reluctant to allow
PAC representatives to speak
at their meetings that they
have no need for such caution.
l am reminded of the play
"In Old Chicago" In this play
the O'Learys fought like the
they were, but let
an outsider attack an OLeary
and it was "the O'Learys
against the world" The o.
Learys have a lesson to teach
us and we had better learn it
Or else give up the ship.
That lesson is that in the
game of public politics we
must forget shop politics and
stand together. We are being
attacked by the en-
oloyer class from all sides.
We cannot afford to allow dis
unity to sabotage our chances
'or success.
In line with our policy of
Ieeping out of shop politics
am not naming the very few
shops who have not been CO.
operative in giving PAC re-
oreSentatives an opportunity
o speak at their meetings.. The
individuals know
Who they are and I hope they
will be more willing to CO.
operate in the future.
If we can just get the active
lnion people to give the same
mount of attention to public
as they do to shop
politics our struggle will be
Won and an unemployed or