Montana labor news., 1946-02-07
1000 VETS MARCH
ON WESTERN
UNION PlCKETLINE

| .Nu strong veterans Of the Battle ut
the Bulge and the Solomons. soldiers
and sailors, paratroopcrs, NAOs and
men from tanks. air corps and mcr-
chant marine marched ON the Western
Union picket line Jan. 1h-and held
men.
We Fought a War. We Must Fight
Now Tor Decent Wages. Go Veterans
Support AGA Western Union Strikers
in Their Wage Fight. Veterans Are
Workers Too, said picket signs carried
on shoulders that not 50 long ago car
ricd guns that defeated the hordcs OF
Hitler and TOTO.
Now they marched side by side with
American Communications association
(ClO) strikers in the greatest demon
stration OF workcr-veicran solidarity
seen in the nation.
1t was also a test OF a veterans right
to picket in uniform. a week before
a Navy shore patrol pulled all cx-
sailor out Of A picket line A, the West
inpholise plant III Newark, y. J., be-
cause he wore a sailors hat and trous-
crs. Then Army military police pulled
several cx-soldicrs out Of a veterans
against-discrimination line at the New
York Daily News building and had
them questioned by the l'HI.
Later the Third Naval district SAID
pickcts wearing all or part OF navy
uniforms would be questioned by shore
patrol and turned oNcr to the FIJI. But
dcscpite the ediot OF their brass vets
from Go unions all over the city
marched III Uniform on the w. l.. pick
Ct line, their parade headed By a color
guard OF soldiers and sailors, Il buck
sergeant. an army MAJOR, a WAC and
an AR corps lieutenant, carrying an
American flag and followed by squad
after squad OF vets with picket signs.
As they joined w. 4. strikers al
ready III line. paratroopcrs' boots KEEP,
steps with pumps OF women operators
khaki jackets decorated with ribbon.
and decorations from every theater o
war were alongside the drab olive o
W. Z. messengers jackets and women.
shabby winter coats. And on the mer
not in uniform gold discharge buttons
outgleaned the badges on the cops lin
ing the curb.
Down with .stormtroopcrs,' vets
shouted as police rode up on horseback
and stopped the e. /. delegation al the
street corner, hcmming the line in a,
the main entrance Of the building in
stead OF letting 1t march all around the
block as had been planned. But after
\. {. a President Joseph Sicily called
a delegation OF 10 veterans TO the sound
truck to confer with a police inspector,
the line was allowed to march all
around the building for Is minutes.
ne veterans sang as they marched
lon can't scare us. we're sticking to
the union and The union is our lead
cr, we shall not be moved And The
workers and veterans sang together
Solidarity Forever" Few scabs dared
sho" ihcir races and those who did
heard a good selection OF words &. IL
have for skunks.
Two days later as the strike entered
ITS fourth week a picket line Of 5000
W. Z. workers and delegates iron 40
Go unions blockaded the building.
keeping some 400 scabs shutting in the
cold on an opposite corner for one and
a halt hours until tho union decided 10
let them enter the building two at a
time. \ brief scuiile de,clopcd when
policc tired 10 arrest Leon Strauss.
leader Of the Fur Floor Roys union.
who was on the line IN army uniform.
Nhott ~ lurricrs came to lns rescue.
fought oil the cops and ,mueelca
strauss hA51 - the Tckct lire.
= spakcs4lan tor AZ a. sad IAN
a that q fedcral en# iliaior. Who iaa
fcioricdl affned from Washington Ia
a~t'ti.f . settlement "a TIE di%pnic
Niieh las tel Hp.til nire etas
H n ani from tht .#d ue,
aten a TOUCH Nf} tic un