Toledo union journal. [volume] (Toledo, Ohio) 1942-current, 1948-03-05
It's News
To Me
By O. J. Pecord

Three thousand workers (count em)
They had their union leaders talk to
which had of their collective bar
gaining negotiations for higher and better working
conditions.
buzz blurred the hall Smoke
hung heavy the air hundreds pufed nervousy and in
tensely upon cigarettes
Finally, chairman approached the rostrum looked
around the and raped for order
Slowly into deep silence as the chair
cleared his voice and began to talk
Fellow workers." he "you know why we re here
You know the efforts have made settle
with the management You know the companys position in
refusing to give us more adjusting of the gev
which have existed for long time You know that
have the desire strike could
satisfactory agreement with the company.
To-day is the day which set the deadne The hour
has come and gone that we gave the company to give
We have received refusal the
action which we must take is clear"
STRIKE
Out of the meeting strike Men manned the picket
lines although the weather bitter cold Day day
they marched before the compnys plant Hot hot coffee
and hot dogs quick sandwich Worry
groceries Grocery orders from the Local union coming
in from other unions And their spirits remained high.
Some of the strikers wives had babies opera
tons lot of the worked in the Locals kitchen
pairing hot food for their They They
stood side by side with their because they that
dared not lose their strike.
Days passed into weeks into several months
management showed signs of becoming willing with
the union Despite this another 80 days before the
men signed and the their jobs in the
plant
CONVERSATION
For days after they returned principal subject
of conversation among the their strike They
proud of themselves of their union
that they had not lost their strike They
ful unity their courage their doggd determination to win
in the face of cold weather loss of things
that with work stoppage.
They remembered how they had sung their union songs
the picket lines and the words and tune of Solidarity For
ever through their minds Solidarity forever solidarity
forever, for the union makes strong"
Then election day.
Jim and Joe Frank and Harry, zgmnd and casimir and
all the other fellows of extracons
German Irish and Lithuanian English Swede good
citizens ALL entitled to vote Three votes
the polls. Only 1900 remembered.
Only 1900 remembered that there a connection be-
tween the things for which they had worked and sacrificed and
suffered in the bitter cold during their strike
THE CONNECTION
Only 1900 recognized the between the bargain
ing table and the public officials write the laws in the
Congress of the United States and the legislature their
state
Only 1900 voted 1900 votes only 1900 voted
they advised to vote by their officials other
800 had friends relatives friend friends party
seemed more important TO them than cand
dates who were pledged to vote for legislation which would
benefit all the people
And the day after election, the newspaper headlines
screamed Labor Fails To Elect It's Candidates."
leaders and wise workers shook their muttered
have failed again"
1t did not take Congress state legislatures long
to show the workers that the which they had been
given by their leaders not the aarms magnings of
feverish minds, but actual
occurring.
less than months repressive antiabor laws were
passed which hamstrung the unions threw a
of egaSc enangements which lawyers could
agree upon and put them in position be sued and actually
destroyed by legal means
Until labor becomes well organized and united the
ballot box 1t the bargaining picket
line will remain the victim of the Tafts the Hartleys
others of their k whose greatest ambition in life is weaken
and then destroy the greatest force that
cracy and fascsm or communism.
MORAL The ballot box necessary as collective
gaining and the picket line and lot comfortable