Toledo union journal. [volume] (Toledo, Ohio) 1942-current, 1948-06-04
What's
New?
By
EdVdrd ].
Duck,

The UAW-CIO has demon
strated in its recent double
triumph at General Motors
and Chrysler that its members
would gain a total increase of
one million dollars per day
from this years wage negotia-
tions.
This fact alone is sufficient
answer to the ignoramus who,
wi hen he becomes peeved
about something, wants to
know what the union has
done for him.
On the wage front we have
done admirably. We have yet
to negotiate an adequate So
cial security program, and i'm
proved vacation plan, and a
guaranteed wage, if not an
nually, at least a weekly
guarantee. Well do it, how
ever, and on that we may
relyl
The price problem now be-
comes greater problem than
ever. We have achieved
worthwhile wage increases in
two of the industry's "big
three" manufacturing plants.
We must make those increases
mean something besides paper
increases. The raises must
mean something in terms of
real wages, that is, purchasing
power.
Our union, as President
Reuther pointed out in his
radio debate with Senator
Taft recently, has no desire
to advance "at the expense of
the community. We want to
advance with the commun-
ity". If our wage increases
were to mean corresponding
price increases we would be
doing a distinct disserVice to
society by negotiating the
raises.
What we must do, for the
welfare of our own families
and the thirty million Ameri-
can families who are faced
with inflationary prices, is to
concentrate on bringing down
the cost of living. We must re-
store the real value of the dol
lar. Paper raises are not suffi-
cient. Permanent prosperity
and security will hardly be
achieved by accident. We
ust replace conversation
with work, wishful thinking
with doing.
We must not forget that
while we are workers, we are
a lso consumers, taxpayers,
citizens and voters. 1t is en-
tirely possible to win on one
front and lose a great deal
more on another. We must
fight on all fronts.
Would it make sense to cut
off a mans hands, then hire
him as your personal body
guard? This is what our rep
resentatives in government
are doing, and this is what the
monopolists and other big
business people are doing.
Every program that would
have been beneficial to the
American people has been
sabotaged in one way or an
other. Yet those who are re-
sponsible for this are pleading
with all of us to fight the
demon Communism.
There is no greater weapon
against communism than a
program for the people. A
real housing program, a fairer
system of taxation, a humane
social security program, and
laws to preserve democracy
Instead of to destroy it, are
exactly what is needed to
guard against communism.
The American people are just
odd enough that they like to
Ieel they are fighting their
own battle, not someone else's.
While we have a right to
expect our legislators to do
what is proper, we will do
we'll to remember that as in
iividual participants in the
struggle for prosperity and
security our own hands are
lot tied. Most of us generally
ike to do little thinking and
lcting on our own, and there
,ould be no better time for do
ng it.
If we are to gain per-
nanently through the wage
Increases we are obtaining,
We must organize as con-
umers, thereby effecting saw
ngS at three distinct stages
# the game, namely the store
counter, the processing stage,
md at the manufacturing end.
Unless more of the people
become owners, and quickly,
'ur wage gains will be wiped
'ut, our economy will "faw
Down and go BOOM, and