Evening star., 1948-11-23
Political Education
Can Benefit Industry
As Well as Unions
Business Should Thank
AFL for Finding Leeol
Bosis for Teachings
Bv David Laurence

Bosis for Teachings
By David Laurence
It's an i'll wind that blows no
good and certainly the business
men Of the country owe the Ameri-
can Federation of Labor a vote
of thanks for having found a legal
basis for carrying on political edu-
cation throughout the country be-
tween elections.
The AFL has just announced
that its attorneys have advised
that the raising of a $750,000 fund
among its constituent unions by
assessment of members is within
the provisions of existing laws.
This is true because the money
will not be spent to advance the
candidacy Of any individuals, but
will be utilized to espouse cause.
Businessmen have been hesitant
hitherto to enter the field of politi-
cal education. Occasionally a group
has done it but there are thou
sands of trade associations which
have never tried to raise money by
assessment to carry on political
education. They have always be-
lieved that contributions by COR
porations were banned.
Lawful Fer Both Sides.
But what labor unions can do
lawfully, corporations can do also.
The Importance of political educa-
ton is not to be underestimate
merely because no specific candi-
dates or parties are Endorsed. The
business or trade association assess
ments for political education need
not be related to any ones candi-
dacy and, as a matter of fact,
would be many times more effec-
tive if not related to any political
party.
Usually between campaigns the
regular party organizations become
dormant anyhow. If there were
political-education movements be-
tween campaigns it would tend to
raise the entire level of voting in
telligence. Thus companies which
ere members of the trade associa-
tions sponsoring political-education
campaigns could distribute PAM
phlets and posters to their employees
giving comprehensive explanations
OF current issues. Inasmuch as the
campaigns would be in the names
of the political-education LEAGUES
the workers would not regard them
as the expression Of particular
unions or corporations.
What would the political educa-
ton" include? For one thing the
workers of America have been mis-
takenly led to believe that mob
violence is the right way to get
their ends. The union bosses
franklv tell them they have a
property right in a job and that.
while sit-down strikes have been
declared unlawful, it is legitimate
10 organize a mass picketing SQUAD
and physically prevent other
workers from entering a plant.
One of the main rea sons whv the
labor r-union bosses are so anxious
to repeal the Taft-Hartley Act is
that they fear it might stop the use
of violence on the picket front.
Also. the Taft-Hartlev law protects
the right of the individual to join
or not to Join union. There was
no protection in the Wagner law
against the intimida ton and coer-
cion practiced by union organizers
in forcing workers into unions
against their will. when the union
bosses get through dragooning Con-
gress into a repeal Of the Taft
Hartley Act, they hope to wipe from
the statute books next winter any
thing that interferes with the
right to commit violence on the
picket front or the right to harass
a worker in his home II he refuses
to join q union.
Extent of Rights Unknown.
But the workers do not as yet
know the full extent OF their rights.
Millions of them do not know that
the Wagner Act operated to en-
slave them and the Taft-Hartley
Act started TO emancipate them.
Political education is needed to ex-
plain these facts to millions of
workers and particularly to the
farmers of the nation who will
find the costs of things they buy
increased If the Taft Hartley Acts
provisions forbidding coercion of
workers are repealed and strikes
and work stoppages are increased.
The right to bargain collectively
is now an acknowledged right OF
the workers but the right to work
or refrain from joining a union is
equally inherent in the civil rights
Of a citizen in q democracy. The
Wagner Act did not protect the
civil rights of workers but the Taft
Hartley Act does.
The political education" cam
paigns would have to stop about
the time the nominating conyen-
tions or primary elections began
selecting candidates If it was de-
sired to champion individuals, but
there is no reason why political
education on issues cannot proceed
in behalf of unions and trade as
sociations or individual companies
throughout the next four years
without getting into personalities.
Congressional elections are two
years away and that's why the
labor unions are getting busy. Trade
associations ought to be able to
raise equal or many times the
s750,000 which the unions have an
nounced as their initial assessment
Political education would mean q
higher number of persons exercis-
ing their right to vote-which would
be an excellent thing for democracy