Toledo union journal. [volume] (Toledo, Ohio) 1942-current, 1948-07-02
Women's News And Views
BY ODESSA OVERY
Secretary Women's Bureau Region 2-B

think that will deviate from my regu-
lar column, and bring to the women of Auto
Lite the facts concerning the National Agree
ment, while it is still so fresh jim my mind.
The meeting that was held at the Civic
Auditorium was so devasting that, it just
doesn't seem possible the people of Auto-Lite
can't see through the dirty politics and ar
bitrations that were carried on during the
course of the meeting to conflict the minds
of the people, so they wouldn't know what they
are voting on.
do know that the biggest share of the
women at Auto-Lite are pretty intelligent and
that by voting the way the vote went at this
meeting, that we are only choping our own
heads Off The national agreement is nothing
more than to advance our security. 1t gives
us the privilege to, at any time, If we
desire, pick up our belongings and take our
seniority with us to any of the other Auto
Lite plants.
This clause in itself is selling card. For
instance, say you were in poor health and
were ordered to change climates. You cer-
tainly would feel better if you knew that you
could transfer to one of the other plants with
in he territory that was recommended for you
1t gives you also the feeling of security to-
wards your job. We know that the Auto-Lite
cannot take our work from us to a cheaper
shop under their jurisdiction because they
have agreed in the intercorpation council not
to except work that previously had been done
by some plant of the intercorpation council.
There are politicians and dirty politicians
and | sure hope that one man that did think
was a fair shooter isn't forgetting his demo-
cracy. The democratic ballot certainly should
be disgraced to even carry his name on it.
One point that was brought UP was the
fact that since Toledo Auto-Lite has me
forty per cent of the people in the intercorpa-
ton council they should also have forty per
cent of the officers and board members. In
other words our chairman wants to be the
whole cheese in everything that is going on
even to running the Auto-Lite corporation. He
takes all his orders from them and does their
every wish 1t was Mr. Martin that didn't
want us to join the National Agreement.
Anyway think that our unit is run like
a corporation and not as democratic trade
union If Mr.. Martin has, say fifty shares of
stock in his plant, he gets to cast fifty votes.
So that is why big business always has the say
so, and little business do not get very far
ahead.
Our unit member, Red Claypool, said that
we were being selfish if we voted for the Ma
tional Agreement. Yes, we are selfish. first
for not wanting to help these other shops to
get organized, not forgetting that we also had
to be organized and we had plenty of outside
help. Secondly we are selfish because we are
not trying to help ourselves. There has been
many times that felt like cutting somebody's
throat because they were so dumb but never
saw so many people cutting their own tnroatS
before. 1t was mass suicide.
How many of you women have read the
National Agreement? For the benefit of you
who do not want to take my word for it /
carry one with me at all times, if anyone
wishes to read it. / hope you women can see
the mistake you made and the men as well,
and call for special meeting with silent
vote, maybe everybody will vote then. Not
half of the people voted at the meeting, be-
cause they know that our unit is run so demo-
cratically they thought that their own steward
or committeeman would hold it against them
and make it tough for them. thank you.