The potters herald. [volume] (East Liverpool, Ohio) 1899-1982, 1949-01-27

The year has brought to the nation admnistra-
tion pledged economic justice for wageearners and to
foreign policy in support of democratic institutions for the
peoples of all countries These key policies provide great
opportunity as well as great responsibility for all who be-
eve democracy and particularly for bonae trade unions
Trade unions represent workers who recently than
other groups have assumed responsibility for promoting
their welfare organized democratic group OF free
citizens.
The American Federation of Labor expects fulflment
of the Presidents pledge for repeal Of the Tafaey Act
and the restoration of basic legislation assuring workers
the right Of contract to determine terms and conditions of
work Wageearnes negotiate their work contracts through
agents selected through their unions The of
atiOn called collective bargaining 1t is convenient de-
vice which eXpedlteS agreement conditions OF work.
Only through organization there be that mutualty
of reaching that the of contract Con
the legal device and method through which all other
business ARRANGEMENTS are made Workers must have the
right of contract to benefit through free enterprises dis
tinctlve American institution.
The amendments which the Taft-Hartley Act made to
the Wagner National Labor Relations Act changed its
from of the freedom to contract to assurance
of certain specific rights for employees well employers
limitation majority rights IN order to protect minority OF
individual rights, and list of prescribed acts which
exceeded reasonable legislation in favor of antunon
poses Interests hostile to unions hoped to regulation to
destroy
The result was inevitable in country where democracy
exists The workers resented the attempt to deprive them
of equal rights and to defeat inferior class Labor
lied politically to defeat those responsible for the legislation
which denied equal rights.
We believe that requirements for all groups of citizens
should be equal If workers required to sign the anti
Communist oath in order to have legal status then surely
the regulation should apply to political representatives
in Congress- administrative agents from the President down
throughout civil service personnel employers lawyers, and
to citizens who vote 1t is unfair to require trade union Of
fcas alone to take the oath condition of legal status
Trade unions have long been active and aggressive in defeat
ing communism and have been successful in defeating their
efforts to control unions
Because the American Federation of Labor has
devated from adherence to its policy of free trade unons
have been helpful to country in insisting the
rights of free people to help each other in maintaining demo-
cratic institutions at home and in furhering democratic
principles in international affairs. BY contracts with
free trade unions in other countries help promote the
democratic purposes of government in international af
fairs We have helped revive free trade unions European
countries and have helped organize free labor in
countries cooperating in the ECA in support of that work
1t is hope this year to extend channels for coopera-
on between free trade unions to include the workers of
Asia, South America and Africa