davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Toledo union journal. [volume] (Toledo, Ohio) 1942-current, 1949-05-20
Regional
Views
By Richard Gosser, Vice President
international UAW-CIO

THE UNIONS responsibility toward the individual member
does not end when that member rings time card at
the close of each day There neglected
as union counsens that very important should
be given special emphasis
committeemans responsibility goes further just
settling grievances conference table When worker
needs friendly word of advice compensation unemploy
men insurance matters when he has question regarding his
leave OF absence while he sick outplant
help of kind he where to turn sometimes
II weren't for his union committeeman, steward
sentative.
Now all the problems which arise in fellows domestic
lie cannot be handled by union representative
gets tossed into Jail because poke at policemen
while under the influence of liquor
ara Tor 1t nor expect him to get out of at AM bail
him out.
But there probems-egitimate problems kinds
where union member needs help advice these
problems aren't serious enough to require lawyer still
serious enough to the the representative
couldn't help the fellow, who could? And who would?
II has grown Increasingly clear years that when
anything is done for the person.
ten are that the union is behind it The
has come to regard his steward committeeman of
counsellor But being sort is not enough
International Union has
ling and recommends that classes
lors trained of counseors could accomplish
tremendous amount of good for the membership
Being union requires normal intelligence
and desire to help others Situations often arise which create
difficult problems and although another persons problem
may not seem great to when hear about it, you
be sure 1t of the utmost importance person
that problem.
Maybe it's an eviction, need for funds hospital
care for member of the family perhaps
to receive special training that equip job
Maybe he's been offered different job wants to
someone who advise him before he makes the Ger
tany the union representative is interested
troubles because he took the accept post
ard or committeeman But he qualified to the best kind
of advice? He had better be- because counting
him.
Yes union counselling almost unexpored field At
Local IL there representatives assigned TO specific depart
ments, and units and locals have committees
union counselng has not begun be the department should
be- The development of should definitely be
part of every local unions program.
Toledo union journal. [volume] (Toledo, Ohio) 1942-current, 1949-05-20

Passage of bill - which many big business
outfits are opposing would strengthen
freedom of opportunity for millions of kids.
If NAM and Chamber of Commerce
which proclaim constant undying devotion to
free enterprise and free opportunity were
smarter than they are, they'd be supporting
the bill, TOO.
Watch for Medical Association lobby to
start beating its drums at faster tempo. Hear
ings started in mid-May on hill for national
health insurance program dts sponsored by
batch of liberal Senators and congressman
American Medical Association recently
hired new public relations firm, has collected
funds from many doctors to finance opposi-
tion TO the bill
But ANA hasn't yet come up with plan
for bringing needed medical care to average
families at cost they can afford.
There was one new face at CLOS execu-
tive Board meeting in Washington in mid
May. 1t belonged to Joe Bierne, youngish pres
ident of the Communications Workers of Am
erica, which has just been chartered as CLOS
newest international union.
CWA completed nationwide referendum on
CIO affiliaton which found members voting
more than 81 for CIO CWA and CLOS Tele-
phone Workers Organizing Committee are
scheduled to merge in June. Also expected: af-
filiation to the new CIO union of many in
dependent phone unions throughout the
country.
Bierne and CIO Vice President Allan S.
Haywood expect phone union soon to emerge
with strength of about half million workers.
making it one of CLOS biggest and most in
fluential.
Some of the people who talk about the
backward South don't always know what
they're talking about.
In Mississippi, for instance-the traditional
home of the Bilbo and the Rankin - CWA
members voted about 1000 to so for CIO.
Make date with your radio for Tuesday
night June IA. CIO President Phil Murray
will broadcast that night American Town
Meeting of the Air (heard over ABC network
at $50 PM, EDT). He'll be discussing Presi-
dent Trumans fourth point" program - the
idea of helping improve backward areas
through use of American know-how and help.
Also on the program will be Secretary of
Agriculture Brannan and Eric Johnston form
er head of the U. s. Chamber of Commerce.
CLOS filing friend of the court brief in
Supreme Court case involving effort of a Ne
gro postal clerk to gain admission to Univer-
sity of Texas Law School
AS result of case, state has upped its ex-
penditures for separate Negro school facii-
ties
But CIO brief to Supreme Court points
out, states which follow the separate but
equal line Con school facilties) fail to realize
that constitutional requirement is not merely
one of equal facilities but one of equal choice
of facilities"
Toledo union journal. [volume] (Toledo, Ohio) 1942-current, 1949-05-20
INSIDE AMERICA
written by the Staff of The CIO News)

One fact remains after dust settles from
Taft-Hartley repeal vote in House of Rep
resentatives: CIO and all labor are determined
to obtain repeal of most unpopular law since
Prohibition"
CIO views were made clear in long, care
fully-worded letter from Counsel Arthur
Goldberg to Senator Thomas and Representa-
tive Lesinski, heads of the Senate and House
Labor Committee.
Gist of the letter Q) ample time re-
mains" at this session of Congress to repeal
TIL; (2) CIO is convinced that only through
passage of ThomaS-Lesinsk Bill without Grip
pling amendments can structure be built for
decent lapor management relations; (3) CIO
isn't seeking 'utopian perfectionism" in labor
legislation, but will stand Solidly against
changes injuring basic principles for decent
law
CIO letter to the Congressional leaders
pulled no punches in assailing Senator Robert
Tafts proposed amendments.
Letter pointed out that amendments have
been framed by Taft in such fashion as to
ruin Thomas repeal-T-H Bill while care
fully removing Tafts name from new version
of Taft-Hartley Act Taft seems to have real
lied that he won't win votes in 1850 on basis
of sponsoring Taft-Hartley
Taft's friends - in press and radio - have
sought to gloss over his conservative, anti
labor approach by stressing his sense of in
tegrity."
But CIO letter on Taft-Hartley noted the
Ohio Senator seems to use double-standard"
when it comes to anti-union legislation.
Tafts amendment on union security con-
tracts doesn't take particular position on states
rights VS., federal government rights. Whic-
ever is toughest against labor, Taft amend
ments say, is the one that should be enforced!
Things are looking up for action to break
the housing shortage.
House Banking Committee has okd the
Administration bill to build hundreds of thou
sands of public housing units in next few
snce research, etc Vote in Committee was
along straight party lines.
Housing measure one of the most vital
in Democratic platform - has already been
passed by Senate Representative Spence ID,
Ky) head of the Banking Committee, thinks
measure will be voted upon by House within
next couple of weeks
(You can already hear the powerful real
estate lobbying yelling socialism!
Bill to bring federal aid to schools is also
making progress It's been ok'd by Senate, but
House Labor Committee hasn't yet started
hearings
Bill would set up $500 million fund to be
spread through school systems where need is
greatest. Millions of school kids particulatl-
ly in poorer southern states are now get
ting low-cost, half-loaf education" far be-
low national standards.
Toledo union journal. [volume] (Toledo, Ohio) 1942-current, 1949-05-20

used as the candidate saw fit, they could only
give their aid within the narrow confines of
the one-sided law.
l remember when the law was first passed.
Labor Immediately held it up for what it real
ly was. A slave labor law. Others in labor,
some laughingly, pointed out that the law
was windfal for the legal profession espec-
tally the shyster lawyer. For those of you who
still might be under the illusion that the law
was written to protect you from the wicked
labor leaders, here is paragraph from rec
ent NLRB decision: "Our dissenting colleagues
apparently do not believe that section 8(b)
C) (A) would be substantially duplicated If
section 8(c) were read into section sob (4
(A) because temporary injunctive relief under
section 10 Cd was not available against Sec
ton 8(b) "a (A) conduct, and because no
civil suit by an injured party can be brought
under section 303 of Title III for damages sus-
tanned as a consequence of acts described as
unlawful which also constitute unfair labor
practices under sob a. (A)."
| am sure, after reading the above, all of
us will recognize that Taft Hartley and other
protectors of the people in Congress really ex-
tended themselves in their desire to protect
YOU and from the wiles of Phil Murray, John
from reading the above conglomeration OF
words that the gentlemen who make up the
Congress of the United States really have the
welfare of the workers at heart
Here are two outstanding examples OF the
consistency of the NLRB: In one case the
board ruled it was all right for company to
coerce employees by saying "The Company
don't want anything like that (unions) around
here. They are not going to stand for it
In another case the NLRB said IL was all
wrong for superintendent to say, there
would never be A union around any company
where he worked. Consistency! Thou art truly
a jewel
Personally, I will settle for the Wagner
Act. The Wagner Act was not everything that
a law should be that is supposed to protect
labor but, 1t was 000To better than Taft
Hartley The main weakness in the old Wag-
ner Act was the fact that it had no teeth
About the worst thing the employer had to
fear under the Wagner Act was cease and
Desist Order" from the Board. The employer
had no fear of fine or Jail sentence because
he violated the law On the other hand, men,
bers of Labor Organizations, should they vio-
late the law unknowningly, are subject to law
suits fines, judgements, and prison sentences,
Nice law, Taft-Hartley, for the boss
Toledo union journal. [volume] (Toledo, Ohio) 1942-current, 1949-05-20
Time For Plain Talk
Continued from Page 1

Take a copy of the Taft-Hartley Act, if
you have one, Mr. Editor, and follow through
the maze of sections, sub-sections and sub
sub-sections, as these publications have done
and see if you don't honestly come up with
the same answer they did. The Act is for the
purpose of union busting, even though its
stated objective is exactly opposite.
BY the way, Mr.. Editor, have you ever
read either the Taft-Hartley Act or the Wag-
ner Act? Far be it from me to even suggest
that the omnipotent all-seeing, all-knowng
brain of an editorial writer would need to
read the laws he was writing about. However,
1t might be a good idea to get your informa-
ton about law from the law itself and not
from what the propaganda mill says about it,
The hearings of our subcommittee proved con-
clusively that what the NAM propaganda said
about the Taft-Hartley Act and what the law
itself contained are quite different things
In my last column l stated the issue of
what our national labor policy shall be- Mr.
Editor chose to shrug this off with little of
the sophistry he accuses me of. Il even use
propositions to end sentences with.) He says,
But what is there to it? Precisely nothing"
Then he raves and rants about the Greens
and the Murrays and the Reuthers," the labor
Toledo union journal. [volume] (Toledo, Ohio) 1942-current, 1949-05-20
CIO Supports Conservation

During recent years the ClO mas De-
come increasingly aware of the fact that
a great portion of our natural wealth is
blown-away or washed into the oceans
every year-and increasingly conscious,
too, that group action and careful plan
ming are needed to remedy this situation.
That's why representatives of the ClO
Joined in Washington last week with
spokesmen for other large organizations
and the government in the National Emer-
gency Conference on Resources.
That's why the regional planning pro-
gram of the CIO is likely to be more and
more in the news-and in the minds of
industrial workers-as time passes.
What has occurred in the past demon
strated that the problem is not one which
can be solved by individuals working
singly It's national problem-one of as
much concern to labor and business as to
the farmer.
Toledo union journal. [volume] (Toledo, Ohio) 1942-current, 1949-05-20
Dixiecrats Sketch States Rights Utopia
BY BRADFORD V. CARTER
LPA COlumnist

To accomplish its first purpose the Dixie
crat amendment outlaws all federal Inter
ence" with local election practices, and all
civil rights legislation. Police powers are to
reside solely in state governments This means
that not only the 14th and 18th Amendments
to the Constitutions written in the post Civil
War period would become dead letters, but
also the 10th Amendment which gives the wo-
men the right to vote. BY implication if not
intent the FBI is abolished by this weird prop
osition. Obviously all civil rights legislation
now pending before Congress would be un-
constitutional
The second part of the Dixecrat amend
ment explicitly bars the national government
from making any appropriations for education,
or legislating about wages, hours and working
conditions. Even the Taft Hartley law would
be outlawed - let alone anything like the
Wagner act or the wage and hour law. No
thing, apparently is to stand in the way of
the Dixiecrats perpetual exploitation of the
southern people, and all federal barriers to
the law of the jungle are to be removed thru
out the nation
Congress is also to be deprived of the right
to make laws about the transfer and owner
ship of property" This would clearly make il
impossible to enforce the 18th Amendment
which prohibits slavery - and automatically
repeals such things as the pure food and drug
act, rent control, and regulation of stock mar
ket speculation.
Nice country this would be with the Miss
lssippi Dixiecrats in the saddle, wouldn't it?
incidentally, Mississippi is the only state every
one OF whose Congressmen voted for the Taft
Hartleyites Wood Bill two weeks ago.
Toledo union journal. [volume] (Toledo, Ohio) 1942-current, 1949-05-20

Ever since Sir Thomas More published his
famous book Utopia" dealists and vision
aries have been trying TO outline the perfect
state Occasionally practising politicians have
lifted items from the dreamers proposals and
incorporated them into programs OF immediate
reform.
But when the ideas of the utopians have
been capable of practical adaptation in mans
quest for better life. or when they've been
too quaint or fantastic for any practical use,
at least they've been generous, and aimed at
improving the lives of ordinary people,
Last week the States Rights Democratic
party OF Mississippi which delivered that
states presidential veto to Gov. j. Storm
Thurmond last year -- had convention. The
Dixiecrats weren't content to draft the usual
political platform. They felt that the time had
come TO unveil their Utopia.
II takes the form of a constitutional amend
ment whose purpose is to wipe out most of the
progress thru government that the American
people have made since the days of Thomas
Jefferson. Since two-thirds vote of Congress-
and ratification by three-fourths of the states
is required to amend the US. constitution
there is no danger that this Dixiecrat dream
will be enacted.
Nonetheless it's an important document.
1t reveals clearly what the primitiVes think
the shape of America ought to be. And his
torically it has the distinction of being about
the only Utopia openly designed to degrade
society rather than improve it.
The Mississippi proposal is aimed primarily
at depriving the US government of the right
20 protect Americans against local tyranny,
and at making it impossible for TIE people of
this country to enact social and g onomic leg
islation.
Toledo union journal. [volume] (Toledo, Ohio) 1942-current, 1949-05-20

leaders who practice Vaccinations and ex-
ploitations." Why don't you wise up Mr.. Ed
itor? Don't you realize that the American peo-
pie demonstrated last November that they
can't be led down blind alleys by that kind of
CUFF? You can't go on using labor leaders as
whipping boys because the American people
just won't buy it.
You might as well realize that the men
whose names you used are in their positions
because the laboring people in their organiza-
tions want them there When the majority of
those laboring people no longer want those
particular men in the positions they now hold,
they will be pitched out on their ears might
also inform you that the working man is far
more ungentle about his pitching than anyone
else. You have to be pretty thick skinned to
hold one of those jobs, | heard labor leader
say, one day, Pressure? take is for liv-
ing"
It's no longer the fashion to bat the labor
leaders around as your reason for winning
your point. That style went out on November
q 1948. Get the new look, Mr.. Editor Talk
about the provisions of the law. Don't try to
take your readers on spring dance through
the daisies.
Toledo union journal. [volume] (Toledo, Ohio) 1942-current, 1949-05-20
IFS Got To Stop

THE WINDS came and the dust blew,
Il and the once prosperous farmers be-
came the "Oakies" who lined the high
ways between Oklahoma and California.
The rains came, the streams rose, the
thousands fled to high ground to escape
the flood which left great destruction in
its wake.
It's an old story now in America
story that's too old and too much this year
like it was the year before.
Those who saw the Dust Bowl develop
and those who have lived along our large
rivers have known for long time that
nature itself does great damage once it's
been badly disturbed by man.
And it was man who cut down the
trees, plowed the straight burrows, robbed
the soil of its life-giving qualities and per-
nitted the gullies to develop
And it was man. too, who demonstrated
- in the Tennessee Valley and elsewhere
that conservation" is much more than
just word.
Perhaps this is the kind of editorial
one might expect in farm journal. Per-
haps the garment maker in New York and
the steel worker in Pittsburgh think more
about the problems of city life and indus
rial production than they do about the soil.
But unless they-and many others
think more about it, and do something
about it soon either they or their children
will pay high price for their neglect.
Toledo union journal. [volume] (Toledo, Ohio) 1942-current, 1949-05-20
What's New?
BY Edward J. Duck
Journal Columnist

AM entering Toledo University on June 21 20 conpee nv
college education with the objective acquiring
sentative of the UAw-CIo.
There number of valid reasons for making this
decision.
Much the bridge since the evening
OF February B. 1941 when appointment
IL educational director parme job paying
At that time had studied DeSales College for
three semesters somewhat of far from union oganz
ing or practcng law On May 20 of that went the
union payroll help organize Champion Spark Plug The post
paid S35 week, with no expenses, I recall
Times have changed in those eight years
and people Anything put into the union paid
to me- and not just in terms of The experiece
worth lot Much of the work has been fun.
Before began working for the union had rather strong
convictions about matters of labor relations ethics social
problems Today those convictions stronger confirmed
by eight years of practical experience
Two subjects about which felt particularly strong
That the unions should do something about organizing
support of cooperaves fully important
the matter of bargaining collectively wages, hours
That the drab monotony factory
mmeasurably and individual employee
ermtten of properly selected music provided
as background during the work periods.
For eight studied these subjects whenever time
permitted discussed them with Others and wrote articles to
stimulate interest in them They my pet projects
Today there is ample evidence to support earlier
tentions.
Throughout the State of Michigan
building stores and shopping that they themselves
The highest quality merchandise obtanabe very
low cost They have saved thousands of dollars and returned
the profits to themselves The yet in its infancy
than exists
warehouse basis but Akron launched drive
for $250Ooo project Canton Youngstown Cleveland
and Columbus also interested watching Toedos
with anxious eyes.
AS for muscn-industry backward arrangements may
call entertainment and the Communist Party call it speed
but both paradng their ignorance when they do
Informed and intelligent labor leaders know that
music be helpful to both employer and employee it is
distributed and it is music and
not noise
So much for my pet projects There is statement
that opinion would be the most important to make
parting 1t that Organized Labor has 3pont
program for action which must fulfill if hopes fulfill
its mission.
Organizing the unorganized the fullest possible
tent and bargaining collectively far the realm of coec
tive bargaining will reach, including social benefits
Orgaizing throwing Labors full united
strength behind its friends and against its enemies
Organizing protecting the hard
obtained through collective bargaining making
those gains count in terms of purchasing power
Toledo union journal. [volume] (Toledo, Ohio) 1942-current, 1949-05-20

created could seriously doubt that we have
the technical know-how.
The proof is there for anybody to see.
Sure, it took a lot of time and energy
and money to build IVA.
But floods and wind erosion and mis-
use of our resources take great toll.
What was spent on IVA was an invest
ment. What is spent sandbagging levees
and hauling refugees to high ground is
almost like money thrown down the drain.
Think it over. And why not get some
expert on the subject to talk to your local
union or council about it?
Toledo union journal. [volume] (Toledo, Ohio) 1942-current, 1949-05-20

in 1913, this, in spite of the
fact that the total vote cast
in 1948 exceeded the vote
in '46 by nearly Is million.
Of course we cannot dis
count the fact that the NAM
had more dollars than PAC
had. NAM went ahead and
m a d e their contributions
with "to hell with the
law" attitude while PAC
respectful of the law could
not make outright contribu-
tions to candidates, to be
Toledo union journal. [volume] (Toledo, Ohio) 1942-current, 1949-05-20
AS | See It
BY HOWARD SEREN,
President Local IL, UAW-CI0

AT THIS writing it appears that repeal of
"A the Taft-Hartley Law will not be accom-
plished in this session of Congress- 1t is ap-
parent that the reactionarys in Congress have
elected to accept the vote cast in 1946 as
mandate of the people instead of the vote cast
Toledo union journal. [volume] (Toledo, Ohio) 1942-current, 1949-05-20

There is no longer any question as to
whether we can preserve our natural re-
sources and repair much of the damage
that has been done to our soil and our
people by erosion. It's aquestion of
whether we WILL.
No person who has visited the Tennes-
see, Valley before and after IVA was