Toledo union journal. [volume] (Toledo, Ohio) 1942-current, 1949-02-25
.LMC Labor
Members On
Unemployment
Continued from Page l

Continued from Page l
labor are ready at all times to
sit down with management to
iron out any problem that they
might have to the mutual salts
faction of all concerned, includ-
ing the people of Toledo as a
whole"
Mr.. Gosser at this point at
tackled the present inadequate
u m p / oyment compensation
laws of Ohio. Right now it
takes anywhere from five to
nine weeks for a jobless worker
to collect his first unemployment
benefit check. Workers can't
live that way. Nor can they live
on the miserably low allowance
paid to them. Therefore" he
continued, Il suggest that the
LMC 60 on record supporting
the unemployment compensation
bill now before the General AS
sembly that would increase un-
employment benefits to $3.50
per week, plus $500 for each de-
pendent and extend the benefit
period from the present %
weeks to So weeks and reduce
the waiting period to one week.
That program is urgently need
ed now The state has plenty of
money in its treasury earmarked
for unemployment benefits and
there is absolutely no reason for
delay"
Mr.. Gosser also suggested that
a committee of full time work
ers" be hired by LMC to work
with employers to try to inn
prove the employment situation
in the city.
Employers Cry "High Costs"
Mr.. Jules Lippman and Mr.
John d. Biggers, leading Toledo
industrialists, attempted to ans
wer Mr.. Gosser by saying that
in Toledo "costs are high" and
suggested that something be
done about both these high
costs" and the raising of labor
productivity" in Toledo plants.
Sensing that this was an i'm.
piled threat to existing wage
standards, Mr.. Gosser-support-
ed heavily by Mr.. Franz Ber-
lacher and Mr.. Otto Brach, AFL
leaders-hit back at the idea
that wages were too high.
what about the fantastic profits
of industry" they declared. Mr.
Gosser then cited the case of a
small lemployer with some 81
employees who, along with two
other executives of his concern,
enjoyed an annual income of
$64, 900. Another employer was
cited who paid himself an an
nual income of $25, 900 even
though he onl yemployed Al
workers "The profits of our
large corporations are equally
fantastic" he declared.
SIS there limit to the profit
hunger of employers" Mr. Cos
ser wanted to know.
The argument between labor
a n d industry representatives
went on for almost two hours,
but no direct action was taken
on Mr.. Gosser's proposals. The
motion to convene some sort of
industry-labor-p public conference
along with the proposal to hire
ful ltime workers to expedite
this program, was finally refer
red to the LMC steering COM
mlttee The motion to have LMC
support labor's drive for higher
u n m p 10 yment compensation
provisions was also withdrawn
after it became apparent that in
dustry members, along with
some public members, would not
support it. They claimed that
they haven't had time to study
the bill in question" and re-
quested that this time be allow
ed. Finally it was agreed that
Mr. GoSser, acting for the labor
section of LMC, would send all
industry and public members
copies of the proposed bill for
their study"
I'VE will mail you this infor-
nation" Mr.. Gosser declared.
"and we will be back here at
the next meeting to place this
motion again"
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