Toledo union journal. [volume] (Toledo, Ohio) 1942-current, 1949-08-05

sions, improved h ealth h
and social security bene-
fits and for a wage In
u crease.
MS@S"~~ Sa'4 And, of course, we are
Pete Zvara talking about the impend-
inc clash of our own mighty UAW-CIO
AGAINST the Ford Empire for the same de-
mands.
Big representing billions OF
dollars in corporate wealth-is lined up
solidly in one corner of this huge ring.
In the other corner we find the Organ
lied Might of our most powerful Unions
both of them ready for what may prove to
be the fiercest struggle in the history of
Unionism.
The whole nation is watching with
mounting excitement the outcome OF this
momentous struggle.
PHILIP MURRAY mild-mannerd and
soft-spoken president of CIO, certainly hit
the nail right on the head when, address
ing the Presidential fact-finding board,
which is currently hearing the Steelwork-
ers' case against Big Steel, shook his fin
gers at Big Steels representatives and
shouted with anger:
There they sit over there, looking
holier than thou--the most sanctimoni-
Gus band of racketeers ever saw In my
life. :"
President Murray knew well what he
was talking about. He, more than anyone
a.
the Steel Industry. He knows of the enor-
nous and unprecedented profits that these
corporations have been making year after
year, particularly since the start of this
decade when our country began its war
preparations against Hitler and the Mi
kado.
And he also knows that despite these
huge earnings, wrung from the sweat of
Steel Labor, these huge corporations are
now banded together to deny the just de-
mands of their workers.
What will be the outcome of these
hearings now being conducted by this spe-
cial Presidential Board? We don't know,
of course But we do know that the steel
workers are ready for showdown fight
to gain their detectives for they are we'll
aware that without the readiness to en-
gage in such fight-and to actually fight
if necessary-they will get nothing.
+ h
NOW THE SCENE changes from the
clash in Big Steel, to the equally fierce
struggle in the Automobile Industry. The
mighty UAW-CIO has long since an
nounced to the world that this year, l949,
the great showdown would come within
the confines of the Ford Empire. Once be-
fore ii was the General Motors workers
who, after prolonged and deadly strug-
gle lasting over 100 bitter days, set the
wage pattern for American Industry.
After that il was the Chrysler workers
who set the pace Now it will be the Ford
workers who will follow suit
There is no special Presidential Fact
Finding Board to intervene in the Ford
struggle And the UAW-CIO wants no in
reference from such a Board Walter
Reuther. UAW-CIO President, asked for
and received the militant backing of the
milion-strong Auto Workers Union. Reu-
ther knows-and so does Henry FordII--
that with such backing the outcome of
this struggle will follow the pattern of the
battle against GIN. and Chrysler. He
knows that with that kind of backing.
victory of the Ford workers-and for the
workers of all major industries-is inevi-
table.
No wonder the Ford Co. is trying ev-
cry trick in the book to intimidate their
workers. That is the reason when they,
the Ford Co, warned" their workers that
they should vote against the strike in the
statelconducted election which will take
place next Monday in all Michigan Ford
plants because the strike--if it should
take place-"will be long one"
"Our aim is TO keep the greatest pos
sible number of people at work." de-
clared the Ford Co. in its published
statement, and then continued:
a vote against strike is a vote for