Toledo union journal. [volume] (Toledo, Ohio) 1942-current, 1949-12-09

operators rose to answer John L. This spokes-
man. If my memory serves me right, was for
mer u. S. Senator Davis Of Pennsylvania.
II too, know the problems of the coal
miners" Mr. Davis cried in his attempt to
refute the assertions of John l.. know those
problems because was miner once . and
member of the United Mine Workers of
America" Mr.. Davis then proceeded to blast
the United Mine Workers, John l.. and every
one else except the mine operators who were
paying him quite handsomely for the job.
John L. let him speak and when he got
through the miners chief rose once again to
speak his mind.
THE members and officers of the United
Mine Workers of America" thundered John L.,
have high regard for those of its sons who
rise high in the councils of our country But
the members and officers Of the United Mine
Workers of America have nothing but utter
contempt for those of its sons who try to sell
them out for thirty lousey pieces of silver"
And the ponderous, but dynsmicslly elo-
quent John l.. sat down.
II object, / object :" shouted Mr.. Davis.
And with Mr. Davis some of the not too friend
Iy senator's yelled likewise. They objected to
John LIS remarks especially IL II was to stay
In the record.
At this point John l.. stood up again, and
turning TO the Committees secretary, acidly
remarked:
WHAT brought this little story to mind is the
w downright traitorous actions OF some people
who claim to be our friends" And even more
So by people who are still within the ranks OF
organized labor, are paid by organized labor
and still go about their business of pretending
to be labor" leaders.
The point at hand-and the most recent
one-is the action Of Mr. william Sturm, a
Sturm to the best Of our knowledge, has never
lifted finger to help any of our people in any
one of their many struggles for wage increases
and other benefits MIR. Sturn's silence was
positively deafening when the G.. M. workers
struck for over a hundred days back few
years ago to establish the 1914 cent wage in
crease pattern Mr. Sturm was absolutely
unavailable" when the oil workers hit the
bricks not so long ago. Mr.. Sturm is nowhere
around today when one of the AFL affiliates
is engaged in a life-and-death struggle with
local downtown business establishment
X
HOWEVER, lest we forget, the economic
III front is not the only place where Mr. Sturm
plays his strange game. On the political scene
his actions are positively stinko, The height
OF his strange activity on the political front
was reached just after Tommy Burke was elect
ed TO Congress and the question of filling his
seat in City Council came up MIR. Sturm, with
out consulting single responsible labor leader,
threw his hat in the ring He wanted to be
councilman the worst way. He might have
made Il, too. All he had to do was to sit down
with the responsible labor officials and they
might have given him the necessary support
TO get appointed, But apparently he wanted
none of that. l suppose he preferred the sup
port of The Blade and The Times. Maybe
Bill Sturm was afraid that vi he asked for
labor's support in his mad desire to be Coun-
Gilman. someone might ask him about the time
Just about year before that--Uhen he went
"lend his support" TO former Congressman
Ramey. Mr.. Ramey, OF course voted for the
aft-Hartley Bill
Mike Disable ought TO remember that, too
After all, Mike lost that race by couple of
hundred votes.
- Franz Berlacher, the man who should have
got II in the first place, was finally elected In
the last election, And that Is the way IL should
he, even though we feel that Bill Sturm Is
boiling mad about the whole business.
Maybe that's why he refuses to join the
United Labor Committee, one of the finest or
ganizations Of its kind anywhere in the coun-
try. Who knows? But we do know that Bill
Sturm sees red everytime the United Labor
Committee is mentioned in his presence. The
proof Of 1t all is that he has done everything
in his power to wreck the ULC and it's safe
bet that he will continue to sabotage and OBJ
Struct every move--in or out OF the ULC-
that aims toward uniting the working people
In this town of ours.