Toledo union journal. [volume] (Toledo, Ohio) 1942-current, 1949-08-12
Girdinq For Bottle

ing of the United Labor CommltLee lOLS)
last Monday in the Transfers Hall, with
nearly 100 local union leaders from all
segments of Organized Labor in attend
ance. was certainly an inspiring spectacle.
Indeed. it was like a tonic for all those
who are concerned with the gathering and
ever darkening clouds of impending eco
noroic and political clashes on the local,
as well as the national scene. Despite the
onpressive heat, these leaders, headed by
such outstanding union officials as Rich
ard Gosser, Charles B allard, Howard
Rediger and host of others from the
powerful UAW-CIO; Harry Card, Franz
Berlacher from the AFL Teamsters; Oliver
Myers, Frank Fisher and others from the
powerful Building Trades Council of the
AFL along with representatives from the
Railroad Brotherhood and the Mechanics
Educational Society of America, laid out
the strategy that Organized Labor will
follow in the coming election to make
sure that the needs of our working popula-
ton will not be overlooked by those who
guide the destiny of our people.
The issues acted upon by the ULC are
manifold. Some of them are purely organi-
rational in nature, pertaining solely to the
STRENGTHENING of our ULC machinery. But
there are other issues acted upon that are
of vital concern to the people of our COM
munity, our state, and even our nation as
a whole.
United Labor Committees
For The Defeat OF Taft
Unquestionably the most far reaching
action of this type concerns the action call
ing for the creation of United Labor Com
mittees throughout Ohio for the sole pur-
pose of defeating Senator Taft in the 1850
senatorial campaign. The ULC, in calling
upon all sections of Organized Labor in
Ohio to create such committees, stressed
the point that such committees be all
inclusive and set-up solely for the purpose
of retiring Mr.. Taft from the US. Senate.
And this is as it should be. Senator
Taft does not, and never did, represent
the common people of Ohio. He proved
that time and again when he led his re-
dictionary COP olleagues-together with
the equally reactionary Dixiecrats -
against every proposal of President Roose-
velt's New Deal and now against Presl-
dent Truman's Fair Deal program. He is
the principle author of the notorious Taft
Hartley Act aimed directly against the
very essence of everything that Organized
Labor stands for and fought for from its
very beginning.
Certainly this is one issue upon which
not only all sections of Organized Labor,
but all progressive minded citizens should,
and will, join hands together. The ULC
can we'll be proud that il is the organiza-
ton which has started the ball rolling in
this fight which must, and will result in
retiring from the US, Senate the darling
of special privilege, Mr. Robert Taft.
ULC Will Not Squander
Its Voting Strength
The ULC acted wisely, ideed, when it
decided against considerable pressure
that in the forthcoming municipal cleo
tions it will give its support to one coun-
cilmanic candidate. This is recognition
of its own limitations Too often in the
past labor organizations tended to endorse
a great many candidates who were aspir-
ing TO local office and who, in their
opinion, deserved such support. Almost
invariably this resulted in the diffusion
of whatever strength Organized Labor
possessed with the result that its candi-
dates were sent down to defeat by the
highly concentrated and well-oiled poll
tical machines.
Well, the ULC viii earnestly try to
avoid this mistake in the coming elections.
Only one candidate will be given the
whole-hearted support-the Number One
Choice of ULC voters. Certainly by
concentrating our energies in this sense,
victory for our candidate must be prac-
tically inevitable.
This, if course, does not mean that
labor organizations such as the AFL Cen
tral Labor Union, the CIO Toledo Indus
trial Union Council, the MESA or the
Railroad Brotherhoods are prevented from
promoting the candidacy of some candi-
date from their ranks. However, they are
urged C1) to get behind the ULC candi-
date if at all possible and so avoid run
ming candidate of their own and (2) that
If they do decide TO endorse their own
candidate, give the ULC endorsed candi-
date their second choice ballots
OF course, there will be candidates for
other offices in our municipal govern
ment that the ULC shall endorse but -
as in the councilmanic race - SO in these