Toledo union journal. [volume] (Toledo, Ohio) 1942-current, 1950-06-16
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were prepared to finance cam
paign to destroy Gosser and the
leadership of the UAW IN 10
ledo.
This brazen ultimatum served
on Vice-President Gosser by the
organized employers of Toledo
was on the basis of surrender or
be destroyed. When Vice-Presi-
dent Gosser refused to water
down the Unions demands or
surrender in the face of man.
agement's ultimatum, the en-
ployers of Toledo established
the Committee to Save Tole-
dos Payrolls', the employer or
ganization for carrying out the
threat which they made.
Hundreds of thousands OF
dollars have been contributed
to the Committee by Toledo
employers holding contracts
with the UAW-CIO to defeat
the efforts of the UAW-CIO to
win an area pension agree
ment for the workers in their
plants.
In the atmosphere created by
this employer-organized and en-
ployer-financed camp g n
againsct the UAW and its lead
ership, members of a minority
political caucus opposed to Vice
President Gosser joined the en-
ployers in their attack.
The members of this minority
group apparently saw an oppor-
tunity for good fishing in the
troubled waters stirred up by
T ole d o employers and their
mouthpieces, the Toledo news
papers.
The leadership of this minor
ity group, in complete disregard
of their Union and the welfare
of its membership, over period
of weeks continued to feed the
Toledo anti-union press with ir-
responsible and unsupported al
legations concerning Vice-Pres-
ident Gosser.
These people at no time re-
sorted to the democratic con-
stitutional procedures prOvid-
ed for in our constitution
through which members have
a right to seek redress within
the Union.
It was only after a great deal
of difficulty and mum erou S
meetings that the International
Executive Board finally succeed
ed in obtaining the wri { tie n
statement of the allegations
w n c h was presented to the
Board on June 7 in behalf of
the Committee for Democratic
Unionism" and signed by Harold
Billheimer, Chairman, and Ed
ward John Duck, Secretary.
Many of the allegations SUBJ
mitted to the International Ex-
ecutive Board on June z were
the same allegations VIII C h
formed the basis of the organ.
lied employers attack against
Vice-President Gosser and the
leadership of the Union in To.
ledo.
The Board has heard testi.
mony on and given careful con.
sideration to the allegations ot
this minority and we find thai
the allegations upon which they
base their case are not substan.
tiated by evidence. For exam.
pie:
They alleged that Local IL
b substantially bankrupt. An
official audit recently COM
pleted by the International
Union shows that Local No.
IL, UAW-CIO, and its Build
Ing Corporation had total as
sets as of December 81, 1949,
of 365,334.04. The total assets
are represented by cash assets
of S188,623.58 and fixed assets
In property and equipment of
S176,710.46. Actually the real
estate owned by the local un-
Ion is worth approximately
S250,O00, which Is consider
ably In excess Of the purchase
price paid by the local for
such property.
They alleged that the unit
funds of Local IL have been ex-
pended in carrying out Brother
Gosser's foolish projects" and
that no unit could withdraw lis
funds as provided for by the In
ternational Constitution and the
Bylaws of Local IL.
The recent audit Of Local 12's
books completely disproves this
allegation. Unit funds have not
been spent for purchases made
by the Local Union. Such pur-
chases have been made out of
the general funds Of the local
union. Such purchases were not
authorized by Vice-President
Gosser but the minutes of the
local union clearly indicate were
voted democratically by the
membership of Local Union IL
at their membership meetings.
The audit by the Interna-
tional Union as of December
81, I949 showed unit funds of
Local IL TO be on deposit in
the amount OF S55,OS0.2O.
Spokesman for the political
minority further alleged tn a
Vice President Gosser ordered an
appeal of the decision of the
Court of Appeals of Lucas