Toledo union journal. [volume] (Toledo, Ohio) 1942-current, 1950-12-22
BY BETSY BILANOW
For Labor Press Association


the year. union members were worried about un-
employment, and companies were turning down
wage requests the ground that the future looked
bad for business.
Though many AFL unions won wage hikes
most CIO unions stuck pretty much to seeking pen
sion programs for the industries In most cases
they won them, though United Auto Workers were
forced to strike the Chrysler Corporation for 100
days before they achieved victory in May.
Right up through the end of May labor econo-
mistS urging that something be done about
spreading unemployment Special committees were
set up to tackle the problem. census bureau re-
port showed that half million Americans had been
hunting jobs for over six months.
On May %, General Motors Corp. created
sensation by signing fiveyear contract with UAW,
guaranteeing raises year, well as the pen
sion provisions. Labor, industry, and government
officials hailed the pact as milestone, and cheer
ed that it showed confidence in future prosperity
Other auto makers later followed suit.
BY August everything had reversed itself Hun
dreds of wage raises were granted, contracts were
reopened and improved by companies that were
competing for employees, and employment had
reached all time high 81 million
Strikes still necessary in some industries
then The World Telegram & Sun, big New
York paper, didn't settle with the CIO Newspaper
Guild until August %, ten weeks after $40 news
had struck. good share of credit for the
victory went to 1000 members of the craft unions
who refused to cross the picket line.
There was nationwide phone strike in No
vember when Communications Workers of America
CIO struck the Western Electric Co. and phone op
a success. Another big one was averted the same
month when AFL teevision workers signed their
first contracts with the TV networks.
The Brotherhood of Railroad Trainmen and
Order of Railway Conductors spent most of the
year postponing strikes at the request of the gov
ernment Dissatisfaction among the membership
over stalling by the railroads showed itself in
wildcat strike just before Christmas.
DEFENSE MOBILIZATION
Biggest story of the year didn't hit until the end
Of June. North Korean Communist forces invaded
South Korea. Labor strongly backed the position
taken by President Truman in the crisis. Hurried
steps were taken to meet the emergency.
In July, 25 top leaders of the CIO, AFL, Rail-
road Brotherhoods, Machinists, and United Mine
Workers met with defense coordinator w. Stuart
Symingon, and told him that labor wants direct
partnership this time at the policy making and ad
minstrative levels of war mobilization
1t was agreed that three labor men would be
members of the national policy committee on mobil
1zation. AFL President William Green, CIO Presl-
dent Philip Murray, and lam President Al Hayes
named to the spots. Union representatives
were promised jobs in the various new agencies
being established.
Both the AFL and CIO offered economic plans
for the crisis prices shot forward CIO particular
Iy beat the drum for expanding production capacity
and setting up all agency to run the mobil-
ization program Unions at the same time began
reopening their contracts.
After haggling for six weeks, Congress finally
passed the Defense Production Act providing for
home front mobilization 1t gave the President the
power to control prices and wages institute ration
ing, allocate materials, and to make loans
TO industry for expanding production. Truman sign
ed the bill in September and said the government
would try to curb initiation by clamping down
credit buying Labor called this approach futile and
urged direct price controls instead The initiation
continued, and by mid October, the cost of living
had hit an ll-time high
In October victory in Korea seemed certain. But
the defense policy committee warned against slow
ing down mobilization. "The progress in Korea is
encouraging the committee reported, "but 1t should
tasks have set out to accomplish in order to
maintain peace and freedom in the world"
AS the weeks rolled by, severe shortages, par
ticularly in Steel pinched the economy Even Cen
eral Motors President Charles E. Wilson charged
that the steel industry didn't "have enough conf
dence in the country to expand adequately" The
Commerce Department ordered cutbacks civ
ilian of aluminium, copper and other metals
The unions objected that the cutbackS