Toledo union journal. [volume] (Toledo, Ohio) 1942-current, 1950-06-02

sound program.
pUT THE GREATEST battle was yet to come
I'D This was the battle for pensions - the
battle for Area-Wide Pensions as first de-
veloped by Dick Gosser. When Gosser SUBJ
mitted his plan to the people of Toledo, and
the employers of Toledo Paul Blocks fury
was crescended to the pitch of hurricane 1t
was truly boundless And at this point some
thing new was added The employers, who up
till that time contended themselves to remain
in the background of the fight, encouraging
Paul Block from safe distance, suddenly
formed the mightiest Big Business United
Front in T0ledo's history and plunged into the
fray with equal fury.
Not since the bloody Auto-Lite strike in 1884
have we seen such violence, such fury, such
determination on the part of the employers
to smash the program of the UAW-CIO and
with it the entire Toledo Labor movement.
The campaign was lavshly financed. Fabulous
ly expensive publicity experts" were contact
ed and imported to Toledo to lead the fight
against Gosser and his plan which was sup
posed to wreck Toledo business. But Gosser
stood his ground Refused to bulge Took all
the abuse that was leveled at him. And soon
1t became apparent that he might win the
people of Toledo might win and this blaze
new trail In the fight for economic security
establish pattern for the entire nation.
The people of Toledo refused to join this
campaign to cruelty Gosser.
The high powered anti-Gosser campaign
was on the brink of bankruptcy After all, the
workers of Toledo liked the idea of gaining
economic security for their old age along with
greatly increased welfare benefits at the ex-
pense of the employers.
"Why not?" They reasoned eff employers
can insure their machinery, why should they
not be made to insure their human machines
- the workers."
TT WAS AT THIS juncture of this running
Il battle - now going on against Gosser for
nearly two years that Block and the en-
ployers decided to resort to other tactics -
To personal villification, to character assasina-
tion of the worst type. Suddenly Gosser be-
came, by innuendo for they had no proof,
is-honest'' and perhaps they limited -
even worse. Gosser became ruthless dictator.
Suddenly his staff - and all those who sup
ported him were labeled "goons' and will
ing tools were dug up to provoke trouble with
in the ranks of the organization. People who
never gave goddam about union affairs sud
denly became champions of honest unionism"
and ''union democracy" And soon Gosser was
portrayed daily in the columns of The Blade
and The Times as vain, self-seeking and bru-
tai union dictator whose sole aim in life was
the enrichment of Richard Gosser.
Paul Block began to talk about certain busi-
ness transactions of the union that were COM
pleted years before. The Colonial Hardware
Store becaome an issue. The Local IL Summer
Camp became an issue. Not that anyone claim
ed that Dick Gosser has become wealthy
man. So far as anyone knows he isn't He
went into business for the same reason that
thousands of other people have gone into busi-
ness. He wanted to get ahead in life. He was
seeking bit of security for himself OF course,
all this was public knowledge for years. And it
was respectable, too.
After all the Colonial Hardware Store was
opened, as understand, in 1945. Yet as late
as 1947, according to the Blades editorials,
Gosser was "great labor leader"
Even the Local IL Summer Camp was okay.
Why not, didn't your kids get a chance to
enjoy glorious summer vacations at the
beIievabIe rate of 81 per c hi d per week?
Where else could poor working people send
their children to such camp for that much
money? Yes, 1t was all grand until Gosser be-
gan to fight. on the political and economic
field to the point where Block and the employ
ers felt IL was going to hurt their profits seri-
Ously.
7 STARTED OUT by quoting my friend to the
- erect tnat 'CoSSer is a goddam 1901. well,
there is something in that. Gosser was foolish
In Understanding the viciousness of Block
and the employers. II he had been just bit
smarter, he would have organized the ranks of
his followers: the ranks of the UAW-CIO into
a solid united front before he decided to take
on the employers for the pension and welfare
plan. He should have made sure that he had
the commitment the pledge of all units of the
UAW-CIO and especially Local IL - to
support the program he enunciated. The pro-
gram incidentally, for which all these locals
and units voted I'm the Milwaukee Convention
of the UAWCIO In 1949.
He didn't do that. Why? Perhaps he felt
that the program projected was so abviously
good for our members and for the people in
general that no one not even his political
enemies would dare to attack it, And in a
sense they didn't Although the fact that i'm
portant section of the union failed to respond
enthusiastically, and in some instances even
took a so-called neutral attitude towards
the fight, was a bad omen for the outcome of
the struggle.
This attitude of neutrality" and apparent
indifference on the part of some of our people
gave heart to the employers. The employers
knew that If they could succeed in switching
the fight from its real issues to one of per-
Sonalities against GoSSer thev would have