Toledo union journal. [volume] (Toledo, Ohio) 1942-current, 1951-03-16

d.. tions of many people, including
- those within the highest circles of
All the more reason therefore that this erron-
eous Interpretation of what actually happened in
Washington to be corrected
For the fact of the matter is that labor
really walked out, AS President Walter Reuther
put it pointedly last Sunday afternoon
tion-wide TV hookup Labor could not walk out
since it was never permitted to come in." And that
is the crux of the entire problem.
E,ROM THE VERY inception of our mobilization
program the representatives of organized labor
side-tracked and ignored. Not single post
offered to labor on a policy making level.
President Reuther himself, although member of
very important advisory board in the mobilization
program, was never called to attend meeting.
When the representatives of labor protested against
the announced policy of Mr.. Wilson, the mobilza-
ton ''czar,' to take the manpower commission out
of the Department of Labor they were rudely ig-
nOred.
Moreover, and this is really significant, the en-
tire labor contingent the Wage Sterilization
Board ignored by Allan Valentine at that time
Director of Economic Stabilization Valentine was
ready to issue wage freeze order that
even brought before the labor members of the Wage
Sterilization Board. The Order was killed only
after labor representatives, including Pres Re1ther
and Vice Pres. GOsser along with top labor lead
ers from the cOuntry-went to the White House to
protest this inexcusable situation. True enough
Valentine fired since this happened, but this
is indicative of what part labor played in policy
determining decisions in Washington. m 4.~e
n< *
MORE RECENTLY, just before the Wage Stabili-
AvA zation Board issued it's present order limiting
wage hikes to TO- % above JAN 18th level, the labor
members again kept in the dark as to how this
level of 100 was arrived at when just before this
memorable meeting labor members were under the
impression that the ceiling to be 90. AS Presi
dent Reuther put it the TV, Somebody made
deal - and labor was not even consulted"
HOWEVER, THE REAL breaking point came on
II the issue of skyrocketing prices The govern
ment has done nothing effective to hold back prices,
let alone rolling them back. Price Sterilization Di
rector Mike Disable admits today that the most
recent series of price control orders that his of
flee made public twill stop the rising of prices"
pect representatives of labor to agree to rigid wage
controls when everyone knew that prices would
keep climbing? r
Finally labor spokesmen have made it amply
clear that they want to participate in mobliza-
ton program; that as matter of fact, effective
mobilization is impossible unless all sections of our
people - including the industrial workers - par
ticipate in the development and execution OF that
program That means an equitable wage stabiliza-
ton program of course but it also means an equal
ly equitable - rigid - price control program. IL
is sheer fantasy expect to control freeze wages
unless prices the cost of living is first controlled
Those people - including the August New York
Times who trying hard to distort the actual
facts in this fight might their country better
by telling the truth; by admitting that labor was
actually "locked out" from the mobilization pro-
gram from the very beginning.