Toledo union journal. [volume] (Toledo, Ohio) 1942-current, 1951-01-05
Reufher And Gosser In Woshinqton

NeuTneT AH0 OoSSeT I'm washington
LEW OF OUR PEOPLE realize the inva1u-
- able service just rendered our member
ship, and the common people of our country
generally, by President Walter p Reuther and
Vice President Richard T. GoSser Here's the
story:
On Tuesday, Dec IL, while our Interna-
tional Executive Board was in session in De
troit, our Washington office advised the Board
that the government was on the verge of issu-
ing its wage freeze order for the auto industry.
The situation SO grave that the Board de-
cided to send President r e u t h e r and Vice
President Gosser to Washington at once to
what they could do to protect the interests
of our membership. Reuther and Gosser left
within two hours. The Board itself adjourned
standby basis
What happened within the next couple of
days following the arrival of Reuther and Cos
ser in Washington is almost unbelievable. The
UAW-CIO chiefs quickly learned that the gov
ernment was ready to issue it's wage freeze
order an order that would have wiped out
our cost-of-living escalator clauses along with
the annual wage improvement factor clause.
In other words, the government was on the
verge of issuing wage freeze identical with
the so-called Little Steel Formula of World
War III days which, as we know so we'll, froze
the wages all right, but did not stop the cost
to fatten likewise
PRESIDENT REUTHER and Vice President
GOsser were determined to avert this fatal
mistake at whatever cost. Conferences were ar
ranged with the highest officials of our gov
ernment, including President Truman himself.
Others consulted in whiTl-wind of confer
ences besides President Truman, were Director
OF Defense Mobilization Charles e. Wilson,
Chairman of the National Resources Board,
Stuart Symington, Secretary of Labor Maurice
Tobin, Economic Stabilzer, Alan j. Valentine
Chairman of the Wage Sterilization Board
Cyrus Ching, Director of Price Sterilization,
Michael Disable, and host of other officials.
On top OF all this, President Reuther and Vice
President Gosser appeared before three full
conferences of the full Wage Sterilization
Board.
At this point we must also add that the
situation was so critical that the UAW-CIO
chiefs were able to enlist the full cooperation
OF the entire CIO and AFL leadership in this
fight.
Result: when the government finally issued
Its wage freeze order on Dec. %, the cost-of-
living escalator clause in our agreement was
left intact and so was the so-called annual
wage improvement factor clause which calls
for automatic annual wage increases for the
workers.
\ 4
1T is IMPOSSIBLE to overestimate the
benefits that will result to our membership
and to millions of other people as result of
this remarkably successful performance by
Reuther and Gosser. In money it means mil
lions OF dollars in the pockets of our people,
But it is more than money, far more 1t is
recognition by our government - for the first
time - that workers shall not bear the brunt
OF the rising cost of living and further that
workers are entitled to receive benefits from
improved chronological advancements long
with the corporations themselves.