Toledo union journal. [volume] (Toledo, Ohio) 1942-current, 1951-04-20


tions of our membership - honest workers who
did not believe that this miracle could take place
- this union has established funded pensions for
over a million and quarter workers of approx
mately $125.00 per month.
This in itself was monumental achievement
and grand tribute to the leadership Of this union.
But, as President Reuther eloquently phrased 1T,
%. !. the real significance Of pension Is not
the $125 the real significance lies in the fact
that we have started to build this social security
program a solid foundation"
*
0F COURSE, no one knows better than Reuther
~ himself that, considering today's cost of living,
pension program is much in need of improve
ments But those improvements shall come - to
the tune of $500 per month $50 that people
may live in human dignity and economic security
that they entitled to-"
Along with our program comes the need for
improving our medical and disqualification pro-
gram. This is also field Not long ago,
the-job injuries and sickness among the
most dreaded tragedies facing people. Today
UAW-CIO and their families, totalng many more
millions Of men, women and children, are covered
by this type of protection In the main this program
is partly paid for by our people but here again 1t
Is the aim of this union that the total cost of this
protection be met by the corporations our people
work for. ...
DUT THE MOST fundamental the most far
- reaching aim Of union is to establish - in
the year 1855 - guaranteed annual wage for our
people,
'This is not only matter Of economic justice
for the workers." declared President Reuther. ut
Is a matter of economic necessity because cam
not hope to achieve full employment and full pro-
ducton and full distribution in free economy un-
less we begin to get tools like the guaranteed
nuaI wage with which to work."
The issue of guaranteed annual wage" is not
new. Others have spoken about it, Tt has been the
age old dream of all those who must work for a
living But Enthusiastically the UAW-CIO, under
its dynamic and farsighted leadership, sets about
achieving this goal in most practical fashion.
1--WE want to set up study commission, and
going to ask industry to do that SO we
can build the groundwork which must be built
If we are going to work out guaranteed annual
wage plan in industries" The UAW-CIO will
do this preliminary work, President Reuther point
to say that they "don't understand this complex
economic problem" and, therefore, Cannot discuss
1t because have not done the research
work"
CURELY EVERYONE must agree that these are,
~ indeed, lofty aims wonderful aims that
strike at the very heart of human unhapipnesG,
human insecurity and human misery. But in them
selves these aims, however lofty, would remain
idle dreams except for the practical steps taken by
the UAW-CIO to make these dreams dreams
that have their origins since before the dawn OF
history - become realistic. The UAW-CIO is NOW,
in 1851 preparing for 1855, the fateful year when
our current contracts come up for renegohations
For 1855 will be the year when we shall mobilize
the full strentgh of this great union to realize these
aims One of the most practical methods of prepara-
ton for this engagement with destiny - for it Is
nothing less than that - is the determination OF the
leadership of this union consented to and spurred
on by the vast majority of membership, to build
up its main arsenal - its strike fund for this pur-
pose 1t is estimated that by 1885, under the new
dues set-up the UAW-CIO will have financial
arsenal of SIS million to back up its program
X X
DUT EVEN MORE important than this financial
- arsenal will be the determination of its men,
bership to fight for these aims More, the member
ship of the UAW WCIO will have the warm hearted
and unselfish devotion and support of tens of mil
lions of other workers in our country. This is SO
because these workers., whether organized not,
t0ric tasks it will be but matter of time before
their employers will be compelled by economic
and political necessity, to extend to them the same
benefits.