The Catholic times. [volume] (Columbus, Ohio) 1951-current, 1953-09-11

ward an affirmative yes" But
I'll drop the must" and say
Ought" You ought to belong to
a union, if there is one in your
field. The Church stresses union
ization as a valuable self-help.
Just last Christmas, Plus XII so
we'll summed it up. THE pur-
pose of the union is 10 represent
the person of the worker against
those who are inclined to conSid-
er him merely as a productive
agent with a determined price
value" " Further mark that | said
a unloniSt should be active.
Don't then be Just a dues-payer.
Go TO the meetings. Vote. Hold
office and with your religious
knowledge of what is right and
what Is wrong. strive IN your
rank.and-Iile, or if better, in your
official capacity, TO get your as
sociateS always on Gods side of
the practical issues.
Leo XIII so we'll said sixty-two
years ago, Among the duties
OF workers is to perform entirely
and conscientiously whatever
work has been voluntarily and
equltably agreed upon. Like
wise over thirty years ago our
own Bishops Program for So
cial Reconstruction insisted that
the laborer must come to real
ize that he owes his employer
an honest days work in return
for fair wage and that condi-
tions improve only when he roots
out the desire to gel maximum
of return for a minimum of sery-
ice.
Now in stressing faithfulness
to deliver on the job, please
know, my friends, that | do not
believe shirking to be character
istle of most unionlsts. | have
never found IT so. II comes my
way, however, as pastor, 10
hear some managerial gripes.
They are concerned with en-
ployee indifference. They often
bring the inquiry how | can de-
fend a unionism which in turn
defends such injustice. So, if we
have fellow workmen no shlrk,
let us realize that We are good
unionists only when we eXempli-
fy energetic attention TO our
job, only when we urge like eff
fort upon our associates and
when we demand it in line with
duty in official capacity Fur
ther, If we take this attitude of
fairness TO employers, we help
the cause of unionism. Then,
when we have to protest against
undue speed-up, when we must
assert seniority rights, when we
must decline TO do tasks which
union regulations specify as be-
longing TO others, we come into
the court of public opinion and
into the court of God with clean
hands.
think another and more per-
Sonal phase of good unioniSm is
the cultivation of individual
thrift. After all. if we earn good
money, if we reasonably want TO
have our share of this higher
standard of living. which is the
great American boast, let's still
remember that there are some
prudent outlay limits in our re
spective stations. Some time ago
a fairly good Catholic challeng-
ed me about the extravaganza
evidenced by some laboring fam
lilies. He wanted to know how
| could be so pro-labor when |
saw such unwarranted spending.
| had two answers. One was that
could point TO many homes
where parental financial man
agement was along the lines of
Christian prudence. Those men
and women and their children,
| argued. were we'll worth de
Tending. The other answer was
TO counsel elimination of an
abuse evident again, | believe,
only IN minority of our work
inc people. Our Holy Father.
Plus XII, last Christmas had