Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1956-01-05

one organization TO represent al
urged by William C. Doherty. pre-
of Letter Carriers and a vice pre-.
One strong federation of FED
/ If Government workers ARE to 81
labor movement" Mr.. Doherty
declared. He pointed to the re-
cent AFL-CIO merger as an ex-
ample of effective merging of
labor forces
MIR. Doherty predicted that
consolidation of the various FED
eral employe unions into one
federation is inevitable eventu-
ally and asked that all groups
join forces to speed up such a
merger.
The letter carriers union has
more than 100000 members and
lis considered one of the most
powerful labor organizations in
the country Mr.. Doherty's advo-
cacy for a single united Federal
employe organization has aroused
much comment and interest
among overnmen officials.
members Of Congress and labor
leaders generally.
Writing in this months edi-
ton of the NALC Postal Record.
Mr.. Doherty declared:
by some strange method of
thinking, many Federal en-
ployes do not want to consider
themselves as working in the
sense as the trade-unionists. Too
many of them do not seem to
realize that the laws of economics
apply with equal force to them as
to their neighbors.
They seemingly fail to face
up to the fact that organiza-
ton and collective effort are
more potent and productive than
individual effort. They appar-
entity make a distinction between
Government employment and
working for a private corpora
ltion.
From this fallacious premise
they reach the false conclusion
that a beneficent Government
will automatically provide for
their needs while those outside
Government must band together
to press their demands.
/ The result has been a case
of the few providing the effort,
Imagination and treasure to Sc
cure legislative and administra-
tive benefits for the many. AS
long as this unfair situation con-
tinues, Just that long will Fed
eral employees have their wages
and other conditions of employ
ment subject to the within of
agency heads and those more in
terested in political advantages
than employe welfare"
/ AFL-CIO MERGER CITED
Mr.. Doherty continued: The
creation of this stronger and
larger trade union movement
known as the AFL-CIO should
provide considerable food for
thought among postal and other
Federal employees. A united la
Dor movement poses question
which sooner or later will have
to be considered by those Of us
employed by Government. In its
simplest terms. this question re-
1uces itself to the proposition
that If greater unity is tanta-
mount to more effectiveness for
the butcher. baker and candle
stick maker. why should not
unity be equally attractive and
desirable to Government work.
ers"
GANIZATION NEED
CITED - Mr.. Doherty added:
The peculiarities Of Federal en-
Iployment often restrict us from
seeking advancements in our
welfare in the same manner our
neighbors in private industry can
use. In the case of the So-called
strike weapon we are complete
Ily stymied-and we believe
rightly so.
However. these statutory pro-
hibitions give no license to Fed
eral workers to conjure up other
.inhlbitions. For example, there
lis no restriction against Govern
ment personnel organizing them
selves. On the contrary. the
Lloyd-LaFollette Act of 1912 spe-
officially authorizes them to Or
ganize and as such to petition
Congress for improvements in
their conditions of employment
and to seek redress from condi-
tons oppressive in their en-
uloyment. .- .4.-
THUS a right that has long
existed for Government workers
has been and continues to be ig-
Inored by most of them.
Federal employees in general,
and white-collar workers in par
ticular, have yet another COM
polling reason to organize for
their own good. This reason is
symbolized by the term automa-
ton.
Attenuation at every step of