The Catholic times. [volume] (Columbus, Ohio) 1951-current, 1957-11-29
Right Laws
Can Injure All Labor

by q Code of Ethical Practices.
The Transfers, evidently, consid-
cred that an infringement on au-
tonomy and have refused to abide
by the code.
Autonomy is a sound, neces-
sary and desirable principle. Let
any virtue be drawn to an excess,
however, and it becomes a vice
or defect. That is what has hap
pened to the principle in the
AFLCIO. The liberty of autono-
my was allowed to degenerate M
to the license of anarchy.
'In a nutshell that explains the
greatest plight of the American
labor movement. The end result
can well be a knock-down fight
between those who are ready to
defend a Code of Ethics and
those who demand license as a
prerogative of autonomy.
"AFLCIO must win this fight.
If the racketeer elements are not
eliminated from the American
scene, if the evil elements should
prevail, we could see a govern
ment-controlled labor movement
in America within 10 years.
"Some short-sighted anti-uni n
lists might say "that's just what
the doctor ordered"-for them |
would remind the extremists that
this nation once fought a civil
war on the premise that a nation
cannot be half free and half slave.
Neither can an economic system.
Sooner or later both industry and
labor would have to be under
government control.
THAT is why I say this is not
merely a labor problem. It is a
problem of the future welfare of
the nation itself. That is why I
say it is the social obligation of
every organization, regardless of
how they may disagree in other
matters, to publicly support the
,AFLCIO in its courageous stand
in defense of idealism and against
the sordid realism of racketeer-
ing. When / say every organiza-
ton | include the National As
ISOLATION of Manufacturers. Cham
bers of Commerce and our giant
corporations.
Unfortunately, the very oppo-
site seems to be taking place. The
public is pretty well aware now
of the sordid conditions of some
portions of the labor movement.
1t is much less aware of paral-
lei corruption in management. It
is scarcely even conscious of the
fact that the strongest, the most
courageous and the most persist
ent antagonists of labor union
corruption are the Is members of
the AFLCIO Executive Council
who voted to expel the Team
sterS.
There is a real danger that,
due 10 lack Of knowledge and
awareness, anfi-vnion forces
may stab the AFL-clo in the
back even as il fights heroiesi.
ly against the goons, the rack.
efeers and The mob.
How could such an act OF
treachery take place? BY the SIM
pie, but illogical, resort to a fed
eral right-to-work law. A right-to-
work law has a righteous ring to
it. 1t is based, nevertheless, on a
philosophically false prime p
and it is clothed in doubtful
morality.
"The philosophical basis of a
right-to-work law is that of abso-
lutte freedom for the individual,
it runs counter to our national
policy of collective bargaining.
In substance, it is an attack upon
the principle of solidarity of a
social organization. In effect, it is
destructive of harmonious rela-
tons and a potential denial of
the rights of a majority while
yielding to the whims of a mi
nority.
"In an organized industrial So
ciety, sound social philosophy de-
mands that social problems be
solved on a basis of social rights
and duties - not on an indefens-
ible claim to an absolute right to
liberty by the individual.
"A right-to-work law can in
jure the Legitimate labor move
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