The people's voice., 1959-11-27
CONTINUED From Page One)

OiUCi 1oiho, uC Sdlu, are q UlS
source of purchasing power, if they
know they will have a reasonably ade-
quate pension after they retire. The
"rainy day" does not hold out the
horrors that once faced most of the
elderly with the result they spend
more of their income on automobiles,
refrigerators, and all the many other
things that make life fuller. In addi-
tion, adequate pensions "give them
dignity in their old age". They do
not need to become burdens on their
children or recipients of charity.
LONGER VACATIONS
SPREAD JOBS
Longer vacations, a 1949 UAW
goal, long since achieved, was another
phase of his unions program. Longer
vacations are valuable aids to the
health of factory workers and in
addition, help to spread the job load
among greater number. Longer
vacations also contribute materially
to the American penchant for seeing
America Montana where
''tourism" is today 500 million
business.-EDITOR.)
Other UAW programs of decade
ago, also achieved, include health and
welfare benefits to ease the financial
burden of illness; sick leave, for
family's expenses go right on even
though the breadwinner is off the
job due to illness; supplemental un-
employment compensation (SUB), to
provide worker who is able and
willing to work but cannot find job,
more purchasing power while he is
jobless.
Now, UAW, watching automation
take its toll in jobs while automobile
manufacturers pro fits skyrocket |
higher and higher, is joining with |
other major segments of organized |
labor in demanding a shorter work
week, or, as Greathouse put it,
"shorter work year,. 1t is his con-
tention that "a work year should be
no longer than is necessary to provide
all the goods and services we need'
and at the same time ensure full en-
ployment of the nations workforce.
These and other ''built-ins'' in
today's highly industrialized So
ciety, he stated are absolutely es-
sential if the nation is to avoid
depression spirals.
THE STEEL STRIKE
1t is the UAW vice presidents
the major steel companies
forced their workers to strike. The
industry had excessive inventories of
steel products on hand. They didn't
want to lay men off because then
hey would have had to pay supple
mental unemployment compensation
rs we'll as higher premiums on state
jobless comp. In addi-
ion, the companies knew that when
he "pinch" began to be felt they
could go to the White House and Sc
cure a Taft-Hartley injunction to ,
iorce the men back to work.
The steel strike wasn't primarily E
because of wages, although the record t
vas clear that the companies could c
,ay substantial increase out of ex- I
essive profits and without the need c
o increase steel prices. The basic
ssue has been whether management
ould, with impunity, destroy condi- |
ions of employment which the men l
n the mills had built up by tough
over a period of more
han twenty years. y
Steel, Greathouse said, like other q
Industries, used excessive profits to A
xpand plant capacity in the decade 2
ollowing World War II, these pro- Fl
iding a large job supply. The slow A
lg down on added plant capacity q
-hile profits continued to soar these :,
ast three years was major reason
Or the 1857 recession, and the con-
nuing joblessness of millions today. h
Today, he continued, we have C;
ample plant capacity. eve don't o.
need more plants or more super pl
at this time, he said. al
What we need is more purchasing /
power" This is where government al
has a responsibility to take up the G
slack in the interests of maintain al
ing a sound, prosperous national aN
economy. al
The UAW official also paid his re-
,ects to the Administration-fostered III