The people's voice. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1939-1969, 1961-03-10
The Readers Forum
Standard Failed To Print Labor Officials Letter


Editor, Peoples Voice:
The following is a copy of a letter
submitted to "Our Readers Speak" de-
partment of the Montana Standard on
February Is. 1t was not printed. Please
publish in THE VOICE.
Letter to the Editor:
I have never written Letter to the
Editor before, but / feel that letter
should be written in defense of the
many thousands of working people and
their leaders in Butte, who subscribe
to your paper. These people are entitled
to a hearing.
In your Friday, February 10th edition
of the paper, an account of the hear
ing on Senate Bill No. 139 was printed,
which account stated that DR.. Cash
more, of Helena, Montana, waved
sheaf of kilograms, stating they were
all from labor chiefs. Is not the good
doctor aware that this is how union
business is conducted?
The members at their meetings make
motions instructing their leaders or
officers to send such kilograms in
their behalf and they voice their opin-
ions in this manner. These kilograms
are paid for out of their dues struc-
ture.
A few words on the bill, which the
papers call an Anti-Strike Bill, what
it really amunts to under scrutiny is
an Anti-Small Union Bill. Section No.
in this bill sets up three member
board to conduct strike elections and
count the ballots at $500 per day
each, with no limitations set on the
number of such elections to be held.
The cost to be borne equally by the
employer and the union. This procedure
would cause the unions membership
to either accede to the employers de-
mands or quickly go out of business,
as their treasures are small.
This bill could not i'm any way af-
feet the larger unions, who are under
the Landrum-Griffin Act, nor the
Miners Union, against whom the
bill was aimed, as the federal gov
eminent has pre- empted that field.
Also, l should like to point out that
all our union constitutions provide
for secret ballot strike vote.
Your paper of Saturday, February IL,
1861, printed a. most vicious attack on
Labor leaders by Senator j. S. Bremen,
of Beaverhead county, past president
of The Montana Stockgrowers Assoc
citation. He used the words 'ftotalitar-
ianism', 'obscene', and nasty to de-
scribe labor leaders. He suggested they
should crawl back under the rocks
which spawned them"
for the Stockgrower's Association, when
he uses this language. / cannot believe
this fine group of people would sub
scribe to such sentiments as expressed
by Mr.. Bremen.
1 feel that they are fully aware that
not only are working people their best
customers and boosters, but they also
pay $50 of the income taxes collected |
by the government. Which government |
has been very kind to the cattlemen in |
The past twenty years, in subsidies, low |
grazing fees, etc., which have helped |
he cattlemen attain his present high |
standard of living.
No such good fortune befalls the |
man or woman. They must |
through their elected leaders sit across |
he bargaining table and fight for
very penny of wage raises to meet |
he ever increasing cost of living.
Now, word about these leaders. |
Nhey are elected by secret ballot, by |
vote of the membership who |
lave confidence in them, and who know
hese leaders are working ito promote |
he members welfare Many of these
eaders are not paid, some have only |
mall expense accounts, some have |
lone They do this work because they |