Holmes County herald., 1963-08-08
Job security or union strikes
CAN E%DITORIALD

The Union election at Durant Spotswear next Tuesday S a very serious
matter the results may lead to secure jobs OR may lead to union trouble
which IAN close the plant and destroy the jobs In Holmes County w all know
the dangers Of union. Some employees elsewhere in Mississippi might make
the mistake of voting for a union because they did not know any better.
However, right in Durant w witnessed the closing Of the hosiery plant
which had union and we saw that plant stand empty for nine years.
We have checked carefully on the record Of the union which is trying to
establish that plant, this same umon tried to stop them. This union did not
want the plant established in Durant, Mississippi and did not want southern
workers to have these job opportunities.
When the union did not succeed in stopping the company from coming Sou
tn, the union tried to get the company 10 put pressure upon the employees to
sign up With the unon 50 that the union could collect dues and other fees
from Them The company refused to put any such pressure o the employ
eesC Certainly, in this the company vas right and the union Mas wrong.
Having failed to stop the establishment Of the plant in Durant and having
failed to force the employees to join, the union then set out to harass the COM
pmy in every way possible. The union filed charges against the company on
two different occasions with the NLRB. This harassnent was costly to the
company in. time and money before those matters could be resolved. That
time and money was spent to the benefit of no one. It did not actually help the
union 1t certainly did not help the employees OF Durant SPortswear, TN con
pany Or our community That time and money could have been better spent
for the progress of the plant and the improvement Of the wages and working
conditions Of the employees. Instead, 1t had to be spent to defend the con
pny against the vengefuI and sPteful actions Of the union.
But even then the union did not stop. In this companys eastern plant this
union filed grievances which it took arbitration. In the arbitration case, the
all the work in the Durant plant The union wanted the work done in the
north or nt done at all.
This again led to long and costly litigation. The company vas fighting for
psn ti TIE Hf tn UN RS1I2 FA pIia5 A < lIS15 sd t fe ' sdb S9t 81 r sSsy t S%p ts company m amy
could continue the work in the Duant plant. Even though the union had lost
again many thousands of dollars and a great deal OF time aid been wasted.
employees of the Durant plant
At the very same time that this union Vas attempting to destroy jobs n the
Durant plant by their arguments in the arbitration caeu up in Lawrence, Mas
sachuesetts, their paid organizers were down here in Holmes county posing
as the friends and saviors of the working folks in the Durant plant. We an
not imagine a more unscupuous course Of conduct than that We cannot
imagine that the men and women at Duant Sportswear would be fooled tor
N minute and would make the serious mistake of voting in the election tor
the very people who were seeking to destroy them and their jobs
We don't need any more union trouble in Holmes County, We don't need
election next Tuesday our friends at the Durant Spotswear should vote FOR
themselves and AGAINST the northern union bosses who have tried to de-
sIo oy their jobs We urge our friends at Durant to vote FoR Holmes nI Io cunt,
ant Sportswear to vote NO in the election.