Owned and Published by 
and far Lansing Labor

Phone 4-9612
OFFICE: 109 E. South St.

VOL. 1, NO. 10

Lansing Labor News

Official Weekly Newspaper of CIO Labor in Lansing
MAIL ADDRESS: P.O. Box 657, Lansing 3, Mich.

LANSING, MICHIGAN — MAY 17, 1945

15,000 Paid Subscriptions 
For City War Workers

5c per

 COPY

$1.50 Per Year by Mail

ISSUED EVERY THURSDAY

Writer of Articles 
About Fisher Body 
Is Fired by Firm
Committee to 
Act Today on 
MacNaughton

WASHINGTON 
NEWS 
NOTES

TRAVIS K. 
HEDRICK

For Federated 
Press and 
Lansing Labor 
News

By

WASHINGTON (FP) —VE 
Day, with its message of cheer 
through the unconditional sur­
render of the German military 
machine, is just half our com­
mitment. The war job is not 
finished; our mission for world 
democracy is unfilled.

The remaining half of the job 
— the continuing and mounting 
war on Japan until her uncon­
ditional surrender — will be a 
new test for American labor. It 
will be more severe, in a sense, 
than the tests of the past few 
years.

Provocative Incidents 
Will Keep Occurring

Both AFL Pres. William 
Green and CIO Pres. Philip 
Murray have issued formal 
statements calling upon union­
ists to continue steadfastly on 
the job of war production un­
til the armed might of democ­
racy has overcome its deadly 
enemies in the Pacific and Asi­
atic fronts.

In the face of these offical 
calls to keep up production, 
there will be provocative inci­
dents in various local areas, in 
industries. Few will care to un­
derstand the whys and where­
fores of the incidents, but la­
bor will be expected to carry on 
as before V-E Day—to finish 
the course, to do its heavy share 
in winning the war aginst Ja­
pan.

The continuance of labor’s 
splendid record of keeping on 
the job despite provocations of 
management and isolated in­
stances of mis-leadership that 
could have damaged the war 
effort will help labor’s friends 
in congress and in government 
to ward off coming attacks.

Anti-Labor Article
In American Magazine

One indication of the course 
the anti-labor drive may take is 
found in the current issue of the 
American Magazine by Rep. 
Mike Monroney (D. Okla.).

A self-styled friend of labor, 
Monroney is advocating a “mod­
erate Bill’ to control labor, and 
suggests that the labor move­
ment swallow it as he outlines 
or be forced to accept a more 
severe anti-labor measure.

Monroney wants to require 
“the NLRB to certify for col­
lective bargaining only those 
unions which are able to show 
certain minimum standards of 
good conduct in their internal 
union affairs, such as: reason-
See—WASHINGTON—Page 3

Discharge from the Lansing 
Fisher Body plant of Maurice 
MacNaughton, author of a ser­
ies of hard-hitting articles in 
the Lansing Labor News on 
anti-worker management prac­
tices at the plant, has aroused 
resentment and further impair­
ed employee morale”.

MacNaughton, an arc-welder 
at the plant and member of 
Fisher Local 602, has*long been 
active for labor. He is a trustee 
of the Lansing CIO Council and 
a member of this paper’s board 
of directors.

After being given a number 
of verbal and written charges 
about  minor matters, Mac­
Naughton was discharged for 
“repeated violation of company 
rules.”

The local’s committee and 
management were to exchange 
their views of the case today, 
after which a date will be set 
for a hearing before a four-man 
appeal committee from union 
and management.

The committee demands res­
toration of the job, seniority 
and lost pay.

Barnaby Back
Committeeman 
At Olds Fired 
For Two Days 

t
Prevention of a labor disturb­
ance that might have temporar­
ily halted vital far production 
at Oldsmobile can be credited 
to quick acton by the Oldsmo­
bile top bargaining committee 
and management last week.

When Alvin Barnaby of the 
top committee disdainfully 
crumpled a gate pass after de­
ciding a Shell Plant employe 
was being unfairly sent home, 
he himself was fired.

Incensed employes immedi­
ately started wild talk about 
walkouts and picket lines and 
shutdowns which they threat­
ened would start Saturday 
morning.

Immediate meetings of top 
committee and management got 
the matter adjusted, however, 
before any work difficulties 
could take place which might 
have been difficult for union 
officials to prevent.

Banaby lost two days time 
and was back on the job Mon­
day.

Lifting of Midnight Curfew 
Helps Out Big Nash Dance

V-E Day having arrived, the 
midnight curfew will not ring 
for the big Nash party at the 
Veterans’ Memorial Building, 
213 S. Capitol avenue, a week 
from Saturday on May 26.

The local’s recreation com­
mittee is elated because now the 
party can be held until 3 a. m., 
giving workers on the night 
shift a chance at the fun, too. 
The affair will start at 10 p. m.
Ed Berry, Nash’s own Cedar 
street accomplished band lead­
er, will conduct his nine-piece 
band, which has already made 
a name for itself. Ed has a

lovely girl singer in the person 
of Betty Krest who will enter­
tain throughout the evening.

The affair will be a gala 
event and is open to all CIO 
members, friends and guests.

Nash people can obtain tick­
ets through their stewards. 
Members of other locals can 
get them at the Nash local of­
fice, 1818 South Cedar street, or 
at the door of the dance hall on 
the evening of the dance. 
Friends and guests can follow 
the same plan.

Tickets are 90 cents per per­
son, including tax, and there 
will be 15 door prizes.

Maurice MacNaughton

CIO Helping 
Fund Drive 
For YMCA

Lansing CIO labor is coop­
erating in a big way in the 
current campaign to raise funds 
for the new YMCA building, 
said Clyde Perkins, president 
of the Lansing CIO Council.

Men in some shops have had 
little opportunity as yet to con­
tribute to this community pro­
ject, but Perkins said arrange­
ments were rapidly being work­
ed out between local representa­
tives and management for a 
means of approach to the work­
ers.

He pointed out that the coun­
cil had given support to the 
drive with an endorsement at 
is last meeting, May 2.

This week plant solicitation 
was started and will continue 
until all plant workers have 
had an opportunity to contri­
bute. There is still $57,000 
needed to reach the goal of 
$750,000 which is the sum need­
ed for the new building.

Labor has a vital interest in 
the Y. M. C. A. because 55 per 
cent of the members come from 
union homes, 60 per cent of the 
men living in the dormitory are 
union men working in the plants 
and for the past six years the 
Lansing CIO Council has sent 
70 boys to Mystic Lake Camp 
for the union period.

Olds Baseball 
Team Financed 
With Tag Sale

Olds local members are going 
to finance themselves a baseball 
team and it isn’t going to cost 
the local anything, according 
to members of the recreation' 
committee.

They simply sell everybody a 
tag for 25 cents on which is 
printed, “I Boost Olds No. 652 
Baseball Team.”

If you want to support sport, 
have two bits ready for the boys 
when they contact you.

First practice of the team 
will be 6 p. m. Friday at Syca­
more Park. A. Harvey is man­
ager.

Among other players are: O. 
Beechler, S. Muscott, V. Han­
son, P. Bauer, C. Hibbs, L. 
Hicks, C. Brown and E. Tubbs.

Council Head 
Is Eager for 
Ball Game

Congratulations to Nash 
Local No. 13, UAW-CIO and 
the local’s recreation commit­
tee for again bringing to the 
workers and residents of 
Lansing a fine exhibition of 
baseball talent. The Great 
Lakes team and a team of 
Lansing’s best should make 
for an enjoyable afternoon of 
baseball. Let’s go!

Clyde Perkins, Pres.

Lansing CIO Council

CREDIT DUE
Wyeth Plant 
Signs Union 
Agreement

Clyde Perkins, new president 
of the Lansing CIO Council be­
lieves in giving credit when it 
is due.

He is also president of the 
CIO Dairy Workers Local 93, 
which has just concluded a 
model agreement with the com­
pany for the approximately 125 
employes of the John Wyeth 
corporation of Mason, which 
manufactures pharmaceutical 
and nutritional products from 
milk.

Hard work by the bargaining 
committee, which he assisted, 
and management’s sincere de-

BELIEVE IT 
OR NOT!
It sometimes happens.
See the editorial on page 2 
about a favorable statement a 
representative of manage­
ment at the John Wyeth 
plant made to the union — 
about unions!

sire for the best employe rela­
tions and improved working 
conditions were factors, Perkins 
said in getting agreement on 
the following advantages for 
the workers:

1—Increase in wages.
2—Union shop and check-off.-
3—Overtime plus premiums 

for emergency work.

4—Additional night premi­

ums.

5—Strengthened seniority 

benefits.

6—Arbitration and grievance 

handling benefits.
The wage rate changes must of 
course be approved by the WLB 
but it was felt that none of the 
changes was inflationary or 
outside of wage stabilization 
policies.

“I believe the results obtain­
ed in this negotiation were due 
to a wholehearted desire on the 
parts of both parties to retain 
the good relations that have ex- 
ised in the past and to strength­
en them in the future,” Perkins 
told the Labor News.
Cites Fine Plan for Inurance
He lauded the company’s vol­
untary insurance program and 
said that to his knowledge no 
firm had a better one. It starts 
with the employe and company 
each paying 50 percent of the 
cost. After several years the 
benefits have increased greatly 
by the employe’s share of the
See—WYETH PLANT—Page 3

NASH LOCAL
MEETING IS
THIS SUNDAY

General membership meeting of 
Local 13 for this month will be 
Sunday, May 20. The stewards 
meeting will be at 9 a. m. and the 
regular membership meeting at 10 
a. m.

Wage Cuts Barred, 
WLB Announces

Discussing World Trade Union

Holding informal discussion during the recent meeting of the 
administrative committee of the World Trade Union Conference in 
Oakland, Cal., are shown CIO Pres. Philip Murray, Vice-Pres. Sid­
ney Hillman and Vice-Pres. R. J. Thomas.

New World Union 
Of Labor Formed 
At San Francisco

ary to draft a constitution for 
a new world labor organization. 
Other committee members also 
took part in the press confer­
ence.

Structure of the WFTU will 

consist of:

1—A congress which will be 
its sovereign authority and will 
meet every two years.

SAN FRANCISCO (FP)—A 
draft constitution for the World 
Federation of Trade Unions has 
been unanimously agreed on by 
the administrative committee 
of the World Trade Union Con­
ference and will be submitted 
to the national labor organiza­
tions of 35 nations for ratifica­
tion.

This disclosure was made at 
a packed press conference here 
by CIO Pres. Philip Murray 
following the conclusion of the 
10-day meeting in Oakland of 
the administrative committee, 
which was commissoned by the 
WTUC in London last Febru­

G. M. Workers Can Talk 
With a Committeeman, 
War Labor Board Rules
Don’t Have 
To Air Case
To Foreman

ALL COMMITTEE
CHAIRMEN SHOULD
SEND PAPER NEWS

Oldsmobile, Fisher Body and 
other General Motors employes 
do not have to air their side of 
grievances to supervision be­
fore being granted a committee- 
man, the War Labor Board rul­
ed last week.

Furthermore, the employe 
has the right to discuss his 
case privately with the commit­
teeman when he arrives, the 
board said.

Corporation instructions to 
supervision had said, “the em­
ploye must now tell the fore­
man in detail what the griev­
ance is.”

Workers Handicapped

This almost amounted to the 
worker having to represent him­
self, a serious disadvantage, 
since many workers, are not 
qualified to present grievances 
in the most effective manner.

Then, following further their

Chairmen of all committees 
in every local are urged to 
mail announcements of their 
activities to the Lansing La­
bor News, P. O. Box 657, Lan­
sing, Mich. This cooperation 
is absolutely necessary in 
order for the paper to give 
each local proper publicity. 
Announcements should be 
signed and include address 
and phone number.

If your local is not getting 
enough news it is because the 
paper does not receive 
enough.

own interpretation of Para­
graph 29 in the new G. M.-UAW 
contract, supervision instruc­
tions said:

No Private Talk

“Since the grievance is speci­
fied, there is no necessity for
See—G M WORKERS—Page 3

Will Protect 
Workers in 
Reconversion

WASHINGTON (FP)— 
American workers were told by 
the Natl. War Labor Board 
May 10 that it would be as 
zealous in preventing wage re­
ductions as it was before V-E 
Day in refusing to grant pay 
boosts.

The pledge was made in a 
unanimously adopted policy 
statement announced by WLB 
Chairman George W. Taylor.

Taylor went into details of 
the policy which calls for im­
mediate agreement by manage­
ment and labor on wage sched­
ules for speedy resumption of 
civilian production. These 
schedules, reached by collective 
bargaining, are to be put into 
effect immediately and then 
submitted to the WLB for re­
view.

Should the WLB find a wage 
schedule out of line, either 
through wage cuts or through 
unstabilizing increases, it will 
order adjustments, Taylor said, 
but in no case will such adjust­
ments be retroactive.

More Statements

The policy as announced is 
the first step of the WLB’s plan 
to modify and ultimately dis­
continue the wage stabilization 
program as the nation moves 
toward a peacetime economy. 
Other statements will follow, 
with the method of dealing with 
cutbacks and change from a 48 
to a 40 hour week likely to come 
next — possibly before the end 
of May.

In working out new wage

See—NO WAGE CUTS—Page 3

“It’s a cinch for Kinch,” 
headlined a large cartoon post­
er in Nash Plant No. 1, telling 
the world that Harold Kinch, 
Dept. 202, was the winner of a 
$1,000 bond in a big bond sale 
raffle.

Brother Kinch, when in­
terviewed by a representative 
of the Lansing Labor News, was 
very happy about the whole 
thing.

“Been in on raffles for 12 
years”, he said, “and this is 
;he first thing I’ve ever won.”
Before the drawing Harold 
rubbed his lucky rabbit foot 
across his ticket, number 185. 
He grinned and said, “I think 
that did it.”

Other winners included F. 
Smith, $500 bond; W. H. Maine, 
$100 bond. Small bonds were 
won by Harold Ash, R. Kiel- 
holtz, and L. Mishler.

Dean Reed Named 
On NAACP Board

H. Dean Reed, Lansing PAG 
director for CIO, has been 
elected to the executive board 
of the Lansing branch of the 
National Association for the 
Advancement of Colored 
People.

The Lansing branch has a 
membership of 300, though it 
was but recently organized, 
Reed stated, adding that they 
hoped to reach 600 in the next 

few months.

2—A general council elected 
by the congress and representa­
tive of all affiliated organiza­
tions, to meet annually.

Worker Wins 
$1,000 Bond

3—A 20-man executive com-

See—WORLD UNION—Page 3

 
LANSING LABOR NEWS, INC.

MAIL ADDRESS: P. O. Box 657, Lansing 3, Mich.
OFFICE: 109 E. South St. — Phone 4-9612

A non-profit newspaper dedicated to the interests of the community 
and to the interests of labor here and everywhere. Published every Thurs­
day at the Lansing CIO Council headquarters by the following incorporated 
body, representing locals voting to participate.

BOARD OF DIRECTORS

PRESIDENT—Ernest Miller (Reo 650). VICE-PRES.—Maurice McNaughton (Fisher 
602). SEC.-TREAS.—Kenneth McCreedy (CIO Council). TRUSTEES—George Jake­
way (Fisher 602), William Treanor (Olds 652). MEMBERS—Robert Richardson (Olds 
652), Odell Z. Lamb, Roy Newton (Nash 13), Charles O’Brien (Reo 650), Maurice 
MacNaughton (Fisher 602), V. E. Vandenburg (CIO Council), Peter Fagan, Adrian 
Jensen (Olofsson 728), Dale Gates, Clyde Perkins (Dairy 93), James W. Roberts, 
Dean Reed (SCMWA 276). ASSOCIATE MEMBERS—Mrs. Robert Atkinson (Olds 
Aux.), Mrs. Harold Wilson (Olds Aux.), Mrs. William McCurdy (Fisher Aux ) Mrs 
J. B. Eno (Fisher Aux.).

EDITOR — V. E. VANDENBURG

SUBSCRIPTIONS — Included in the dues of participating locals. Individ­
ual subscriptions, $1.50 peryear by mail.

CONTRIBUTIONS—Should be typed double-spaced on one side of paper and 
signed with author’s name, phone and address. Name will not be used if requested 
Privilege of rewriting to fit news style of paper is reserved, but facts will not be 
changd. Interesting news about people in shop or in service or their relative is 
solicited. Notes on news not written up but containing complete names and all 
th facts are acceptable, too. Mail all contributions to Lansing Labor News P O Box 
657, Lansing 3, Mich. 

’

UNTOLD POSSIBILITIES

Editorial Glimpse Into Future of 
Industry-Worker Relations

In the course of negotiations for the CIO Dairy Local 93 
contract at the John Wyeth corporation in Mason, a representa­
tive of management made this statement to a unioh official:

“No matter what we try to do or see for correcting or bettering 
working conditions, it is always possible to learn — when a collec­
tive bargaining agency exists — that there are problems which 
would never otherwise have come to our attention. Or, in many 
cases, if some of these had come to our attention it would have 
been difficult to have determined the most effective solution with­
out the assistance of the workers themselves through their chosen 
representatives.”

This sane and sensible statement will be considered danger­
ous radicalism in many industrial and business circles, where 
the right of workers to improve their conditions and wages is 
opposed in every manner believed effective, while those same 
business and industrial leaders practice — also in any manner 
believed effective — the principle of improving company profits 
(and their own salaries).

War’s Greatest Secret Weapon

The American industrial system is a gigantic structure the 
like of which the world has never before seen, one so large that 
few of us can see it even now. Its tremendous, undreamed 
possibilites was the war’s greatest secret weapon — the one 
thing the Fascists could not match, could not answer.

This astounding industrial record was not achieved by fac­
tories alone nor the intricate modern machinery therein; it was 
achieved by millions of free men and women willing to pitch in 
and work days, nights and Sundays, in many cases on strange 
and often not agreeable jobs — because they were free human 
beings cooperating as such with management in the biggest 
fight the world has had. And with but few exceptions, manage­
ment did cooperate in just about every way possible — at first.

Are We Men or Machines?

Now that the end of the war is in sight, there appears an 
unfortunate tendency on the part of industry to forget this con­
sideration of workers as human beings and revert to the older 
concept of workers as machines, with fewer privileges and but 
little right to argue about conditions.

THAT IS BAD FOR THE WORKERS, BAD FOR MAN­
AGEMENT, BAD FOR THE CORPORATIONS AND — MOST 
IMPORTANT OF ALL — BAD FOR AMERICA AND THE 
WORLD.

For, even more in peace than in war, America and the world 
needs this great producing institution with its 60,000,000 poten­
tial jobs to restock our own land and to completely rebuild 
others. Any destruction of workers’ morale at this time may 
be fatal to high production efficiency and just as dangerous to 
postwar economy as actual bombing of the plants.

Fortunately, through widening cracks in this bulwark of 
industrial strength there gleams occasional assurance that the 
structure will not crumble before it is sufficiently understood 
that factories alone comprise but a small part of the system.

Looming large in every appraisal of this period and in every 
consideration for the future should be the workers themselves, 
those 60,000,000 free men and women who in the post-war period 
if given a proper chance — will make the miracle production 

of this war look like a minor incident.

We’re Still Human, You Know!

Further recognition of workers as human beings capable of 
untold cooperation and efficiency is what is needed—recogni­
tion in the form of cooperating with them in obtaining better 
wages and working conditions, instead of viciously opposing 
every attempt at improvement. That attitude will pay off in 
amazing divdends through increased efficiency, as has been 
amply proven where it has been sincerely tried.

IN IMPROVED EMPLOYE RELATIONS LAYS THE 
FUTURE SUCCESS OF AMERICAN INDUSTRY AND ALSO 
THE SUCCESS OF AMERICA

It is good to learn that a firm so close to home is one of 
those who may help lead the way to a better America and a 
better world simply by recognizing workers as human beings 
who are entitled to all the privileges and benefits that human 
beings can conceive and put into practice for themselves.

Oklahoma Man New 
WPB Vice-Chairman
WASHINGTON (FP)—WPB 
Chairman J. A. Krug announc­
ed May 1 that John L. Beck­
ham of Oklahoma City, Okla., 
had been named acting vice 
chairman for labor production 
in the absence of Vice Chair­

man Joseph D. Keenan.

Keenan has been loaned by 
WPB to the War Dept, for an 
assignment in the section of 
Germany occupied by U. S. 
troops.

Beckham has been chief re­
gional labor representative for 
WPB in Dallas, Tex., since 
1943.

Scorns Union 
In Scorching 
Reply to Note

Lansing Dairy drivers who 
asked for assistance in organ­
izing in the CIO Dairy Workers 
Local 93 were amused at a “re­
ply” to the letter sent all driv­
ers announcing a recent meet­
ing to discuss organization.

Scrawled across the bottom 
of the letter, which was tacked 
on the company bulletin board, 
was the following:

“So we are to have our home 
broke up by this outfit called 
CIO. Not me. I will not bite the 
hand that feeds me. Let’s get 
out and fight this. As one of 
these so-called organizers says, 
you can’t organize a bunch of 
farmers. Also will not be run 
over by a bunch of city slick­
ers.—G. Morford No. 9”.

Drivers who aren’t especially 
fond of being fed out of some­
one else’s hand and not having 
aything to say about the feed­
ing laughed and said it was all 
right with them if the writer 
wanted that sort of thing for 
himself.

That most of them were in­
terested in hearing about or­
ganizing was evidenced when 
about two-thirds showed up for 
the meeting — including Mor­
ford! *

Even one of the bosses was 
seen going by the hall at 1318 1/2
S. Washington a couple of times, 
looking around very interested­
ly. But he didn’t see much.

New Bedford 
Labor Draft 
Case Ended

NEW BEDFORD, Mass. 
(FP) — The New Bedford la­
bor draft, opposed by local 
unions, was abandoned by the 
War Manpower Commission.

Heavy army and navy de­
mands for textiles manufactur­
ed in the fine goods mills here 
require all the help available 
in the textile mills, Regional 
WMC Director Arthur C. 
Gernes explained in Boston. 
The WMC was trying to trans­
fer workers from the mills to 
tire cord plants to meet a criti­
cal bottleneck in tire produc­
tion.

The much-publicized labor 
draft was opposed by the Tex­
tile Workers Union (CIO), the 
Central Labor Council (AFL), 
the local Republican press and 
the mill owners themselves. 
Union opposition was based on 
the lack of seniority protection 
for the transferred workers 
and bad working conditions in 
the tire plants. Most workers 
■had appealed the transfer.

WMC Chairman Paul V. Mc­
Nutt has agreed to dismiss 
without prejudice cases now 
pending of New Bedford work­
ers who had appealed transfer 
orders, Gernes said. He said the 
WMC had decided to abandon 
the plan after learning that 
within the next three months 
the fine goods mills will man­
ufacture 16 million yards of 
critical fabrics for the armed 
forces.

Ku Klux Klan 
Starting Again

WICHITA, Kans. (FP) — A 
Ku Klux Klan organizer has 
arrived here to organize a KKK 
in ansas. He is George C. 
Ahearn of Tuscaloosa, Miss. He 
claims he already has 95 mem­
bers in Hutchinson, 72 in New­
ton and 57 in Wichita.

Ahearn’s work will be com­
pleted when he has a klan of 
100 members in each of these 
cities at $20 a member, he told 
Federated Press, adding: “In 
Tuscaloosa all real people are 
klansmen and down there nig­
gers, Jews and Catholics don’t 
sfick their necks uot.”

Around The Shops

By George Nader

General

From Washington reports 
that I get, we had better get 
active on the home front. It 
seems that meat packers and 
enough senators to turn over 
the apple cart have joined 
hands to destroy price control 
and exact more profits out of 
the consumer. They are falsify­
ing the causes of the meat 
shortage in order to make their 
efforts appear in the interests 
of the public. We and I do 
mean we better get busy, write 
our senators, representatives, 
put the pressure on. Personally, 
I would recommend sending a 
delegation to help get them to 
see the consumers point of 
view. I would suggest the fol­
lowing people be sent: John 
Haruska or Ray Swartz, Dixie 
Kennedy or Elizabeth Blair, 
Dolly Fitzpatrick or Helen 
Moore, Ray Reed or Glen Mul- 
lett, Leo Moran and Evelyn 
White or W. Barber, Clyde Per­
kins, Chet Cowen, Robert Rich­
ardson and Harry Wilcox. I, 
having been there on such pro­
gram, know fully well what 
such a delegation could do. It 
would be money well spent.

The Novo wage case came 
through this week, and the 
wages for all, but the tool and 
die makers, grinders, tool room 
machine operators, were ok’d, 
subject to OPA approval. The 
above named to be ruled on by 
the tool and die commission. 
There will be a panel hearing 
on the Atlas case, on Saturday, 
May 26 at the Olds hotel, in 
Lansing. Elden Cobb of local 
13 replaced Earl Forbes of lo­
cal 652, on the Eaton county 
gas panel. Brother Forbes takes 
over as the chairman on the 
price panel on the same board.

Jack Holt, Inti. Rep., John 
Haruska, Ward Barnum, Gra­
ham Melrose of the Nash com­
mittee were in Washington on 
the women’s case. From what I 
hear, they did a swell job. It 
certainly would seem that it’s 
about time that those girls got 
what is rightly theirs, but then 
government agencies are slow, 
as if I needed to remind any 
one of that, and I am confident 
they will win the case and get 
what they should have gotten 
long ago . . . Some have won­
dered why Bill Ingram hasn’t 
been around lately . . . for one 
thing, Bill, as a member of the 
G-M negotiations committee has 
been out of town a lot, and then 
as far as the international of­
fice is concerned, there is a 
matter of a box of candy, re­
member, Bill, or have you for­
gotten?

9 Objectives of PAC 
Are Outlined by Reed

good, constructive measures.

To Melling Drop Forge, same 
. . . ditto to Lansing, Paint, Ab­
rams and Novo.

To Paul Gardner for the 
splendid job he is doing. Keep 
it up Paul.

To the girls at Chaard who 

are out to make it 100 percent.

Razzberries
To the Lansing Traffic Com­
mission members who voted 
against the light.

To those who agree to serve 
on panels, but never show up, 
leaving labor without a repre­
sentative.

To those who never contact 
their union for help when in 
need of such, but condemn it, 
for their own failure.

Conclusion
The union will be what we 
who are the union make it. We 
can make it a weapon that will 
work not only for us, but for 
America as a whole, or we can 
be dues paying members, who 
find fault, but never pitch to 
help remedy the faults, if any 
are there, and get in and help 
do the job, a job that will mean 
continued progress ahead, or 
return to the days when the 
boss used the whip, etc. You, 
as one of the contributors, must 
make that choice. Hang to­
gether, or hang apart, depends 
on your action and support.

Work May End 
At Willow Run 
In Few Weeks

YPSILANTI, Mich. (FP) —
The Willow Run government 
bomber plant operated by the 
Ford Motor Co. will probably 
shut down in May or June n- 
stead of August, members of 
Ford Local 50, United Auto 
Workers, (CIO), were told by 
Pres. Brendan Sexton after a 
trip to Washington.

The army, which previously 
said it was busy on plans for 
further use of the giant plant, 
made it clear that nothing was 
materializing except its willing­
ness to lease the plant to Ford, 
who already holds an option to 
buy it.

The union voted to use its 
close to $50,000 in war bonds 
for pushing a program of fed­
eral operation of Willow Run if 
Ford doesn’t want it, obtaining 
federal funds to get the jobless 
workers back home, abolishing 
war manpower regulations and 
furthering the UAW executive 
board proposal to hasten recon­
version in auto shops and leave 
remaining war production to 
government plants like Willow 
Run.

Ford is mum on plans, though 
the rumor persists that tractor 
making will be concentrated at 
Willow Run, which is connected 
with the Ford Rouge plant by 
an industrial highway that puts 
all Hitler’s autobahnen in the 
shade.

In defiance of the WMC, Ford 
has abandoned two-shift opera­
tion of 54 hours each and in­
stituted the 40-hour week for 
one shift only.

The Chaard girls had a meet­
ing to discuss a wage proposal 
to be submitted to the company, 
and had a very good turn out. 
There has been some confusion 
at the council hall, due to mix 
up on meetings, and the hous­
ing committee of the council 
wants every local to turn in 
their meeting date to the coun­
cil secretary, so that a regular 
schedule can be made up to 
avoid mix ups.

All locals should give thought 
to the selection of people to 
represent their local on the CIO 
Cost of Living Committee, 
which will be called back to ac­
tion. It is a very important 
committee and people who will 
attend and do a job should be 
selected, both men and women. 
. . . The job of organizing the 
un-organized is getting under 
way, and with your help, every 
shop in Lansing will fly the CIO 
banner, so let’s have the names 
of shops or what have you that 
are not organized.

Although the light for the 
corner of Washington and 
South street was turned down, 
I have the promise of Mayor 
Crego that he will see what he 
could do about it, he promised 
to come down and bring some 
members of the commission and 
watch the traffic . . . Bill Watt 
rejected for service, and will be 
around with his usual willing­
ness to help ... It seems that 
managements are not asking for 
deferment for essential work­
ers, cause I have seen more 
1-A’s lately than ever.

The Y drive should get us to 
thinking . . . Why can’t we get 
busy and get ourselves a labor 
temple, the A. F. of L. with 
about one-fourth of our size has 
one nearly every city in the 
state having a CIO building, we 
should wake up and do some­
thing, and soon . . . The boys 
and girls at Duplex are getting 
ready to submit a wage pro­
posal to the company . . . Fin­
ished the renewal of the con­
tract at Abrams, with quite a 
few improvements.

Roses
Roses to Aux. 76, local 652, 
for the grand job they are do­
ing at the USO . . . The ladies 
are not only serving once a 
month, the third Thursday of 
every month, but have been do­
ing it for past year. They allow 
$20 plus the personal donations 
of the individuals.

Ward Barnum for the job he 
is doing as chairman, with full 
credit to a splendid committee.
To John Haruska for the help 
he gave to a non-union member 
which has that person praising 
the union.

To Reo local 650.
Local 13 on their decision to 

affiliate with the UAW clinic.

To Hill Diesel local 656, for 
being good sports, when they 
found cut that their regular 
meeting date was mixed Up.

To Lundberg management 
for a splendid policy of work-- 
ing with; their local — result,

NAVY, MARINES 
GET NASH MEN

Nash Dept. 467 (Inspection) 
has lost two more men to the 
service. Edward “Blackie” Ab­
raham (blades) has left for the 
Navy, and the Marines wel­
comed John Boggs, small parts 
inspector.

This reporter highly recom­
mends friends send them a 
copy of_‘Tt’s A Cinch, Private 
Finch”, — book of cartoons that 
will make any trainee laugh at 
the, er, “difficulties”, of camp 
life.

By H. DEAN REED 
Lansing PAC Director

Last week in my article, I 
gave several reasons why PAC 
was here to stay. This week I 
will outline the future activities 
of this great organization.

The future activities are 
clearly defined in our plan 
“The People’s Program for 
1944”, which has been widely 
circulated. Briefly it calls ^or:

1—Total victory over our 
enemies, and all our efforts to 
attain that victory.

2—The establishment of a 
foreign policy which will mea­
sure us a lasting peace.

3—A reconversion program 
which will assure full employ­
ment at fair wages as well as 
the protection of the people’s 
interests.

4—Comprehensive planning 
of Public Works to help in a 
full employment program and 
to assure nationally needed pro­
jects in flood control, soil con­
servation, rural electrification.
5—A program to assure the 

farmer a fair income.

6—The protection of the 
small businessman against 
monopolies.

7—The proper discharge of 
our obligation to our service­
men and women, not with just 
welcoming parades, but with 
concrete assistance to help 
them re-establish themselves in 
peacetime living. 

8—The increase of our social 
security system as adequate 
protection of people in need.

9—The extension of equal­
ity of opportunity to all our 
people, and the eradication of 
racial discrimination.

To attain these objectives, 
we will work through educa­
tional and political action.

The CIO-PAC action will be 
based on the idea, that labor 
must join hands with progres­
sive elements to fight for na­
tional and international secur­
ity for the people.

This leads to one inevitable 
conclusion: PAC will have no­
thing to do with the creation of 
fostering of a third party on the 
national scene. During last fall’s 
campaign, we demonstrated 
that we are not encouraging 
such an idea.

We supported a good many 
Democrats and we helped to 
defeat a good many Democrats. 
We also helped in the election 
of some Republicans and the 
unseating of others. Quite clear­
ly, we did not judge candidates 
on the basis of party affiliation 
but on records. This we shall 
continue to do.

It’s a Date

Plan to attend the membership 
meetings of your local. Here is when 
and where they meet.

OLDS 652—First Friday of month, 

7:30 p. m., 1118 S. Washington.

OLDS AUXILIARY 76—First and 
third Thursdays, 7:30 p. m., 1118 S. 
Washington.

NASH 13—Next meeting Sunday, 
May 20, 10 a. m., 1818 S. Cedar, pre­
ceded by steward’s meeting at 9 
a. m.

REO 650—Meets second and fourth 
Fridays of month, 7:30 p. m., 1314 1/2 
S. Washington.

FISHER 602—Second Sunday of 
month, 6 p. m., 1111  W. St. Joseph 
St.

FISHER AUXILIARY - second 

Tuesday of month.

OLOFSSON 728 — First Thursday 
of month, 5 p. m., corner Porter and 
High St.

DAIRY UNIT 93—Meets 7:30 p. m., 
second Friday of month, 1318 1/2 S. 
Washington.

BUY WAR. BONDS

 
599, Flint—Rodenck McDon­

Believe It or Else

They’ll Try to Pit Vets 
Against Workers, 
Committee Told

A regional wide meeting of- 

Reo Grams

Items of interest about folks at Reo

B. Bennett had a small finan­
cial windfall and we hear he is 
going to do right with the boys.| 
He is thinking over the virtues 
of the different brands. Don’t 
think too long, Burnie, or some 
of us will have to drink water.

Necktie Parties

Move Over, Adolph Hittler!
By ALVIN G. TAYLOR 
Olds Forge Plant

Move over, Adolf Hitler! Hell isn’t yet half full;

You thought you had the world by the tail and in a downward pull. 

All freedom loving people you trampled in your stride—

You were mighty brave, and how you raved with Storm Troopers 

by your side.

You and your Swastika! How it sizzled before it burned!
And after friend Benito, you, too, took your turn.

But you won’t be there alone, for our eyes are looking west;

Make room, Adolf and Benito, for Hirohito in your nest.

WORLD UNION
(Continued From Page 1) 
mittee including three from the 
USSR, two from Great Britain, 
two from the U. S., two from 
France, three from the rest of 
Europe, one from China, two 
from Latin America, one from 
the Pacific, one from Africa and 
three from the trade depart­
ments 

4—A bureau of management 
consisting of a chairman, four 
voice chairmen and a secretary.

all local veteran committees 
chairmen of Region IC UAW- 
CIO was held in Flint at the 
CIO Building Sunday, May 6, 
at which Frank Amico, assist­
ant to the director of the veter­
an department of the Interna­
tional UAW-CIO, said:

“Management will pit the re­
turning veteran against the 
workers if given half a chance! 
Superseniority will destroy the 
very foundations of any secur­
ity the veteran of World War I 
pray have acquired in the years 
since he returned from that 
war.”

Olds Stewards, 
Committeemen 
Meeting Friday

Olds Local 652 stewards 
and committeemen’s council 
will meet at 8 p. m. and mid­
night this Friday, May 18.

New officers are: Homer 
Norton, chairman; Booker 
Jones, recording secretary; 
and Elmer Hudson, sergeant- 
at-arms.

Chaard Lab WA VE 
Commends Paper

Elizabeth Loepke, S 1-C, of 
Miami, Florida, writes a letter 
of commendation for the new 
labor paper. She says, “Thanks 
for the union paper; it’s quite 
the stuff. I think that editorial 
Van wrote about the late Presi­
dent was the most beautiful one 
I have read.”

Seaman Loepke was formerly 
a member of, Local 724 and 
worked at Abrams Instrument 
Co. and Chaard Laboratories. 
She left Chaard to join the 
WAVES last November.

News from the

AUXILIARIES

Fisher Auxiliary 202

Regular monthly business 
meeting of Auxiliary No. 202 
was held Tuesday, May 8 at 
the Fisher Hall. It was report­
ed that 11 new members were 
signed up during the member­
ship drive. Bunco was played 
after the meeting, with Goldie 
Falor and Jessie Pritchard win­
ning the prizes. Lunch was 
served but the ice cream was 
missing (ask Sister Falor why).
The auxiliary is planning a 
weiner roast June 3 at the 
Ledges. Proceeds of this event 
will be donated to the Disabled 
Veterans Fund.

This money is to be used to 
furnish rooms at the Percy 
Jones hospital. Tickets will be 
on sale this week. Everyone is 
invited.

A coordinating committee of 
five chairmen of local commit­
tees was set up. Bob Stinson, 
Local 581 Flint, Chairman; Jer- 
rie Williams, Local 708, Flint, 
Secretary; C. H. McLenna, Lo­
cal 633, Fenton, Homer C. Nor­
ton, Local 652, Lansing, and 
Jack Depner, Local 650, Lan­
sing, were elected members of 
the committee.

Present at the meeting were 
the following chairmen and 
representatives of Locals in Re­
gion IC:

602, Lansing — John H. Ul- 

rey;

652, Lansing — Earl Forbes 

and Homer C. Norton;

650, Lansing — Carl R. Kelso 

and Jack Depner;

724, Lansing — Lee E. Mo­

ran;

872, Lansing — Howard E. 

Barney.

Local 92, Fenton — Harold 

H. Stuck and Doss Miller;

ald; 

659, Flint — Fred Ranneey 

and William Walter; 

633, Fenton — C. H. McLen­

na;

635 — John C. Wiland and 

Frank Waider;

708, Flint — C. Cromp;

REWORK

BY

ROY NEWTON
NASH LOCAL 13

Live and Learn. Two weeks 
ago I mentioned my 24-hour 
suspension for refusal to work 
on Magnaflux. Well, I lost the 
grievance (and the $10) but at 
the same time management 
agreed that in the future, VA-1 
men should not be used on Mag­
naflux.

Lucky Guy. Had a short 
talk the other day with Bob 
Peterson, who was visiting 
Plant No. 1. At the time of his 
induction into the army, Bob 
was vice-president of Local 13. 
He was reported missing, then 
a prisoner of war. Recently he 
was liberated and is now at 
home with his wife and two 
children for a 60-day furlough. 
Bob looks fine, feels good, and 
considers himself just about the 
luckiest guy in the world.

Money. Note to Nash em­
ployes. You may have some 
unemployment compensation 
coming for the sixth day of that 
week the plants were closed. In­
quire at the same place you 
made your claim, 124 N. Larch.

Record. Nelson Kincaid, Z-3 
man at Nash, has been on the 
job for three and one-half years, 
has been absent only two and 
one-half days, and late twice. 
And he drives a total of 80 miles 
a day to do this. Anyone know 
a better record?

Curfew. Quite a relief to 
those of us who like to hoist a 
few to be able to get into the 
local bars and clubs after work. 
Looks pretty good to have the 
lights back on too.

Voting in the congress and 
general council will .be propor­
tionate. Organizations with 
membership up to five million 
will have one vote for every 
50,000. Those with more than 
five million but less than 10 
million, one vote for each addi­
tional 100,000 members. Those 
between 10 and 15 million, one 
vote for each additional 200,000 
and those with more than 15 
million, one vote for each addi­
tional 400,000. Affiliation fees 
will likewise be colected on a 
proportional basis.

The constitution provides that 
as a general rule affiliation 
shall be confine to a single 
national labor organization for 
each country but in exceptional 
circumstances “more than one 
national trade union center or 
individual national trade union 
organization may be granted 
the right of affiliaton.” This 
leaves a door open for entry of 
the AFL, which has thus far 
refused to take part.

GM WORKERS 
(Continued, from Page 1) 
private conversation between 
and the employe, and abuses 
in this direction should be cor­
rected.”

John Osbourn, top bargain­
ing committee chairman at 
Oldsmobile, said the corpora­
tion would have to give super­
vision new instructions and 
that he hopes they would do it 
soon in order to prevent mis­
understandings in handling of 
grievances.

AU Changed Now

He said the employe must 
state the nature of the griev­
ance to the foreman when ask­
ing for a committeeman, such 
as whether it is a question of 
seniority, a wage grievance, etc., 
but the worker does not have 
to go into detail nor discuss it 
any further at all with the fore­
men while awaiting the commit­
teeman.

And if the worker desires 
supervision must give him op­
portunity to go over the matter 
privately with the committee- 
man, Osbourn said.

WYETH PLANT

(Continued From Page 1) 

cost drops to 38 per cent.

The plan covers non-occupa- 
tional sickness, accident,, life 
and compensation benefits far 
exceeding for the cost those of 
any other plan he has seen, Per­
kins said.

Members of the union com­
mittee at John Wyeth are Rex 
Goodman, Maude Eifert, Carl 
Royer, Spencer Lindsley and 
Jean Chadwick.

NO WAGE CUTS

(Continued from Page 1) 
structures for civilian produc­
tion in reconverting plants, 
Taylor said, “The board puts its 
chips on collective bargaining 
where there are unions. We have 
confidence labor and manage­
ment can work out these wage 
structures.  We don't want a 
minute of lost production or 
idle jobs.”

A, certain individual working 
out of the tool design has been 
sporting a hand painted neck­
tie, boasting all the colors of s 
the rainbow. But last Tuesday t 
V-E Day, he prudently left it 
home. In some parts of the shop c 
neckties were sheared off at the  
roots by the celebrants. He took 
no chances. The pinned up ties 
made a colorful showing on a  
bulletin board. A few of those 
who had their neckties amputat- i 
ed: Marv Kanouse, Don Corn- 
Should management and la­
well, Al Foust, Clint Dodge, 
bor fail to agree on permanent 
Ray Crawford, Charley Sum- 
new rates for a reconverted 
merfield, Pete Chapman, Geo. 
plant, say from tank produc­
Barnett, etc., etc., etc. Peace in 
tion to refrigerators, Taylor ex­
Europe was worth it, eh boys? 
plained, the WLB hopes they 
Sorry to hear that Ralph i 
will establish temporary or ten­
Cook is sick with a strep throat, 
tative rates for such classifica­
Get well Cookie, both Union and 
tion and submit the whole to the 
Company need you. 
]
board for review.

No Strike Pldege

Asked if the WLB “was hold­
ing labor to its no strike 
pledge,” Taylor said there was 
no dispute about it — that the 
pledge was good through V-J 
Day (Victory over Japan Day.)
Both labor members in at­
tendance, Sec. Treas. J. A. 
Brownlow of the Colorado Fed­
eration of Labor (AFL) and 
Van A. Bittner, assistant to 
Pres. Philip Murray of the 
United Steelworkers (CIO),

agreed that “nobody is holding 
labor to its pledge. It is volun­
tary and we are going to keep 
it until the war is over.”

WASHINGTON
(Continued from Page 1) 
able requirements for admitting 
new members, regular, free 
elections, with secret ballot, de- 
tailed annual accounting to its 
own members, with provision 
for independent audit, refer­
enda on important issues, and 
full safeguards against arbi­
trary expulsion from the 
union.”

Monroney is only one of the 
spokesmen voicing similar 
sentiments here. He just hap­
pened to get paid for putting 
his into the American Maga­
zine. Labor should be on the 
outlook for others.

TRAILER CAMP
OPENS IN JUNE

H. Wanters of Nash Local 13 
is opening a trailer camp at 
Lake Odessa (about 40 miles 
west of Lansing through Grand 
Ledge).

The camp, featuring modern 
conveniences and a fine beach, 
will open between June 1 and 
15, he said.

“Fibber” McGee, who works J 

for Bill Belgard, visited his 
home state of Arkansas lately. 
He says the floods were so deep 
that the razor back hogs climb 
the oak trees of their own ac­
cord to get at the acorns. Pre­
viously they had to be poled.

The Voice

Our well known songster 
Harold McAttee had a small 
part in the Players Guild pro- 
 duction of “Gold in the Hills”. 
He was one of the barkeepers’ 
quartet. His friends were afraid 
he would louse up the play, but 
according to him he was re­
sponsible for the “standing 
room only” signs.

Bernard Davis who works for 
Fisher showed us some photos 
of his son and his mate at a 
naval torpedo station. These 
kids handle a ton of high ex­
plosives as if it were rock candy. 
Raise a son who is not afraid 
of TNT and you’ve got some­
thing.

Steward Ted Thomson has 
pretty well succeeded in his 
campaign to have the leaky roof 
fixed in his department. About 
the only place it still leaks is on 
the foreman’s desk.

PET PEEVES

By THOMAS BETTlSON 
Reo Local 650

To have a fuse blow out and 
unable to locate my flashlight.
—T. P.

To have some one borrow my 
automatic pencil or fountain 
pen and put same in their pock­
et when they finish with it.

—E. W.

To have my face lathered” 
with soap in the shower and 
have soap slip to the floor.

—R. B.

The person who is always 
trying to borrow money and 
goes on a drinking spree the 
day after pay day.  —G. P.

The person who replies 
“What’s good about it,” when 
“good morning” is said to him.
—G. S.

To have a tobacco chewer sit 
near me and then start spitting 
all over the floor. —A. Z.

The store clerk who calls me 
“dearie” when I’m trying on a 
dress. 

—D. W.

The person who mixes gaso­
—A.W.

line with alcohol  

Outstanding Baseball Stars 
Will Play Lansing Game

The Nash-Kelvinator Locals 
13 Recreation Committee feels 
proud of its opportunity to 
bring to the baseball fans of 
labor in Lansing, the outstand- 
ing baseball service team of  
the United States

On Tuesday, June 5, at 6 p. m. 
the call of “play ball” should 
see a lot of CIO people in the 
stands at Michigan State co- 
lege field, watching Bob Feller, 
that luminary of the pitching 
rubber, formerly with the Cleve­
land Indians lead his star- 
studded lineup from Great 
Lakes training station against 
Manager Roy Morris’ picked 
lineup from last year’s Lansing 
Industrial League.

Bob Feller at the present time 
has such outstanding former 
major league players as: Ken 
Kelter, Cleveland third base­
man who is playing second base 
while that battling Irishman 
Pinky Higgins, well known to 
Lansing baseball fans for his 
record with our own Detroit 
Tigers, holding down the hot 
corner.

The catching duties are in the 
hands of Walker Cooper, the 
best catcher in baseball today, 
who was half of the famous 
brother battery of the last year 
world champion St. Louis Card­
inals.

In addition himself, Feller 
can call on another Tiger, John- 
ny Corsica, to help hi mwith 
the pitching chores.

Roy Morris, last year’s man­
ager of the Old Timers’ baseball 
team and champions of Lan­
sing, will be calling on such 
local starts as Bill Look, center 
fielder and Irving Kolberg, 
former property of the Phila­
delphia Athletics at first base.
Behind the plate will be that 
gray beard of Lansing dia­
monds, Charlie Meredith. One 
of the pitchers that will prob­
ably be called upon to face the 
Great Lakes bats will be Mor- 
rie Ramont who in a game here 
in 1943 against the Detroit Tig­
ers; held them to one run in

nine innings. At shortstop will 
be Cecil Stine, Ferd Georgia, 
Clayton Johnson, Buster Sut­
ton, Rudy Castalliana (present­
ly  playing with Michigan 
State), Charlie Griffin, Axil 
Johnson, Russ Olsen, Bunny 
Darcy, (this year’s playing 
manager of the Nash team), 
Stanley Hayden and Nichols.

If Lansing labor demon­
strates that they want to see 
such attractions, the Nash Rec­
reation committee said they 
would make every effort pos­
sible to bring in such teams as 
the Detroit Tigers, New York 
Yankees and others.

Sports News

FROM

NASH LOCAL 13

Local 13, UAW-CIO, is en­
tering a team in the city Class 
A softball league and we in­
vite all of those in the city who 
are CIO members to come out 
to Comstock Park Thursday, 
May 17 at 5:30 p. m. to try out 
for the team. This team will 
be co-managed by Al Rush, 
chief steward on the barrel line 
at the Cedar street plant and 
Ray Swart, Cedar street plant 
committeeman. A strong team 
and plenty of fun is promised.

The Triple A baseball team 
of Local 13 will practice every 
Monday and Wednesday "at 
6:30 p. m. at Sycamore Park 
until the season starts. We 
need good ball players. Those 
interested please attend these 
practices.

The Triple (A softball team 
will practice Sunday at 10:30 
a. m. at Comstock Park.

The Double A softball team 
will practice every Tuesday 
and Thursday evening at Com­
stock Park at 5:30 p. m.

 
 
Russian Unions Discussed 
By Soviet Labor Leader

SAN FRANCISCO (FP — a 
Critics of Soviet labor unions 
were invited by Pres. Vassily 
Kuznetsov of the All Union 
Central Council of Trade 
Unions to come to the USSR 
and see for themselves how they 
work.

The Russian labor leader, 
who is an official delegate to 
the United Nations Conference 
on Intl. Organization, issued his 
invitation at a lively press con­
ference held by the World Trade 
Union Conference administra­
tive committee to announce the 
results of its meeting in Oak­
land.

The more than 200 news- 
hungry reporters packed into 
the room fired almost as many 
questions at Kuznetsov as at 
CIO Pres. Philip Murray, who 
presented the committee’s re­
port. Smiling good-humoredly 
and speaking English, Kuznet­
sov won approval of the hard- 
boiled audience with his direct, 
hard-hittng answers.

Not Dominated by Government

Asked what he thought of 
AFL charges that unions in his 
country are undemocratic and 
subordinate to the government, 
Kuznetsov smiled and said: 
“This is a very old question. We 
hear it every time the Russian 
unions are going to participate 
in an international organization. 
Actually, our unions are inde­
pendent and democratic in every 
way you can mention.”

He spoke at some length on 
the structure of Soviet unions 
and said he wondered why the 
charge of government domina-

tion was raised so often. It 
might simply be due to lack of 
information, he said, in which 
case “we would be very glad to 
give those people the opportun­
ity to come to our country to 
see how we work.” Or, he con­
tinued, the question was raised 
because of a basically unfriend­
ly attitude toward the USSR. 
In either case, he said, he hoped 
such critics would study the 
Soviet labor movement and de­
cide for themselves.

Why Russia Has No Strikes

His invitation coincided with 
the disclosure by Murray that 
the new world labor organiza­
tion setup at Oakland would 
provide for regular exchange of 
delegations among various 
member countries “so we can 
get to know each other better.” 
Murray said a U. S. delegation 
was planning to visit the USSR 
as soon as posable.

Kuznetsov scored another hit 
with his listeners in replying to 
a reporter who wanted to know 
if Russian workers have the 
right to strike and if so, why 
there aren’t any strikes in the 
USSR. Kuznetsov said the 
workers had the right but that 
they could always find other 
ways of settling disputes. Press­
ed further, Kuznetsov reminded 
the reporter that a workers’ 
government had been set up in 
1918 and added with a grin: 
“After all, it’s not our fault 
that we have such a system un­
der which we don’t have to 
strike to win our demands.” 

Reciprocal Trade Act
Supported by the CIO

Bogged down in the Housed 

ways and means committee, 
this measure extends the pres­
ent act designed to build for­
eign trade. Though AFL Vice- 
Pres. Matthew Woll is opposed 
to it, the AFL itself and the CIO 
are backing the measure. Pres­
ent law expires June 12.

WASHINGTON (FP) — Un­
qualified support of the CIO’s 
6 million members was given 
the Reciprocal Trade Agree­
ments act (HR 2652) May 10 in 
testimony before the House 
Ways and Means committee by 
CIO Sec. Treas. James B. 
Carey.

Reciprocal trade agreements 
under the act simply mean that 
the U. S. State Dept, will nego­
tiate with other nations on tar­
iff questions. That we lower 
our trade barriers as they lower 
theirs.

Cause of War

Carey told the committee that 
“we have abundant evidence to 
prove that economic warfare 
leads inevitably to military war­
fare; that trade and exchange 
restrictions, blocked currencies, 
and other such devices of eco­
nomic warfare lead not to peace 
and prosperity but to war and 
death.

“Two paths lie before the U. 
S. in the postwar world. One 
leads to narrow nationalism, 
low wages, production at half 
of capacity, unemployment and 
eventually war. The other leads 
to full production, full employ-, 
ment, prosperity, friendly co­
operation with the other na­
tions of the world and peace.

“We will follow the second 
path by adopting such measures 
as the bill which is now before 
you. Those who oppose this 
bill, whether they understand 
it or not, are leading our steps 
along the first path.”

Misrepresentation

The CIO secretary said the 
newspapers have misrepresent­
ed the bill to make it appear

that individual items of pro­
duction here would be subjected 
to ruinous competition from 
abroad.

He said the papers try to 
claim that because American 
workers are paid better wages 
than foreign workers, that “the 
American workers cannot hope 
to hold their own in competi­
tion with a foreigner, except 
with the protection of tariffs 
so high that foreign goods may 
not be imported. And the charge 
appears that this bill will open 
the flood-gates. None of these 
misleading statements will bear 
examination,” Carey said.

Huge Markets

“ A market for al the goods 
we can produce exists,” he said. 
“It exists in the war devastated 
countries who will need our ma­
chinery and many consumer 
goods they purchased from us 
before the war. It exists in the 
needs of the American people 
as the result of several years 
lack of the production of most 
consumer durable goods.

“Foreign countries, however, 
cannot long remain markets if 
they have no prospect of selling 
to this country, and the Ameri­
can people cannot buy unless 
they are working and earning 
the money with which to pay 
for the goods they need.

“The passage of this bill will 
enable our government to ne­
gotiate within limits, trade 
agreements whereby foreign 
countries have the assurance of 
remaining'our customers by be­
ing able to sell their goods to 
us. This process assures Ameri­
can industry and American 
workers of a constantly ex­
panding foreign trade and will 
raise the level of domestic in­
comes, thereby resulting in a 
larger market here at home.”

Buy war stamps

Southern Paper 
Campaigns for 
Negros’ Rights

NEW ORLEANS (FP) — 
The Federationist, AFL news­
paper published by W. L. Don- 
nels, has cracked the ancient 
tradition of deafness to Negro 
needs by supporting the de­
mands of New Orleans Negroes 
for a share in the beach front 
and swimming facilities.

A part of Lake Ponchartrain 
beach formerly open to Ne­
groes was closed to them two 
seasons ago on the alleged ex­
cuse of war waterfront restric­
tions. Since then some children 
have drowned and others have 
acquiree} skin diseases through 
swimming in unsafe and pollut­
ed waters. The Federationist 
will seek aid from the Urban 
League and the Council of So­
cial Agencies.

Conscription 
In Peacetime 
Is Condemned

WASHINGTON (FP) — A 
resolution opposing compul­
sory peacetime military con­
scription has been adopted by 
the executive council of the Inti. 
Assn, of Machinists (AFL) in 
session here May 9.

The resolution said that in 
Europe compulsory military 
service imposed a severe burden 
on the people “while popular 
education and general well-be­
ing suffered as a result of it.” 
It said “peacetime military con­
scription is a violaton of Ameri­
can tradition and a direct blow 
at democracy.”

Labor Preacher 
Given Banquet

DETROIT (FP) — The Rev. 
Claude Williams, minister to 
labor of the Detroit presbytery 
and leading fighter against fas­
cism inside the churches, was 
the guest at a testimonial din­
ner given by progressive church­
men, laborites and others in the 
parish house of the Church of 
Our Father, May 4. Over $1,000 
was raised to support the 
Peoples Institute of Applied 
Religion, of which Williams is 
director.

Machinists Ask 
Wage Increase

WASHINGTON (FP) — By 
authority of its executive coun­
cil, the Intl. Assn, of Machin­
ists (AFL) has petitioned the 
Natl. War Labor Board for im­
mediate approval of wage in­
creases to make up for reduc­
tions in take-home pay caused 
by cuts in hours, or reductions 
in work volume caused by short­
er runs, broken schedules, etc. 
in the case of incentive work­
ers.

CALIFORNIA STRIKE
OF BUSES ENDED

SANT AMONICA, Cal. (FP) 
—Settlement of a Santa Monica 
bus operators 10-day strike 
scored a victory for 65 members 
of Lodge 22, Brotherhood of 
Railroad Trainmen (unaffiliat­
ed) when the city, which oper­
ates the busses, had its council 
pass an ordinance granting the 
drivers an 8-hour day with 
tme-and-a-ahalf for overtime. 
The city refused to furnish 
busses which strikers offered to 
drive without charge to get war 
workers to and from work.

California Pac Is 
Being Investigated

SACRAMENTO’, Calif. (FP) 
—The California assembly rules 
committee recommended adop­
tion of a resolution calling on 
the Tenney little Dies commit­
tee to investigate the CIG Politi­
cal Action Committee.

NEWSPAPER SIGNS 
UNION CONTRACT

SAN FRANCISCO (FP) — 
The United Nations Conference 
edition of the New' York Post, 
published here, signed an agree­
ment with the San Francisco 
Oakland Newspaper Guild 
(CIO) guaranteeing the west 
coast staff all conditions of the 
SFONG citywide contract plus 
a checkoff.

Old Age Benefits 
Total $37,000 
Per Month Now

Benefits totaling over $37,- 
000 per month are now being 
paid to beneficiaries in this 
service area according to W. 
Scott Hamlin, manager of the 
Social Security Board field of­
fice which is located at 215 
Federal Building, Lansing.

Beneficiaries who partici­
pate in these monthly pay­
ments include retired workers 
past 65 years of age, their wives 
if over 65, minor children of 
deceased workers, widows of 
deceased workers if past 65 or 
if they have children under 18 
in their care, and dependent 
parents of deceased workers if 
over 65.

In addition to these monthly 
benefits, there has been paid in 
the first quarter of this year 
over $12,000 lump-sum death 
benefits to survivors of deceas­
ed wage earners. Such pay­
ments are made when there are 
no survivors who would be en­
titled to monthly benefits and 
are intended to help defray fu­
neral or last illness expenses.

The area serviced by the Lan­
sing Field Office consists of 
Ingham, Eaton, Clinton and 
Livingston counties.

Bretton Woods 
Action Urged

WASHINGTON (FP)— 
Quick action to approve the 
Bretton Woods agreements as 
incorporated in HR 2211 before 
the House banking committee 
was urged May 10 by CIO Sec. 
Treas. James B. Carey. He 
asked that the bill be reported 
out without amendments or 
changes, Using the arguments 
presented by CIO Pres. Philip 
Murray, Carey pointed out that 
a prosperous postwar period 
with full production and 60 
million jobs promised by the 
late Pres. Roosevelt will depend 
upon the expansion of world 
trade.

“For all these reasons of 
economic and political security, 
of stabilized currencies and a 
continued flow of foreign trade, 
and of a rising standard of liv­
ing throughout the world, we 
in the CIO indorse wholeheart­
edly the proposed Intl. Mone­
tary Fund as an integral part 
of any program for economic 
cooperation with the rest of the 
world. Carey also indorsed the 
bank for reconstruction and 
development as a part of the 
Bretton Woods plan as “stimu­
lating greater activity upon the 
part of private banking inter­
ests, by guaranteeing loans 
and by supplying loans 
where they cannot be made 
through normal channels at 
reasonable rates.”

SHOWS FOR VETS

CHICAGO (FP) — More 
than 100 members of the Chi­
cago local of American Fed­
eration of Radio Artists (AFL) 
are participating in shows at 
veterans hospitals sponsored by 
the Red Cross.

Texas Labor Scores 
Against Poll Tax

AUSTIN, Tex. (FP)—Labor 
and progressive forces in Texas 
scored one hit against the poll- 
tax and a home run for the 
soldier vote.

The house committee on 
amendments reported favorably 
6 to 4 on Rep. S. J. Isaak’s con­
stitutional amendment for re­
peal of the polltax payment as 
a condition for voting. The 
house voted final approval of 
Sen. George Moffett’s constitu­
tional amendment authorizing 
those in the armed forces to 
vote without payment of the 
polltax.

Phone Workers
Get Increase

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (FP)— 
Increases of $2 to $5 weekly 
for employes of the Southwest­
ern Bell Telephone Co. were ap­
proved by the Natl. War Labor 
Board. The increases cover 
about 26,000 non-supervisory 
employes in a six-state area.

The Southwestern Bell Tele­
phone Workers Union (unaffili­
ated) had asked for a $7 weekly 
increase. The company offered 
increase. The company offered 
increases averaging $1.88 a 
week. Increases granted to oper­
ators are: large cities, $5, with 
minimum of $22 a week; small­
er towns, 4, with minimum of 
$20. Craftsmen such as Inemen 
and automatic printer repair­
men, armed guards, lunchroom 
attednant, officeworkers, jani­
tors and elevator operators also 
receive increases.

All increases are retroactive 

to Aug. 29, 1944.

Photo Flashes of the News

WLB Orders 
War Wage 
Level Held

UNIONTOWN, Pa. (FP)—In 
a decision that may set a prece­
dent for reconversion wages, the 
third regional War Labor 
Board directed continuation of 
wartime wage levels for work­
ers at Richmond Radiator Co., 
which has reconverted to peace­
time production of bathtubs.

The company wanted reduc­
tions in wages to follow along 
with its resumption of peace­
time production. WLB industry 
members dissented in the deci­
sion, which the company ap­
pealed to the national WLB. 
The workers are members of 
United Auto Workers (CIO).

Rejecting the company’s pro­
posal to cut wages, the regional 
WLB declared that such a pol­
icy “undoubtedly would produce 
a substantial deflationary pres­
sure on the national economy.” 
Such pressure, it held, is not 
consistent with the national in­
terest.

Wartime levels should be 
maintained, Chairman Garrett 
said, because the substantial in­
crease in wages and prices 
which occurred during the war 
“should be reflected in the wage 
rates of workers during the pe­
riod of reconversion.” Since 
only about one-third of the 
company’s employes are now 
making bathtubs, anintr'a-plant 
inequity would result if their 
rates were slashed, he added.

Licked by a Union Label

Soldiers, Unionists Work Together

A month ago mobs of German prisoners walked down the 
center island of this Autobahn in Germany, while union-made U. 
S. Third Army vehicles rolled past them. In the right foreground is 
one of the Sherman tanks made by members of United Auto Work­
ers (CIO) and United Steelworkers (CIO). On the left are the 
21/2-ton trucks which UAW workers manufacture at General Motors 
plants. A lot more of these will be needed to beat Japan.

—Federated Pictures

Behind Barbed Wire

To beat the tire shortage, servicemen have been working in 
perfect harmony side by side with members of United Rubber 
Workers (CIO) in Los Angeles rubber plants. Army furlough­
ed servicemen roll the tires off the assembly line.

—Federated Pictures

Thai Singin' Man

Even imprisonment in the notorious Bad Orb camp in Ger­
many couldn’t demoralize these American Newspaper Guild 
(CIO) men, who kept up moral of 3,364 Yank prisoners with a 
daily handwritten news bulletin and organized discussion groups. 
Shown with .the final edition of the bulletin — STLAG IX-B 
LIBERATED — are Pfc. Joh Dunn, Federated Press editor; Den­
nis Murray, Chicago Tribune reporter; and Edward A. Uzemack; 
Chicago Times reporter.—U. S. Signal Corps Photo Via FP.

—Federated Pictures

“Any time a union calls me, I will come and sing,” says 
Felipe Aguilar of Local 1421 United Electrical, Radio and Ma­
chine Workers (CIO) in Los Angeles. Called the UE Troubador, 
he brightens many union functions with the Mexican folk songs 
he sings to his own guitar accompaniment.

—Federated Pictures