Hollywood Trip Planned For 100 Girls Girls working at Olds, Nash, Reo, Fisher and other war plants may be among 100 to be chosen for a dancing trip to Hollywood this summer. The project will be sponsored by the Fort Custer Military Serv­ ice Club, a state organization of girls with a Lansing unit which charters buses to take members to dances at the camp. "The girls will literally dance their way to California and back, stopping at camps along the en­ tire route to entertain service­ men," said Mrs. Ethel B. Gibbon, chairman of the Lansing club and chairman of the organiza­ tion’s state executive board. To Audition Entertainers She said ten members of the group would be the most tal­ ented entertainers they could find and that these girls would stage shows in government hos­ pitals for wounded servicemen. Auditions will begin in a few weeks at the YWCA. In Hollywood the entire group will be entertained by movie stars and it is quite likely that performances given out there will be quietly covered by talent scouts, she hinted. Girls desiring more informa­ tion about the project may tele­ phone her at 8-4403. New Low in Strikes Is Reported WASHINGTON — Strikes and lockouts in January caused only 228,000 man-days of idleness, for a percentage of 3/100 of 1 per­ cent of available working time, against 380,000 man-days of idle­ ness in December, a percentage of working time of 5/100 of 1 percent, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. There were fewer stoppages in January, 1945, than in any month in 1944, BLS says, and idleness during strikes and lockouts was less than in any January since 1932. There were no stoppages in January that involved as many as 5,000 workers, BLS added. This includes all workers in any plant who were made idle be­ cause of a strike or lockout in that plant, regardless of whether they were directly involved in the dispute. All stoppages due to industrial disputes which in­ volved at least six workers, and lasted as long as a full day or shift are included. LANSING LABOR NEWS Official Weekly Newspaper of CIO Labor in Lansing 109 E. South St., Lansing (10), Mich. — TELEPHONE 29621 Vol. 1, No. 2 THURSDAY, MARCH 22, 1045 5c Per Copy FISHER BARS PAPER Management Works With Union To Stage Big Party at Reo Man Giving Them Out Laid Off Does the management at the Lansing division of Fisher be­ lieve that freedom of the press does not apply to labor papers? Do they believe that company publications should be made easily accessible to employes and that labor papers should be bar­ red? When the first issue of the new Lansing Labor News appeared in their shops last week they promptly handed Carl VanRaalte a disciplinary layoff for distrib­ uting them. VanRaalte, a second shift wel­ der, had no intention of violating an active company rule and was astonished at the company’s at­ titude. Officials of Fisher Local 602 point out that if there is a. rule. See—LAID OFF—Page 4 4 School Bd. Candidates Endorsed There are only two more day s in which to register with the school board in order to vote in their election for labor-endorsed candidates April 2. Two More Days “It’s the same time as the other elections, but you can’t vote with your regular city registration,” emphasizes Dean Reed, PAC di­ rector. “You must be also regis­ tered with the school board, either at their main office at 222 Townsend street or at Eastern igh School. Both remain open every evening until 8 p.m., for registrations until Saturday night.” There are eleven candidates for the four positions on the school board to be filled in this election. Reed said labor is en­ dorsing the following: ODELL LAMB, Financial Sec­ retary of Nash Local 13. CHARLES STRONG, president of the Lansing Federation of Labor. WESLEY THOMAS, Michigan Education Association. ROSCOE A. WALTERS, State, County and Municipal Workers of America. Other candidates are Mrs. Marguerite R. Allen, James R. Duncan, Harold G. Bauerle, Laird J. Troyer, John Dakin and Malcom H. Milks. 1st Letter of Congratulation Is From Nash From Paul Gardner, president of Nash Local No. 13, came the first written congratulations to the editor on the Lansing Labor News first edition last week. He took the time to write several comments and had this to say on our school board election story: “We are interested in the com­ ing school election and we of labor would be happy to see la­ bor representatives on the Board of Education of the city of Lan­ sing.” Reo workers are shown above enjoying themselves at the St. Patrick Party Saturday night in the Reo clubhouse on South Wash­ ington avenue. It was arranged cooperatively by management and Reo Local 650, each shar­ ing the financing. Over 600 attended Work­ ing on the event was the local’s recreation com­ mittee: Thomas Bettison, chairman; Martha Cushman, Ruth Vincent, Ella Meyers Jerry Ells­ worth, “Red” O’Brien, Elton Selfridge, Tom Bowler, George Wheeler, and Dolly Fitzpatrick. Music was by the Carl Schreiber 11-piece or­ chestra, recently 15 weeks at the Hotel Stevens, Chicago. Bruce Jordan was master of cere­ monies. Extra entertainment at the dance was a five-act floor show from Chicago. South Lansing Gets Action on Traffic Light It looks as though the South Washington intersection at South street over which thousands of war workers pass daily will get a traffic light. Merchants, labor leaders and others who signed a petition hope it gets there before there is a serious accident. For three years different groups have attempted to get the light. Several weeks ago an in­ See—TRAFFIC LIGHT—Page 4 Very Few Quit Union During Escape Period Practically nobody wants to drop out of the union, it seems. A silent vote of confidence in what the CIO is doing for labor was manifest in two Lansing General Motors plants, Oldsmo­ bile and Fisher, this week. For 15 days union members had the privilege of withdrawing from the union and not having to join again for the duration in order to stay in the plants. Notices appeared on company bulletin boards explaining it. Fraction of 1 Per Cent But when the end of the period had arrived Monday night only one or two tenths of one percent had withdrawn. "Only one left Fisher local,” President Chester C. Cowan reported. "And I couldn’t find out why in his case.” “Twelve withdrew at Olds Local,” said Bob Richardson. “Perhaps it was a mistake to have admitted them in the first place. Apparently they could not understand the sac­ rifices made by the union in fighting for and obtaining countless benefits for them.” One of the withdrawals occured while the Labor News editor was in the office. The man made no fuss or accusations but it was plain to see he felt the union hadn’t done anything for him. He works on an oil purifying ma­ chine at Oldsmobile. And He Got Raised! John L. Osbourne, top commit­ tee chairman, pointed out to the man that the union had been working over a year to get that job raised from $1.14 to $1.17 and that the raise had just come through and would be effective in a couple of weeks, at which time back pay at three cents per See—FEW QUIT—Page 4 Union Demonstration Finally Got Fisher Into War Contracts How the union had to argue and practically fight to get Fisher Body into war work is told here for the first time in any newspaper. Here was a management strike against the defense program, a strike the union did not start. They stopped it. . . . Editor. By MAURICE MAC NAUGHTON Educational Director, Fisher Local 602 Because of the labor smear carried on by the Senate investigating committee and the press to discredit unions, their leaders and members, and because of statements made by H. W. Anderson, vice-president and spokesman for the General Motors Corp., we are going to tell here some of the other side of the story in defense of labor. We are going to tell publicly for the first time of condi­ tions that have existed in the GM Lansing Division of Fisher Body. Well before the termination of automobile production in Fisher Body due to the national defense program, the union approached Fisher managament regarding the company’s plans for defense production. No Contracts—No Plans—No Interest They found there was no defense production planned by the company here, nor did management show any marked interest in obtaining defense work. After several weeks of futile effort trying to convince management that Fisher Lansing should be seeking a defense contract, the union decided that something more effective had to be done to force the issue. So they organized a demonstration by Fisher workers downtown near the Capitol for the purpose of acquaint­ ing the public and city and state officials with Fisher’s lack of interest in the national defense program. The street mass meeting, supported by 3500 Fisher em­ ployees, focused public attention on Fisher Body and See — UNION GOT FISHER — Page 3 LANSING LABOR NEWS, INC. 109 E. South Street, Lansing (10), Michigan Temporary Phone 2-9621 A non-profit newspaper published weekly by CIO la­ bor in Lansing, dedicated to the interests of the com­ munity and to the interests of labor here and everywhere. Published every Thursday at Lansing CIO Council headquarters by the following incorporated body, elected by locals voting to participate: BOARD OF DIRECTORS PRESIDENT Harold Norman ....... Nash Local 13 VICE-PRESIDENT Ernest Miller ........... Reo Local 650 SECRETARY-TREASURER Kenneth McCreedy .... CIO Council TRUSTEE George Jakeway .. Fisher Local 602 TRUSTEE William Trainor ....... Olds Local 652 LeRoy Munsil.............. Nash Local 13 Charles O’Brien.......... Reo Local 650 Maurice MacNaughton................. ...............................Fisher Local 602 V. E. Vandenburg...........CIO Council Louis Newmark .S.C.M.W. Local 406 ASSOCIATE MEMBERS Mrs. Jewel Atkinson ....... Olds Aux. Mrs. Harold Wilson ....... Olds Aux. Mrs. William McCurdy. Fisher Aux. Robert Richardson.... Olds Local 652 Mrs. Doris Ano ........... Fisher Aux. SUBSCRIPTION—Included in dues in participating locals; to others, $2.50 per year by mail. EDITOR .................. V. E. Vandenburg The Power of Your Press Facts about you and your local and its officers are now of city-wide interest. These facts now reach 15,000 people every week in the Lansing Labor News, soon will reach more. Such coverage is more than city-wide. It effectively reaches into every community in central Michigan, be­ cause our readers, working in Lansing war plants, live not only in every section of Lansing and East Lansing, they come from every surrounding village and city and many a farm in central Michigan. The pressure of such tremendous publicity, honestly used, will soon be of immeasurable benefit in many un­ predictable ways to your own local, both in bargaining and developing a membership informed on what your of­ ficers are doing for you and what all of labor is doing for each other and for Lansing. An informed membership of 15,000 can be a powerful force for improvement for each individual, for each local and for the entire community. Such is the power of large circulation publicity in a democracy. LET’S HAVE SOME SHOP NEWS In accordance with our promise last week, Lansing news has increased considerably in this, the second issue of your new paper. Shop committees or correspondents are not yet functioning, however, with news about individuals. Let’s get started on shop items—men going to the service, coming back, births, marriages, unusual incidents, and stories about unusual occupations people had before working in your shop. Have them at the Labor News office before Sunday. Grandma, Grandpop— War Heroes! The long story of labor’s big part in this war will in­ clude many important chapters, particularly about the vital services rendered by people industry formerly be­ lieved too old. Here is what Drew Pearson said the other day in his national column, the Washington Merry-Go- Round ! “One of the great jobs of this war, though little appreciated by the public, has been that of older men on the home front. Some of them even though over 60, have jumped in to take any jobs that could help keep the country going—from telegraph messengers to war plant workers” And let us emphasize that when he says older men he also means older women. Many a grandmother is do­ ing a big job in Lansing war plants, whether it be sweep­ ing to relieve men for machines or running machines themselves to relieve men for the army. Men in service can well be proud of the civilian army behind them. Though by no means the largest, it is the most powerful civilian army in the world. People of all ages can be proud to be a part of it. A card game had been running in the back room of a Colorado cigar store for years. The four men were always the same but one day when one of the regulars was sick the other three in des­ peration asked a newcomer in town to sit in for a few hands. The newcomer was astonished at some of the irregularities. Fin­ ally he could contain himself no longer and burst out: “Say, did you see Grandpa Smith slip the ace from the bot­ tom of the deck?” “Well,” growled Uncle Harry Jones, “It’s his deal, isn’t it?” —Navy No. 138 Outpost. Judge: “Why did you shoot your husband with a bow and arrow?” Wife: “Because I didn't want to wake the children.” —Ft. Sheridan Tower. CIO ELECTION Farmers Want Unions, Too Here are some more results in Lansing CIO elections. Election results are printed from any CIO local when received by the La­ bor News. Mail yours in if they haven’t been published. AMAL. LOCAL 724 PRESIDENT ....... Leo E. Moran VICE-PRES. .. Maurice Damrell REC. SEC............ Frank Corser SEC.-TREAS William Rioux SGT.-AT-ARMS .... J. H. Berry GUIDE ...................... Al Winny TRUSTEE (3 years).......... .... ..................Harry E . Norton UNIT CHAIRMEN Farmers are dissatisfied with the misrepresentation given them by the farm bloc in Congress and want organizations of their own, as shown in the statistics above, reproduced from a pamphlet by Carey McWilliams, Small Farm and Big Farm, published by the Public Affairs Committee, Inc., New York City.—(Federated Pic­ tures) - FLASHES From the NATION STORY ON THOMAS NEW YORK (FP)—The story of Pres. R. J. Thomas of the United Auto Workers (CIO) is told by Charles Dexter in the May issue of Reader’s Scope. FILE STRIKE NOTICE NEW YORK (FP) — Strike notices were filed with the NLRB by the Federation of Long Lines Telephone Workers (unaffili­ ated), representing long distance telephone workers employed by the American Telephone & Tel­ egraph Co. here, and the Traffic Employes Assn. (unaffiliated), which covers more than 12,000 local operators. The unions charged that they were tricked into calling off pre­ vious strike notices because the companies agreed to $4 weekly increases, but that the companies then failed to give sufficient evi­ dence to the Natl. War Labor Board to justify the increases. SINGER GOES UNION ELIZABETH, N. J. (FP)—Tell the wife her sewing machine has a union label now. The first col­ lective bargaining contract in its 72-year history was signed March 15 by the Singer Mfg. Co. with Local 401, United Electrical Radio & Machine Workers (CIO). WINS $3,800 One of the highest cash awards ever given for a “suggestion box” entry amounted to $3,800 and went to James T. Wong, 41- year-old civilian electrician em­ ployed by the Navy at Mare Is­ land, Calif. Wong’s winning idea concerned the prepacking of stuffing tubes, 10,000 of which are used on a modern combat ship. His production tip saves the Navy an estimated $2,000,000 and 2,000,000 man hours a year. DETROIT ON SPOT DETROIT (FP) — The Mead Senate investigating committee put profiteering anti-union auto employers on the spot in hear­ ings on Detroit’s disputed man­ power problem, shortages and work stoppages. MATT SMITH AGAIN LOS ANGELES (FP) — Sec. Matthew Smith of the Mechan­ ics Educational Society of Amer­ ica is about to join hands with Richard Franklin, west coast company union leader, in an ef­ fort to set up a holding company for company unions in this area, The Labor Herald, official organ of the California (CIO) Council, charged. FULL EMPLOYMENT Atlas Drop Forge.................. ......................Lewis Akright Duplex Truck....Arthur Robinson Kold Hold Mfg..................... ......................Edward Gibbon Lundberg Screw .................. ............... Harry E. Norton Chaard Lab.................. Ida Allis Lansing Production ............ ......................Carl Armstrong Abrams Instrument ............. . . . .........Dale W. Hankey Announcement of chairmen of five more units in Local 724 will be made next week, or soon as elections are held. OLDS AUXILIARY New officers of the Olds Aux­ iliary, installed at the regular meeting March 15, are: PRESIDENT ......................... .......Mrs. Bernice Bailey VICE-PRESIDENT .......... ........Mrs. Lydia Bittel REC.-SEC.......Mrs. Onahlee Loe FIN. SEC;....Mrs. Hazel Bentley TRUSTEE (1 year) ...... ...... ........... Mrs. Mae Marceau TRUSTEE (3 years) ...... ...... Miss Edith Bentley SGT.-AT-ARMS .................. .............. Mrs. Inez Gardner GUIDE....Mrs. Evalena Emmons The public is invited to attend the parties put on by the Aux­ iliary every Saturday night at the hall, 1118 S. Washington Ave. Part of the proceeds from these parties go to the War Fund, Safety Patrol, USO (Aux­ iliary serves lunch at the USO every third Saturday of month), T.B. Sanitarium, gifts for veter­ ans, hospitals, etc. CORRECTION The News last week had the wrong information on shifts of some newly elected committee- men at Nash which should be corrected as follows: RAY SWART, first shift at Cedar street; STUART BROWN, sec­ ond shift at Cedar; GUY MIT­ CHELL third shift at Cedar. Two Locals Remodeling, Redecorating Spring is here. At least two locals are in the midst of house­ cleaning, remodeling or redec­ orating their halls. Olds Local 652 is shooting the works by removing a partition to enlarge an office, laying lin­ oleum and painting, after which the place will look so cheerful it will be a great thrill to pay dues —almost. This proved contagious, for a few blocks farther down Wash­ ington avenue Reo Local 650 is completing some improvements in their attractive hall which in­ cludes enlarging the office facil­ ities. DENIES MONT. WARD WASHINGTON — Appeals by Montgomery Ward & Co., from decisions of the Kansas City WLB on 16 non-wage issues have been denied by WLB. Invest in the next raid on Ja­ pan. Buy war bonds. HOW LABOR UNITY PAYS OFF Here’s What Happened in Rochester N.Y. Radio Commentators Unfair to Workers Customers Own This Store NEW YORK (FP) — Labor takes a beating from commenta­ tors on the airwaves five times as often as it gets a kind word, a survey in the March issue of Common Sense magazine dis­ closed. The survey, conducted by Leila Sussman, was based oh content of the top 33 network radio news and comment programs during the 7-week period from Sept. 17 to Nov. 7 when unions were im­ mersed in the election campaign. The programs were chosen be­ cause they had the largest au­ dience of all such programs on the air. 105 to 22 Against Labor During the period listened to there were 166 discussions of labor on moral grounds, Miss Sussman said. For every discus­ sion approving labor on moral grounds, there were almost five that disapproved. Of the 166, 22 were favorable, 105 unfavorable, 14 neutral and 25 balanced. In the lead as chief anti-labor commentator was Fulton Lewis, jr., with Henry J. Taylor, Bauk- hage, Ray Henle and Morgan Beatty as runners-up. Lewis, in 17 broadcasts, discussed labor unfavorably 13 times, favorably once, neutral twice and balanc­ ed (mentions for and against) once. Commentators who were fair to labor, according to the analysis, are Drew Pearson, Ray­ mond Gram Swing, Walter Win­ chell, Cecil Brown, Arthur Hale, Warren Sweeney and Gabriel Heatter. Columbia Fairest Breaking down the total re­ sults according to networks, the survey found that NBC carried more anti-labor mentions, main­ ly because of the broadcasts of Morgan Beatty, Mutual was sec­ ond, the Blue network third and Columbia comparatively the most fair to labor. In percent­ ages, 70 percent of the refer­ ences on NBC were antilabor, 64 percent on Mutual were anti- labor, 61 percent of the Blue network were anti-labor and 50 percent on Columbia were anti­ labor. “Freedom of the air, if it is to have meaning, must be freedom of the listener to hear all sides,” the survey concluded. “The treatment of labor and labor’s access to the air hinge on the fairness of the commentator and broadcast policy. In August 1944 the Federal Communica­ tions Commission admitted into evidence an analysis showing the consistent anti-labor bias of Fulton Lewis, jr. During a poli­ tical campaign a network, under FFC rules, must sell time for po­ litical opponents to answer each other. Yet no person disagree­ ing with Lewis can buy time to reply since he is a regular spon­ sored commentator. And know­ ing the impossibility of radio disagreement on equal terms, Lewis carried over his anti-labor slants into the election period, “No one questions the right of Lewis, Beatty, et al to their opinions. We do question a pol­ icy which allows them an irres­ ponsibility and does not permit answer.” Smoking Awaits Ratification of New Contract Smoking in the Oldsmobile plant, one of the many points won in the new GM contract, Will start as soon as ratification of the contract is complete and Olds Local 652 negotiates with the company regarding safety areas, etc., states “Bob” Rich­ ardson, local president. There will be a GM Depart­ ment conference on the contract in Detroit March 29, after which all GM locals will vote on ratify­ ing it soon after, he said, but pointed out that in case of re­ commending further changes in the contract arbitration may drag out as long as six months or more. REPRIMANDS FEWER NOW AT FORGE Conditions have definitely im­ proved in the GM forge plant since the local issued a sharp protest at what it believed were excessive reprimands, according to “Bob” Richardson, Local 652 president. He said there had been practically no reprimands there in many weeks. Want a Ride, Brother? —Or Have You Room for An Extra Passenger or Two To aid in conserving gas and to help relieve overcrowded buses and trains, the Lansing Labor News is starting the VIC­ TORY RIDE EXCHANGE, a free service to war workers in the city. If you want a ride to some other city next weekend (or any day), or if you are driving up home or someplace and have extra passenger space available, fill in this coupon. Destinations and phone numbers will be published with brief nicknames or first names for contact purposes, if needed. Both drivers and those wanting rides should immediately telephone published numbers Thursday and complete arrange­ ments for any desired trip. Most passengers, incidentally, ap­ preciate the faster, direct transportation afforded and are will­ ing to share expenses, but this should be arranged in advance. By BETTY GOLDSTEIN Federated Press ROCHESTER, N. Y. (FP) — This is the story of a town where labor found that unity works. It’s an open shop town, pop. 411,970, traditionally Republi­ can and anti-labor. It’s dominat­ ed by two of the biggest open shop strongholds in the state, Eastman Kodak and Bausch & Lomb, the king of the interna­ tional optical cartel. Its citizens have a twisted view of the world from reading the newspapers of Frank E. Gannett, who fills them with the same hate-labor, hate-Roosevelt, isolationist poi­ son his Committee for Constitu­ tional Government is spreading throughout the nation. Its poli­ tics until now were run by a corrupt Republican machine. CIO, AFL Work Together The story, as told to me by Pres. Anthony Capone of the central labor body, began last spring when the AFL for the first time set out to do a job po­ litically in the city of Roches­ ter—and for the first time en­ tered into a Joint Legislative Council with the CIO and rail­ road brotherhoods. To elect its friends Roosevelt and Sen. Robert F. Wagner and defeat its enemies in Congress, the AFL on March 24, 1944, set up a Political Recommendations Committee which worked paral­ lel with the CIO Political Action Committee. In August the AFL and CIO submitted a joint slate of candidates to the Democratic party, and it was accepted. During the campaign the AFL printed and distributed 300,000 copies of six leaflets giving the facts on FDR, Dewey and regis­ tration, ran full and double page ads in the papers and joined with the CIO in setting up booths for the soldiers ballot. When PAC brought Wagner to town, the AFL cancelled its meeting and escorted him to the CIO-sponsored rally. Labor’s Candidates Win On Nov. 7 this Republican stronghold — upstate New York was Dewey’s only hope for the state — went Democratic for the first time in history. Eight of the 10 candidates endorsed by labor made the grade. They swept the city for Roosevelt, Truman and Wagner by a ma­ jority of 20,000, the county by 11,000. Reactionary Rep. Joseph J. O’Brien (R) was defeated by independent grocer George F. Rogers, who had AFL, CIO and American Labor party support. And after Nov. 7 labor be­ came a recognized member of this community. Rochester was one of the few cities where la­ bor was not on the Community Chest—now that’s changed. La­ bor wasn’t sufficiently repre­ sented on the ration board. The AFL invited the CIO to get to­ gether and demand more repre­ sentatives and now labor has 11, one on every panel. In Civic Affairs “We don’t give a damn what it is—if it affects the commun­ ity we’re in it,” Capone told me. The AFL and CIO are getting together now with business groups to reduces taxes and the public debt because taxpayers are leaving the city. They mo­ bilized community support in the recent fight for Henry A. Wal­ lace and are getting together to enlist the community in the fight to break the Little Steel formula. They’re getting ready for the city and county elections with a platform of community and labor issues to use as a See-UNION UNITY—Page 4 Two years ago tenants in the big George Washington housing project at Inskster, Mich., most of them members of UAW-CIO Local 50 at the Ford Willow Run plant and Local 600 at the Ford River Rouge plant, had to walk miles to find a grocery. Now they have their own big cooperative store at the project, with the aid of funds from the Federal Housing adminsitration.—(Federated Pic­ ture) White Collar Workers Meet Is April 9 The next meeting of the Un­ ited Office and Professional Workers of America, CIO, will be April 9 at 1118 South Wash­ ington, it is announced. All Lans­ ing clerks and office workers in­ terested in learning about or­ ganization should plan to attend. Irving Riskin, of Detroit, told those who attended last Thurs­ day’s meeting that over 200,000 of America’s 13 million “white collar” workers are now organ­ ized and that more units are be­ ing formed throughout the coun­ try each week. Union Got Fisher Into War Work (Continued from Page 1) they eventually started production of the 90 mm aircraft carriage, after being shut down for months. No Labor-Management Committee The union then approached management on the ques­ tion of establishing labor - management committees as suggested by the government to work out ways and means of getting much needed war material to our boys at the fighting front with all the speed possible. Fisher management flatly refused to cooperate except upon terms laid down by management, which would have given labor no effective voice at all. Therefore, we have no labor-management committee. The first step in production was the training of arc welders. The union proposed that welders with years of experience be certified as instructors, but management rejected this proposal and insisted on first training fore­ men (who had never had previous experience in welding) to be instructors. This of course delayed actual starting of production. Under the union’s plan, foremen and production welders could have been trained at the same time by experienced instructors, thus speeding up the start of production by several weeks. Company Accepts Something The union then proposed that no production standards be set up but that each individual turn out an amount of work according to his skill and ability with no pressure put on those who were unable to match the speed of a faster and more experienced welder. Stress was placed upon quality workmanship. This plan the company ag­ reed to readily. The workers really started “pitching”, turning out both quantity and quality. But it soon became necessary to establish a recognized rate of prouction that could be met by everyone, because an excessive number of foremen and supervisors loafed and bickered among themselves, each trying to get himself into a position of being the “white-haired” by with his superiors. They were brow­ beating and “riding” those workers who could not meet the proudction rate of the faster workers. This disrup­ ted and destroyed our maximum war effort at Fisher Body. Next week I’ll tell some more of this story. THREAT TO LABOR: 'Just Wait ’Till the Boys Come Home' When You Hear That, Just Smile! Rights in Evictions Explained for Renters A MILITARY OFFICIAL PRAISES LABOR SACRAMENTO, Calif. (FP) — Brig. Gen. Victor R. Hansen, adjutant general of California, warmly praised organized labor’s part in winning the war in an address to the Sacramento Federated Trades Council. REWORK WASHINGTON — Workers living in areas under OPA rent control are told of their safe­ guards against unwarranted eviction in a statement issued by the OPA labor office. The statement pointed out that the notice of eviction issued by the landlord must give the ground on which the landlord seeks eviction. If the tenant believes the ground is not true, he should at once report the matter to the tion is occupancy by a purchas- OPA area rent office. If the stated reason for evic- er, the tenant is entitled to 90 days notice before the landlord can even take the matter to court. In all other cases the ten­ ant cannot be evicted by court order for at least 10 days after receipt of the notice of eviction, except in non-payment of rent, where the tenant receives a minimum of three days notice. OPA points out that the notice of eviction is not in itself an au­ thorization for the landlord to evict the tenant. It merely gives the landlord the right to start an eviction action in court after the waiting period prescribed by OPA has elapsed. The tenant does not have to move until the court decides that th landlord is entitled to possession. UNION UNITY (Continued from Page 2) yardstick for candidates. And Labor’s Joint Legislative Council has now become the Community Legislative Coun­ cil with doctors, lawyers, teach­ ers, community leaders, minis­ ters and even the ex-head of the Chamber of Commerce joining. Oppose Greene’s Edict As to AFL Pres. William Greene’s edict against joint ac­ tivity with the CIO, the AFL here just doesn’t see it. "Unity?” Capone said. “It worked in Ro­ chester—no question about it. This is an open shop town and we’ve gained more by cooperat­ ing with the CIO on civic af­ fairs, and keeping out of each other’s way on organizing, than we ever had before.” And it looks as if they’ll keep right on doing it. Invest in Victory — Buy War Bonds and Stamps. BY ROY NEWTON Nash-Kelvinator Local 13 UAW-CIO REAL HEROES. Some day I hope a writer big enough for the job will tell the stories of the real heroes of this war, the he­ roes who remain in the back­ ground and perform their tasks without benefit of any publicity. I mean the fathers and mothers who have sons in the service and who work in the war plants. They give their time, their health, and their energy to mak­ ing the implements of war, and they also give their sons to use these implements. Any parent knows that it is much harder to send a son off to war than it is to go yourself. Theirs is a double sacrifice, these war-work­ er parents, but they make it will­ ingly. LABOR AND THE CHURCH, A group of men at the Nash were talking about this and that the other day and the subject came up about what efforts the Lans­ ing churches had made and were making to invite war workers to visit and affiliate with the churches. Some of the men said nothing had been done, and that they had never been asked to come to any church. Others had a different story. I started to look into the matter, called up a number of prominent clergy­ men, contacted brothers Mohr and Cheney at the Nash, and all in all, gathered quite a lot of data. Watch for a story on this important topic in an early issue of this paper. BOOK REVIEWS. It has been suggested that we print brief re­ views of current books and mag­ azine articles dealing with the labor picture, or at least a listing of articles and books of outstand­ ing interest to war workers. The worst thing about history is that every time it repeats itself the price goes up. —Boca Raton Transmitter. That the “boys” should fight all over the world for democ­ racy and come home and des­ troy organized labor, the most democratic force in America, is the fond hope of fascist minded industrialists and those they influence through organ­ izations they subsidize, But the boys are learning that la­ bor did the biggest home-front job of the war, with the big­ gest production and lowest percentage of lost labor through work stoppage in his­ tory. And the “boys” aren’t boys anymore. They are men. —Editor. DALLAS, Tex. (FP) — The nationally publicized announce­ ment that American Veterans of World War II will crusade against organized labor is caus­ ing a split in AM VETS ranks. AMVETS fight against the CIO and the CIO Political Action Committee was announced at na­ tional. headquarters here by First Vice Commander Lamar Bailey, who said that PAC is not working in behalf of the working man but is an “unAmerican poli­ tical party threatening to over­ throw the constitution of the U.S.” This was picked up by the wire services and carried in newspapers throughout the country. The first rift came in nearby Waco, Tex., when George Don­ aldson, adjutant of the Waco post, resigned in protest. He is a motion picture projectionist and a CIO man. In Buffalo, N. Y., the attack was repudiated by a member of the AMVETS national executive committee, William E. Blake. In a letter to CIO Regional Director Hugh Thompson he asserted that the crusade against labor was not a reflection of AMVET policy and that. Bailey did not speak for the organization as a whole. At its first national convention at Kansas City, Mo., in Dec. 1944 AMVETS agreed not to take sides in any controversial issue until at least 60 percent of the ser­ vicemen came home, he said. “I have never seen or heard of any proposal that the organiza­ tion make commitments for or against any political, labor or religious group,” he said. “No officer of AMVETS is authoriz­ ed to take such action without approval of the national execu­ tive committee.” He said AM­ VETS "sincerely hopes for the cooperation of all organized groups” in protecting the veter­ ans’ interests. AMVETS moved its national headquarters from Washington to Texas just in time to join the Christian American Assn.’s fight for a constitutional amendment banning the closed shop. The Dallas post indorsed the bill and testified before the legislautre, claiming to represent all World War II veterans whom they said the unionbusting bill would pro­ tect. Attack of AMVETS on PAC was expected by Texas regional director Carl McPeak, who said he had been approached pre­ viously by some of the national officers. “They said they did not know what they were for or what they were against, but were looking for something to be against and that perhaps it would be the CIO,” he said. A wife isn’t interested at all in what her husband is saying unless he’s talking to another woman.—Fort Worth Taranteer. “For me to state that organized labor is playing a vital part in winning the war would be like say­ ing ‘Our armed forces are now in action,'" Hansen said. “Everyone knows the terrific job that labor has done and is doing in the war effort." 200 Marines Storm Hearst Newspaper How a group of Marines esti­ mated as high as 200 stormed the office of an anti-labor paper recently in protest over an edi­ torial is told in the March 12 is­ sue of In Fact, available in most of your local halls. The story was completely suppressed in practically every daily in the country, according to In Fact. The paper was Hearst’s San Francisco Examiner. Pointing to the casualty rate at Tarawa, Saipan and now Iwo Jima, an editorial had said “. . . If this sort of thing contin­ ues, the American forces are in danger of being worn out before they ever reach the really crit­ ical Japanese areas . . ” A riot call was turned in to police and Navy patrol as the Marines demanded a front page apology and called Hearst un- American and the paper “trait­ orous”, “seditionist” and “de- featest”, said In Fact. LAID OFF (Concluded from Page One) on literature appearing inside the plant it certainly isn’t ob­ served by the company them­ selves, for each issue of the General Motors publication, GM FACTS, and other com­ pany material is made con­ veniently available on tables inside the plant. At the other GM plant, Olds­ mobile, no attempt was made to distribute inside the plant be­ cause no literature—company or otherwise—is passed out inside the gates. Oldsmobile mails GM FACTS and other publications. A grievance was promptly filed in behalf of VanRaalte. FEW QUIT (Continued from Page 1) hour would be paid back to Oc­ tober, 1943. John had the notice right there on his desk. The back pay alone was worth about $100. But the man wouldn’t look. Mumbling something about what d d the union ever do for him, he with­ drew from the local and with­ drew from the office. “It’s discouraging to work so long for a raise for somebody and then have him appreciate it by canceling membership,” Osbourne said. But it is gratifying to officials to know that the CIO is apprec­ iated by an overwhelming ma­ jority who didn’t quit. Officer: “Did you pick my new WAC stenographer on the basis of her grammar?” Pvt.: “Grammer, Sir? Migawd, I thought you said glamor.” —Mitchell Field Beacon. TRAFFIC LIGHT (Continued from Page 1) dividual tried it, using a differ­ ent angle, apparently with res­ ults, for automatic traffic count­ ers have been installed and the matter comes up for action be­ fore the traffic commission April 5. International UAW-CIO Rep­ resentative George Nadar was the individual, but he said a let­ ter he wrote to the city council and mayor several weeks ago was just as a citizen. He wasn’t representing anything. He said in the letter that this was the busiest corner in Lansing between 3 p.m. and 5 p.m. and asked the light both as a safety measure and as an aid to the war effort. A petition signed by mer­ chants, labor and others backed him up and the traffic commis­ sion Was asked to investigate. Nash Sends Resolution On Safety The following resolution was sent to the Mayor and Lansing police in suport of the safety campaign: “Resolved:—We, the members of the Executive Board of Nash Local No. 13 UAW-CIO, 1818 South Cedar street, Lansing, Michigan, being aware of your sincere efforts in promoting a safety campaign, and being in whole-hearted accordance with the campaign, wish to support and give any assistance pos­ sible.” Movie Firms Won’t Bargain; Strike Continues HOLLYWOOD, (FP) — Pick- et lines surrounded all major studios in a strike of more than 19,000 movie workers, called by the Conference of Studio Unions (AFL) after movie producers defied the War Labor Board and refused to bargain with Local 1421, Bro. of Painters, favoring Local 44, Intl. Alliance of Thea­ trical Statge Employes. No settlement of the jurisdictional row was in prospect as IATSE Pres. Richard Walsh threatened to shut down all movie theaters in the country showing Holly­ wood films unless the producers bargain with the IATSE. Multiply your age by 2 and add 5 to the result. Multiply by 50. Add the change in you pocket. Subtract the number of days in a year—365. Add 115 for good measure. The two left hand figures will show your age. The two right hand figures will show the change in your pocket. —Homestead Clipper. Invest in Victory — Buy War Bonds and Stamps.