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About Herald and news. (Klamath Falls, Or.) 1942-current | View Entire Issue (May 22, 1946)
MKBAI.D NSWS. Hl.m.lk r.lll, Oi.. WKIINKIItAI, Ur M. IMS. fit. ! A. F. of L LABOR'S ANSWER TOTHE AUTOMOBILE DEALERS1 ADVERTISEMENT ii DO YOU WANT BB IT V. Don't Be Fooled by the Selfish Interests of the Klamath AUTOMOBILE DEALERS Association STOP. REASIM 1. The willful freezing of all industry has been going on surreptitiously behind the scenes ever since V-J Day. Ameri can industry will not be satisfied until they have eliminated the O.P.A. and all its stabilizing effects even to the extent of creating black markets. They must have their profits first. 2. Right now much needed farm machinery and other com modities are being kept out of the hands of the citizens un til O.P.A. gives in to the insistent demands of manufactur ers and producers. Lumber and nylons have been shipped out of this country to markets not controlled by O.P.A. while we suffer a shortage of such commodities. 3. Now RIGHT NOW is the time to protest vigorously. Back of all of the current strikes is the unalterable fact prov en by the President's Fact-Finding committees that industry it not willing to play ball with the government, the nation, or their employes until they are first assured of profits. Use your own imagination as to the terminology of "Organized Few," when labor and organized labor represents in excess of 15 million citizens. 4. Do you think that John L. Lewis cares about the Union? It is definitely evident that John L. Lewis is deeply con cerned over the welfare of his miners and the widows and orphaned families of theirs in his demands for their security not granted by their employers. Should it be necessary for John L. Lewis to fight for back wages to the tune of $3,000, 000 due these miners last year under the terms of the con tract entered Into by the miners and operators? 5. The Automotive Industry lobby and the Automobile Dealers lobby have taken a leading part in the fight to sabo tage the O.P.A., which would lead to further inflation. 6. We will recognize that manufacturers and producers as well as organized labor has its rightful place in the Ameri can way of life for the mutual benefit of the worker and the employer, but nevertheless your security, the nation's security, must not be destroyed by a comparative few and we mean the manufacturers and producers. Don't forget that the reason we cannot get a new car, your wife cannot buy nylons and you cannot enjoy many of the finer things of life is because of the actions of a selfish few holding these commodities for better profits, shipping them out of the country for the same reason and refusing to pro duce until given higher ceiling prices. 7. The increased cost of producing automobiles under the recently approved wage increases averages from $25 to $30 per car. Increased price ranges on these new cars range from $100 to $300. Now we know why industry forced the strike upon labor. 8. Here is an opportunity to express your opinions to your Congressman, the man you have placed in Washington to represent you. We urge you to read this messaqe, compare the facts established by the President's Fact-Finding com mittees and the U. S. Conciliation Service, and then write your letter to your Congressman, and we do not believe you wijl need a letter dictated by any selfish interest group to express your conviction. Who is behind the Automo bile Dealers tht would heedlessly attempt to dis rupt the fine labor-management relations that have ex isted in the Klamath Basin? It appears to us that some one has an axe to grind. Is this an attempt on the part of the employers to force labor trouble upon the workers? MR. AND MRS. CITIZEN OF KLAMATH BASIN: In replying to the full-page advertisement in the Saturday, May 18th, issue of The Herald and News, sponsored by the "AUTO MOBILE DEALERS ASSOCIATION OF KLAMATH FALLS," we wish to call your attention to the following facts: Here in Southern Oregon, potentially one of the finest spots in the United States forjabor, management and the general public, the people responsible for this ad have attempted to inspire its citizens by inflamatory misrepresentation against the welfare of the largest nd most important element in this community, as well as in several other communities of the United States, namely, the GENERAL PUBLIC. The advertisement does this by attacking directly the Coal .Strike situation as represented by the Unions under the direction of John L. Lewis, and then other Organized Labor because of what has -' taken place recently in the Steel, Automobile, Electric, and Lumber ing industries. Does this advertisement even remotely suggest that you, as a citizen and directly affected by what has been and is taking place with respect to these strikes, should ok your Congress man to investigate, and if necessary, legislate against organized employers if it be found that they are guilty of "SABOTAGE" of your "SECURITY?" It does not! During the war period, only by reason of the fact that em ployers were required by Executive Order to operate and maintain the established 40-hour week and pay overtime rate for such time, which was allowed for in the price returns which the employer re ceived, were lumber workers able to receive more pay than necessary for actual subsistence, especially those emplpyed in the metropolitan areas where high rents, heavy payroll tax reductions and other ' factors left them less net earnings than before the war. Realizing that when controls over the lumbering industry were removed, following cessation of hostilities, employers generally would also eliminate overtime pay. Organized Labor asked organ ized employer groups in June, 1945, to discuss the matter of a gen eral wage increase so that these losses to the workers might be offset. For many months no honest attempt was made by the organ ized employer groups to discuss frankly and honestly with us our request, although everyone knew that lumber faced the greatest era of prosperity in its history. The organized employee groups of the lumber industry asked the Federal Government to conduct a strike poll, the mailing lists of which were supplied by management. This poll was held in the privacy of the homes of affected workers, after consulting with other members of their families, if they chose to do so, every worker, either organized or not, by a secret mailed ballot vote gave his or her answer. The result was an overwhelming man date to strike, if in the opinion of the elected representatives of labor in the various localities they finally failed to secure some satisfactory consideration. Meanwhile, the lumber Industry was operating to its fullest capacity at the old wage rates, minus the overtime formerly received. At the same time every effort was being made by those responsible for the employees to get the employer, through their associations, to meet with them in honest negotia tions. All such attempts were futile. Finally, late in September, the representatives of the Local Unions met in convention and gave grave consideration to the situation and decided by individual vote that it was necessary to immediately exercise the strike mandate given them by their fellow workers. To imply, as the "AUTOMO BILE DEALERS" suggest in the letter which they asked you to send to your Congressman, that the lumbering industry strike was caused by a few greedy Labor Union heads, is a vilification of the worst kind against honest working people upon which the actual business existence of these "AUTOMOBILE DEALERS" depends. The contract between soft coal miners and the organized coal operators was open for renewal April 1, 1946. Mr. Lewis made it known that before any other contractual issues could be discussed, so far as the Unions were concerned, the matter of some Three Million Dollars in overtime pay, which the workers claimed was due them, must be disposed of. The record does not show that any honest attempt was made by the employers to meet this issue be tween April 1st and May 13th, when the employers agreed to pay ment of the overtime. This, we think, on its foce, is a clear indict ment of the coal operators for the responsibility of a Notional catastrophe which was narrowly averted for lack of coal. Concerning the automobile industry situation, the Ford Motor Company, in the April 7, 1946, issue of tho Mcdford Mail Tribune, displayed a large advertisement addressed to tho public in which it announced that for several weeks past the Company and the Union had been in negotiations over the terms of a new contract; that as a result of these negotiations a general wage increase of 18c per hour had been arrived at, retroactive to January 5, 1946; that this settlement was made without strike or work stoppage; that the set tlement would undoubtedly be reflected in the public's interest by "more and more cars better and better cars lower and lower prices." Meanwhile employes of the largest manufacturers of auto motive equipment in the world were required to ramoin on strike in order to secure a like decent settlement. Organixed Labor in this community does not have paid adver tising copywriters nor editorial writers who benefit from such paid advertising. However, when vicious, misleading attacks, such as are contained in the "AUTOMOBILE DEALERS ASSOCIATION OF KLAMATH FALLS advertisement ore made against the important element in the economic structure of the community, the working peoplo, bo they organized or not, the public in general should give serious thought to placinq at least part of the blame for their eco nomic troubles where it belongs. Neither the "AUTOMOBILE DEALERS OF KLAMATH FALLS" nor any other segment of society in this community con prosper for long unless wage earners receive 6 fair rato for their sorvices. Organized Labor is carrying all tho responsibility, financial and otherwise, for the achievement and maintenance of this goal. With the realization of this truth we ask you to writo your Congressmen and instruct them to disreqard the villainous slur that is reflected in the letter which the "KLAMATH AUTOMOBILE DEALERS AS SOCIATION" requests that you send to them. K AllAT n FALLS ra LAM M M REPRESENTING THE FOLLOWING AFFILIATED TRADES, CRAFTS AND INDUSTRIAL UNIONS OF THE KLAMATH BASIN: I.B.E.W., Local 659 Teamsters Local 911 Laborers Local 1078 Machinists Local 1473 Barbers Local 841 -Bakers Local 382 Butchers Local 366 Carpenters Local 190 Culinary and Bartenders Local 424 ' Painters Local 1279 Plumbers Local 191 Laundry Workers Local 220 Typographical Union Local 691 Plasterers Local 711 Bricklayers Local 2 Roofers Local 140 Sheetmetal Workers Local 320 Musicians Local 495 Motion Picture Machine Oper ators Local 672 Lathers Local 414 Printing Pressmen Local 325 Lumber and Sawmill Workers Local 2511, 2512, 2640, 2665, 2701, 2704, 2705. 2715 2732, 2774, 2795, 2822, 2824, 2828, 2907, 2913,2922, 3005, 3009, 3016, 3030. 3063, 3065.
