Page ACCION June 1, 1949 UNION PAYS HONOR TO MRS. LENA BRODSKY HOW ONE CIO UNION GUARDS ITS INDEPENDENCE done.
Truman Asked to End Discrimination Late in April members of the crew of the Polaris, The good deeds of Max Brod and to enjoy the sunshine of belonging to the National MaACCION publishes the following article from the NEW REsky, former Regional Director PUBLIC of April 11, 1949 for the interest of its readers: luis smile for many more years ritime Union, CIO, visited Locf Local 713, will forever ring PHIL MURRAY PROBLEM to come.
cal 713 while their ship tranin the ears of the silver emA challenging problem faces CIO President Philip Murray On behalf of Local 713, UPW sired the Panama Canal. After ployees in the Canal Zone.
and the CIO executive board as a result of the defiant refusal of CIO, hearing and seeing the discriThis feeling the United Farm Equipment and Metal Workers to dissolve and unanimous beg to remain, minatory conditions under merge with the rival United Auto Workers.
amoung our members, was dewhich the silver workers are Respectfully yours monstrated in At issue is what powers the CIO board can invoke to enforce a sincere manforced to live they resolved to Medora Sangster ner when our Local, through Trustee.
du something to help in ridding its decisions on those international unions which fail to see eye Dear Miss Sangster: Sister Medora Sangster, wrote these ills.
to eye with it on matters of policy as well as autonomy.
Mrs. Lena Brodsky, mother of The liquidation order to the left wing Farm Equipment Union received your lovely letOn returning aboard ship was issued November 27, at the close of the CIO convention in Max, a letter of appreciation ter on behalf of the members they held a meeting to discuss and also gave her a lovely gift Portland, Oregon, on a request from anti Communist Walter of Local 713, UPW CIO, for plan of action. On May 5th on occasion of Mother Day. which please accept my most telegram was sent to Presi Reuther, UAW president. It demanded compliance by January ACCION reprints, below, both sincere thanks.
dent Truman urging action to 26, but top FE officers ignored the order, pending the FE conletters, that of Sis. Medora vention official decision.
Words cannot express what eliminate Jim Crowism exising Sangster and the reply of Mrs.
a mother feels when such tribon the Canal Zone.
Now, delegates to the fourth constitutional convention of Brodsky: utc is paid her because of her Telegrams were also sent to the FE have given Murray and his board a unanimous No on May 1949 son. Nothing have ever done Congressmen Franck Havenner the directive, declaring it constitutes a shotgun merger.
My Dear Mrs. Brodsky: could do in the future, will and Richard Welch requesting The FE opened its three day convention in an embattled mood For almost two years your give me as much pleasure and that they work for the passage in the armory of the Memorial Coliseum in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, son Max has worked with us satisfaction.
of Bill HR 277 to privide a 50 on March 25. In attendance were 400 odd delegates and alter.
in our Local, during which All parents raise their childhourly minimum wage for Ca nates, representing a claimed nation membership of 55, 000 in time he has been instrumental ren to do even better things pal Zone workers.
nearly 100 locals.
in securing several gains for than they have done in their The Committee stated that In a telegram to the FE convention, Murray renewed his our members, and placing our lifetime. I, as a parent, tried ihey too are in the fight against plea that the union relinquish its charter, which the CIO granted union on a firm footing. For to guide Max in the right diall types of discrimination, and it November 16, 1938, upon the basis of voluntary agreement.
himself, he has gained the rection and hoped that my are greatly interested in the He added that if the convention acted favorably on the merger undying admiration and respect wishes would be fulfilled. And drive the United Public Work proposal, the national board at its next meeting would be recf our hundreds of members, when a parent sees her wishes er are conducting to eliminquired to take proper action which of course will be in conand his departure from these fulfilled, as mine have been, ate Jim Crow conditions, and formity with provisions of our CIO constitution.
shores has left a gap that we no material things can give one the establisment of a decent And there the rub: for the CIO constitution as originally think no other man can ever more happiness.
minimum wage. Individually, drafted calls for a two thirds vote by delegates to a CIO confili.
Your letter has given me they said, we all pledge to do vention before the charter of an affiliated international union We feel indebted to you, his something will carry with me all we can to help to eliminate can be lifted. Thus, the CIO board may find it difficult to imanother, for having molded him always and the best present the undesirable condition that plement its ultimatum.
into the kind of man he is, could ever hope for. have one exists along one of the greatest Grant Oakes, 43 year old FE President, who was the one who commands canals in the world.
respect iegret however, that my husProgressive Party candidate for Governor of Illinois last year, wherever he goes, and desire band did not live long enough, set the convention pace in his keynote address.
at this time to commend you so that he could be here now me something really beautiful Oakes labeled the board order a foul decree and a piece for the splendid work you have to share this glorious moment that will always grace my din of Skulduggery without precedent in the American labor movewith me.
mer table when entertain. ment.
We could think of no more was deeply touched when have always had a desire for Our union is being attacked because of the character of suitable time than Mother I received your lovely gift this just such a dinner set but never the times, he said. The attack only seems to come from anDay, on which to express our Mother Day. This is some hoped to be the proud owner other union. But, in truth, it is part of the national hysteria, gratitude and ask that you thing will always treasure cf one as they are so very ex part of the Roman holiday of Redbaiting.
accept the accompanying gift not only for its loveliness, but Lensive. You have satisfied He said the FE would remain in the CIO and continue to with the prayer that God may because of the thought that this desire with one of the fight for the policies on which CIO was founded. He called share your life to witness your goes with it.
most beautiful sets have ever for the establishment of one big union of farm equipment son rise on the ladder of fame, You, kind people, have given seen.
workers. He vilified Reuther and the UAW for cannibalistic When my friends and family raias on FE jurisdiction. Since January, UAW organizers admire this set, as one must have been vigorously campaigning to persuade workers in FE when they see it, will tell plants to join the UAW. In some plants, the UAW has pethem about my son wonderful titioned for representation elections by the National Labor Refriends in Panama.
lations Board. am deeply sorry that all By a rising vote, the convention gave unanimous assent to of you are so far from here Walter Jones, of legislative representative, continued these views in approving the first resolution to come before it, but hope that sometime you on the merger order.
his bitter opposition to the occupational high schools which have will come to the SO been constructed in Silver City and La Boca in recent years. If To repei UAW raids, the FE voted a fund of more than will have the pleasure of makCIO members wonder why it took over twenty years of struggle ing your acquaintance. 100. 000 a year by assessing members each in 1949 and 1950.
to Owain these schools, Jones testimony given recently before In reopening its present contracts, the union also served noticeTo you Medora Sangster, and that it will seek a fourth round wage increase of 30 cents an the Senate Appropriations Committee should shed some light a. your grand members, on it. Jones said to the committee last month: heur and improved pension benefits.
again say thanks from the bot As you know, there is apter and beautiful gift, and for tradition of the move rewspapers of the are: rufJones: have told you eartom of my heart for grand let ment.
propriated each year funds to lier this afternoon our first fians, malcontents, loud mouth making this the grandest Education of union members crators, agitators, communists, carry en a vocational. schoel obligation is to the American Mother Day of my life. has been an important part of aranchists, sydicalists, etc. to program te teach aliens to be citizens, and when see them the workers struggle for many ceme skilled mechanics. Three God bless you one and all denied a chance of employment, cite just a few.
was before this years ago I still am against anything that for being so good to. me. years. When the Great Railway Labor just shrugged its committee and asked that these The best of luck with our Strike occurred in 1877 one of stops that possibility of an shoulders at this abuse and funds be stopped but it was Union.
American being employed.
the reasons for the great soli went one fighting for its rights.
not done. At that time stated Senator Cordon: You feel Sincerely, was darity of the workers It knew then, just as it knows that not only are we facing Lena Brodsky.
that in order to guarantee that their understanding of labor today, that, as long as there competition for work because American citizens will role through education. The come is hunger, suffering, and want of the difference in wage scales down there and take the jobs, Balboa Education first great industrial union was on the part of the laboring but we find that the War Deformed as a result of this strugthat we should close our edu(Continued from page 1)
people, they will join together partment through the establishcational campaign down there?
gie.
in unions and fight for a betment of occupation high schools Jones: Senator, you have a dream of several years but Not much was known about ter way of life. And as long as ir the Canal Zone is creating very difficult problem before under the hard working com Teal unionism before the be they continue their struggle a pool of skilled workers which you, and it is a serious thing. mittee it is coming to life. The ginning of the 19th century. they will be abused and atwill increase the competition Senator Cordon: What would Annex to the La Boca office But between 1830 and 1877 tacked by the press and other for available work.
you do about it?
is now being crammed full of unions grew up like mushrooms anti labor organs for daring to The following is a discussion Jones: cannot give you the books and equipment. Every af in all the industrial centers in ask for more bread, hetween Senator Cordon and answer. On the one hand, you ternoon some member of the the United States. The reason Jones after he finished his have a group of American ci committee is swabbing a fresh ior their growth was the sufformal statement to the com tizens asking for the right of coat of green paint over the fering and oppression of the ACCION Published once a month by mittee: employment, and on the other gloomy surfaces. Soon, the com workers and the cruel and inSenator Cordon: You agree hand you have another group ittee reports, the library will human tres they received UPW CIO LOCAL 713 that this vocational training is of employees asking to be con be in the business of making et the hands of their employPUBLICITY COMMITTEE a good thing down there and tinued in employment. There labor and entertaining literaers. These unions fought heroic Wilfred Wason, Chairman should be continued. was a mistake made in 1915 iure available to the members. siruggles to win many of the Victor Carew Jones: No sir, not if it is when the Canal was completed. The stewards who attend rights we so casually enjoy Editor going to replace American ci Why were these employees not council meetings in La boca today.
REPRESENTATIVES 1eturned back to the islands? are well aware of the commit Throughout their struggle Peter Forbes, Anderson Senator Cordon. You do not But they have stayed there, tee work. Every Monday night they were slandered and abused Dew, Victor McCarthy, want to give those people a and now they are the obliga some member of the committee with the most vile sounding LeRoy Inniss, Christopper cliance to raise their of tion of the United States Gov gives a refreshing and enliven names. few of the terms se Harewood, Thomas.
living: ernment.
ing talk on the heritage and lected from the literature and of Continues Opposition To Occupational Schools tizens. BIBLIOTECA NACIONAL ERNESTO CASTILLERO