AunnrcAN Leeon: A DocuvtENTARY
CorrscrloN
Edited by
Melvyn Døbofsh,y øn.d. Josøph A. McCørtin
'Lo a a¡
palg rôve
macmitlan
194
Aunntceir Lnson: A DocuNlst¡r¡ny CorlrcrroN
Srnuccrn ron INpustnrer DE¡uocnecv
195
Ferrence suggests ho."v workers copecl with the strains of the wartime
labor environn'rent. In return for their agreements not to strike, unious
gained important concessions fr'om the government, including support for
maintenance-of-membership clauses in defense contracts (which ensured
that covered workers would remain union members and pay dues for the
duration of a contract). Nonetheless there was dissent in labor's ranks over
the unions' decision to offer a "no-strike pledge," as the debate that took place
at the 1943 Michigan CIO convention indicates (Documenta34). Which
argument Seems most persuasive? Unauthorized "wildcat" strikes proliferated during the r'var despite the "no-strike pledge." Several of the most
prominent of those strikes were triggered not by management mistreatment
of union members, bLrt by white workers' protests against the introduction
ofAfrican Americans into their rvorkplaces. Newspaper coverage of the 1942
HLrclson Motors rvalkout illustrates the dynamics of a "hate strike"
(Document 4.35). Yet blacks gained greater opportunides to earn high
wages and join the ranks of organized labor cltrring the war. Even in the deep
South tvartime conditions rvere f¿vorable enough to encourage black rvorkers to try to overcome rvhite en-rployers' intimidation against the forrnation
of unions. Document 4.36 excerpts the NLRB's investigation of the plighr
of black woodworkers from Fort Gibson, Mississippi, in 1944. What clo
Documents 4.35 and 4.3ó suggest about the contested nature of black gains
during the \varì women workers aiso found working conditions in war
industries often less than hospitable, as Document 4.37 makes clear. Yet, foliorving the rvar, Glaclys Dickason believecl that rvorking women had achieved
a degree of progress in both the workplace and the union that was unimaginable before the war (Document 4.38). What do these two documents
suggest about the impact the war on womenl
4.33 Coal Miners at War. Interview with Gabe Ferrence (I99+), in Thomas
Dtrblin, When the Mines Closed; Stories of Swugles in Hørd Times (khaca:
Cornell University Press, t998), pp. I70-7I. Reprinted with permission of
Cornell University Press.
[During World War II there were lots of opportunities.] Francis
Wonro Wen II
worlcl war II brought an end ro unemploymenr and procluced labor shortages
in some vital rvar indr-rstries. In Document 4.33, pennsylvania miner Gabe
Montgomery, one of the big superintendents of Lansford, knew my father
was a hoisting engineer ancl fìreman years ago; he asked me if I wanted a
job hoisting engineer. I was rttnning shovel on the stripping and I didn't
w¿nt to take dre job. He wanted me'cattse I guess some of their hoisting
engineers probably had to go away during World War II. He knew I was
available so he wanted rne to get to be a hoisting engineer.
IDuring the war] we were busy. Many a time I ran the machine withotrt
an oiler becanse they didn't have anybody. They'd see a hobo walking on
rhe road, they'd say, "He¡ you want a jobl" Sometimes i had school
196
Auenrce¡¡ Leson: A DocurvrE¡vreny CorrrcrroN
teachers for oilers during
their summer vacadon, because they were
needed. Some of rhem taught me in high
school, such as Warren Ulshafer
and James Vaiana, [from] Nesquehonin!,
and Andy Kalen, a footUail coac¡
from Coaldale.
I fìguredìf the boys were in rhe jungles laying in the mud and
freezing
in bad weather and everyrhing, why ."i,, I .í.,
*i,
machine ..rJ g.."r. l,
myselff So I did many a time. The conrracror
saved money beåuse he
wasn't paying two men), but I. only gor my
regular shover runne. s"tary.
"I would shut the machine down ãr an hour or so and I,d grease
it
myselfl'. I did something.for my war effo.,
can,t say that I *ä ¡rrrt
slacker.o^r something like rhat. I úelped
the pioduction of coar, rrti.'i **."
needed for industries alr over rhe world.
Aìot of coar was goi'gà;.r,o
Germany. and foreign counrries for
the rroops to have for their fuel.
I worked for Fauzio Brothers alr during world war II and
loaded
thousands of tons of coal.
4'3+ Michigan cIO convention Debates No-Strike pledge, 1943.
Proceed'ings of sixth Annøør conv.ention
pp. i 3 6-45. I Taken fr o m hrrp
:
Excerpt from
of the Michigøicro, i,r.,. ã-0, rs+a,
// historyniatters . gmu-.edu/ d/ S t +Z 1.
Delegate Reynolds (Dodge Local No. 3):
Mr. Chairman, I rise to supporr
the resolution [to recommend rhat tf,e'CIO
revoke
Áo_rJt. fnã,r.1.
I believe that we of labor should sray on the side l"
of labor. . . . I don,t
believe we should strike these plants uÅless
we absolutely have ro. yo, ."r,
take the chrysler workers. chìysrer workers
are underpaid. lve have our
contract' we have been uying to get a contract
for some six or seven
monrhs out of the War Labor Boarã and what
do we get. w. ;; ñ"
plain run around! When_we had a three_daf
sroppage, the War Labor"
Board promised r-rs thar they would get the
ón.yiå ão",rr., o.,i oi,¡.
red tape that it is meshed down in wãshington
inside of two weeks. Frere
it is going into another five or six wJeks and we still have
not a
conûacr... . T!. corporadon that I work
for knows o"ty o.r. trrrgrrug.
:
is the language of strike, and there isn,r any
one in th¡.oîu..r_
say they can de¿l with the Chrysler Corporation
on any other
terms. The only language they understand
is th. lr.rgrrrg.
I sa¡ let's give it to them. [Boos and applause]
"irJ-i., ."a
:_.id:lat
uon rnar can
Delegate.Paul \4/eber (American Newspaper
am speaking against the resolution. . . .
Guild): Brother president; I
i. ,..*, ro me that ,,o b.tt..
ment against this resolution can be made
".!rrthan the address of s.oilr.,
Reynolds who stated that he hacl gone on
strike i, tn. Cnryrì.. pt"r.,
that is men were sdll on the ,,r..a,
rhe tot"l net resurt of thar has been
that the case had been taken to trre""nd
war Labor Board. I wotild like also ro
make this point,-that when you strike in
a war industry, you do not
damage thê management. Uniortunatel¡
that is true. r iÁiít-crr.yrr..
SrnuecrE ron INousrnlnl Deltocnecv
r97
exemplifìe<l that fàct. The company has a contr¿rct lvith the qovernment fbr
X number of guns and they tlon't care whethel vott meke those guns in six
lveeks or eight rveeks. The only one httrt is the firttrre of the labor urovement ¿ntl the capacitlt of the ¿rr¡ed fbrces that defènti trs all' Anci on those
grorrnds I ar-n op¡'rosed to the resoltrtion. [Applattse and cl.rccrs]
Delegate John Cole (l-ocal 50, UAWA): Mr. Chitirm¿n . . . Ottr Local 50 is
going along rvith this [resolutior-r] a thotrsa¡d per cent cltte to the làct lve
don't w¿nr dictation. Yon ¿rre goi¡g to be dictatetl to. Let's not lre dictateci
to by Phil Murray ¿nd Green. . . . Don'r lose vour indivit{ualir.v. Don',t givc
it up. A no-srrike pleclge at this dme is going ro tlo onc thing, going to let
tus tlown, we are going to be jockeyed il.rto ¡'rositiou b,v ¡rresstrre grott¡rs anci
run along to theif rvay of doing. Don't let this hair¡rcr.r in thc latror urovernenr here. Ler this entire grou¡r go as 1ìghting tbr the indiviclual . . .
Delegate washingron (Local ó00, UAWA): I reirresent ap¡rroxinlately
90,000 workers, [Boos] the majority of rvhom are against striking at tl'ris
time because we recognize rhat it is int¡lorta¡r rhar tl.re people u,ho are
fìghting in South Aftica, North Afiica, Gttadalcatral, Ireecl the tl.rinS¡s rvhicl.l
rve make. I also tèel th¿t as ¿ member olthc lrltern¿tiorl¿l Unio¡r of Atrto
workers, the rnajority of whom have alreacly gone on record as against
striking at this time, do not fèel that such a resolution shottld l"re strpported. . . . we are hurting ourselves. we ¿re taking things au,ay fiour ortr
Loys who are on the b¿¡tle lines the products of labor tl'rat the,v tleecl to
protect themselves and rvin this u,ar, And I rvant to tlrge all of you rvho iire
Americans, lvho arc with the allied ¡¿tio¡s, w[o irre sincere i¡ rl,¿ntine to
see this war won that yott votc doq,tl this resolutiou ancl c9t'ttintte to givc
vorlr support to tl're Administration. [Api;laLrse and Cheers]
Delegate Lucas: Brother Ch¿irman arrd Brothers ancl Sisters: In the fìrst
no-s¡rikc ¡rledge. It is only a clrlcs¡rlace this resolu¡ion iloes not revoke the
the
National CIO .rs to horv s'e fèe I
rvith
iion of certain policy a¡d advising
has :r iletter right to iich'ise rvith
grou¡l
what
And
question.
pafticular
on this
. . . Norv I havc beconle
cloì
Micliigan
the
than
clo
N¿rion¿l
the
conlince,l rhat rhe giving of the no-strike pledge \l¡as tlìe biggest ¡rtistake
th¿t labor has ever made. [Applattse ancl boos] You havc otrl), to look irl¡o
your own particulàr ¡rlant and see what yoirr cor"rclitions) yorlr collectivc
bargaining set up is. Are the mànàgemenrs bargaining in these ¡rlantsì
[Voices: No]
I certainly don't rhink rhey are. when ir couìes ro (ìuestion ot'gir,ine
labor irs just due, it seems that the ¡dministr¿tion seenls to not be attle to
tìnd any money to do anything with but tvþcn it corlles to the c¡trestion ol
builtting planrs fbr corporations rvho h¿rye alreadv more than tlrey ¡ecd,
they can find trillions of dollars to do that rvith. Is that giving lal'ror a sc¡tr:rrc
deal? I clon't think so. My personal sentinrents are otl this c¡trcstiotr that the
no-strike ¡rletlge should be revoked hcre and norv. fApplausc and boos ¿nd
rirne called]
Delegate BO¿tìn: Surely lve h¿r,e grievaltces. Surel,v the t-ualrtttircttlrefs create nu[ìeroLts grievances fbr trs, antl lvh,vì Arrd r.vho in ¡rartictrlar ¡rre these
198
Air,lrnrceu L¡.son: A Docuvrpxreny CorrecrroN
Srnuccrr ron INousrnrer Denrocnecv
manufacturersf In the majority of cases the manufacturers
[who] create
numerous grievances are the ones who a¡e not interested in
winning the
war. They create tìese grievances, they help to create these
grievances and
refuse to negoriate primarily because they want us to go
on strike, so we
can have a negotiated peace, so Hitler can condnue in war
and ro *. .ra,
have Hiderism in this country. A strike would be against
or,, men who are
on the batdefields, against the entire rabor movement, against
dre very war
we âre lìghting. The revocation of the no-strike pleag;wiu
not sorve the
problem. Brorler Reynolds indicated that it did iot loru. their
probrem.
Strikes will not establish democracy in the world.
Frankensteen denied that any employee had walked out of the plant,
although observers at the gates reported some of the day shift went in at
7 a. m. and left at 8 a. m. Frankensteen said those coming out at 8 o'clock
were the second crew from the night shift. Earlier, R. I. Thomas, UAWCIO president, threatened to pull the charter ofthe local union unless the
strike ended. He said he believed some Ku Klux Klan members were promoting the walkout, but he said officials of the local had done everything
in their power to end the strike and were not involved in the Klan charges.
The strike started Thursday morning when some 1,800 of the arsenal's
4.35 wildcat Hate strike, 1942. Report of a Racist wildcat Suike at Hudson
Motors, Detroit Nazs, June 19,1942, pp. l, 4. Reprinted with permission
from
the Denob News.
Walkout Ends in Gun ?lanr: Schedule Is Normal at Hudson plant
Production was normal again in the Naval ordinance (Hudson)
arsenal, said. . . .
A wildcar strike halted production most of rhursday at the plant,
manufacturing, vitally-needed guns for the Navy. The wårkers
Ì 1,000 worke rs walked out. They prote sted against the management placing
two Negro production workers in each of the arsenal's fòur main br,rildings.
The white workers at first moved the Negroes' benches to another end
of the building, but the management ordered guards to replace the
benches. At that point the men walked out.
THOM,q.S FLiES B,{CK
Thomas and Frankensteen flew back from Washington in a Navy bomber
to order the men back to work, and Frankensteen was at the plant this
morning when the shift was scheduled to come to work.
A Navy spokesman admitted the arsenal had difficulty maintaining an
even flow of production during the afternoon and midnight shifts
A¡senal at
23500 Mound road today, a Nary spokesman said., after û¡W_CIO
officials ended a brief walkout this morning in one building.
is I00 per cenr,,' Capt. A. S. Woth..spoo.rJhi.f i.rrp..ro,
^"Producrion,
ofordnance
at the
199
,,r*k i.,
prot€st over employment of Negroes, members of the UAW_CIO
on
production jobs, ofñcials said.
UNION PLEA EFFECTIVE
when the day shift wenr inro the plant toda¡ Richard r. Frankensteen
and
Melvin Bishop' IJAW regional directors; Al óermaine president
of Hudson
Local 154, UAW, and Leo Lamonte, an organizei cailed the workers
together and urged that work be resumed. Frankensteon said later
that rhe
men wenr back to *o.k:I::p_, in_one building where about
100 employees stopped work. After UAW officiats addressed this
group, pointini out
that the "guns are needed to beat rhe Japs" and thai their ãctionsïere
injuring the union, they returned to the jobs, he said.
Frankensreen said that he did nor expecr further trouble
today at the
plant but that he and other officiars were remaining to make
sure. By
nightfall there will be 33 Negroes employed in the ptaãt, he
said. -It rooks
lfe ine Klan is responsible for rhis," Èrankensteen iaid. i There were some
Black Legion members at the Hudson plant, and we have had
troubre with
the Klan before in other plants-on the ñegro question. The overwhelming
majority of the workers are r00 per cent Amerìcan, however,
and when we
told them what a strike meant in terms of aiding the enemy, they went
back
to work." '
Thursday because of the suike.
Asked why the Naly had not acceded to the suiking workers' request
that the eight Negroes be placed in one building, instead of spread
throughout the plant, the spokesman said:
"The Negroes protested against segregation. lVe expected uouble. This is
just a test of strength on a serious problem we may run into at some other
plants."
ORDERS CARRIED OUT
Secretary Knox, in a telegram to Capt. Wotherspoon, demanded immediate
resumption of work.
A spokesman for the union local to which the striking workers belong
said the unit's fair employment practice committee had attempted
throughout Thursday to get the men back to work. After cidng the
group's protest against the Negroes, Capt. Wotherspoon said:
"We have orders not to discriminate against any race or creed and we are
used to carrying out orders here."
4.36 Overcoming Racial Intimidation in Mississippi, 1944. Casefile I5-C-Ì020,
National Labor Relations Board Records, National Archives, Washington, D.C.
Excerpt from Official Report of Proceedings before the National Labor
Relations Board, Case No. l5-C-1020, November 26-28, L945.
Q. By Mr. [Stanley D.] Kane fon behalf of the NLRB]: What is your
full namel
AurnrceN Lason: A DocuveNrany CotrrcrroN
SrauccLe FoR INDUSTnTRT Drltocn¡cv
A. Howard Leon Thomas. . . .
Q. And rvhar w¿s your occuparion during Augr.rsr, September, October,
4.37 Rosie the Riverer, 19434+. Lerrers about the dangers of war work, in
200
ancl Novenrber, 1944?
A. Represe'rari'e of rhe cIo woodworkers; InternationaÌ woocrworkers,
cro....
20r
Gerald Markowitz ancl David Rosner, "slaves of rhe Depression": worherl
Letters øboøt Lil'e on the Job (Ithaca: Cornell University Press, 1987)' pp' 2ì4-15'
Reprinted r,vith permission fì'orn Cornell lJniversity Press'
Q. And, Mr. Thon.ras, during that period, did you seek to organize the
Des Moines, Iowa, A¡rril ì5, 1943
employees of the Port Gibson Veneer & Box Company, rhe respondent in
this casel
A. Idid....
Q.An.t how often during that period did you conte ro port Gibsonl
A. A,-n average of twice a month. . . .
Q. Did you on one occasion hold a meering at a ball park in porr Gibsonl
A. On several occasions.
Q. Did y,oLr hold a meeting ar r.vhich rhe Sherifiof rhis counr¡, a¡rpeare<lì
A. Idict....
Q. M.. Tlronras, will you rell Lrs r,vhat happened ar this meeting when the
sheritï' canie I
A. Well, I rvas in rhe ball park just across the srreer here; had quite a
number ol peo¡lle rhere, and I notice the SherifI, and I told him, I says,
"Sherifï, conle orl in. This is a CiO meering." He sa1's, ..yes, you have
done eno.gh. You're jusr stirring these people up lvith rhe inrention or
gctting their mone¡', and you fèllows will be gone. Yon,re just disturbing
good ¡reo¡lle fbr nothing". . . . He marle the st¿rement, ..Go ahead lvith
your meeting. If I had rrry lvay about it I would run you out of rown.,' . . .
Q. Now, who all was therel
A. I clon't knor,v rhem by name.
Q. I mean, jusr practically all colored employees; practically all colored,
rveren'¡ thevf
A. Yes, thev rvere practically all colorecl.
Q. Was thar a ¡rLrblic meerinq. . . . or was ir purely a Union meetingl
A. It rvas fì¡r rhe rnill people. Any mill labor; a'ybody rvorking in rhe mill
corrlcl conre....
Q. Did the SherifÏ. . . tell yor.r why he was there I
A. He clid not.
Certifìcation of Re¡rresentadves, December l, 1944, Case No. l5-R-1241
On November 22, 1944, an elecrion was conducted in rhe above
nlatter. . . ¿nci in accordance with the Rules ancl Regulations of rhe Board.
It a¡rpears fiom a tally of the ballots that a collecdve bargaining represent¿tive has been selected, since of rhe ap¡rroximately 277 eligible voters, 2l.g
cast valid vores, olwhich 199 were fbr rhe Union, and 19 against. . . . It is
hereby certifìed that the International woodworkers of America, AfIìliated
rvith the Congress of Industrial organizations, has been designatetl ancl
selectec{ by a majority of all prodr-rction ¿nd mainrenance employees of the
Port Gibson Veneer and Box Companv, Port Gibson, Mississip¡ri. . . .
By direction of the Board:
lohn E. larvyer
Chief, Orcler Secrion
Dear Sir:
I have a problem ollabor: I would like verl' mttch to have you hel¡r me out'
I work for rhe Monarch Machine & stamping co. I day that is 8 hrs. I cltrit
because I was afiaid of rny machine as they put three new people rvho never
saw a press in their lives. They gave irs a 5 minute rest period which isn't
long enough ro go ro the resr room and back. Then we work fast and steaciy
,-,ntil *e wenr honle. Jiót a l/2 hour our for lunch: I really didn't know
which one rvas going to t¿kc rlrv fìngcrs ofTthc rlrtn ¡rrrtting tr¡r steel ¡rlrttcs
or the ¡rress. I n.rade $3.20 that night. I hatl 3 cents takeu ortt lor Social
Secrrrity ancl 30 cen$ our ftrr gloves that would leave me a check of s2.87.
Ar leasi that is the r,vay I had it tìgured our. When I went to get my check
they toltl me I didr-r't have any thir-rg coming. They told me becalrse I l-rad
quii t f,aa to pay fbr nly own examinarion. They say they have a First Aid.
It is nothing 6rrt a tlirty box above the wash bowl. The top and bandage
rvere all clirty and drey didn't have any thing to wash out the cuts on your
h¿nds. I ask them whar we would tio if we ever got hurt and they said they
woulcl t¿ke care of ns ¿nd pay our Dr. bill. I said just like you pay f'or the
examinatioll ancl my wages¡ Sir I really think I should have some thing fè'r
that clays work. Its nor d1e iclea that I clon't like to work hard. I do but I
tlon'r wanr ro be rreared like the people in Germany are. we are sllppose to
l¡e a fiee countr)¡. But to work fbr places and people like that it doesn't se em
that way. I am sorry to have to write you a letter like this bgt I want what's
coming to me ¿nd so do other people. we are all trying to do lvhat we can
f'or ouico.ntry but if we lose our hands then we are no good to our selves
or oLu' country. Hoping to hear fì'om you soon.
M. L. L.
\\4reeling, West Virginia, December 30,1944
Mr. and Mrs. President Roosevelt:
Anr rvriti¡g to both of yor-r as what I have to say is very important to the
world of tomorrow. I know you ãre all very busy but you are the only one
I c¿n run to as â mother.
I have a clar-rghter 23, very well ed[cated, but r'vhen this war took
her husband she thought she could do something for him and her coun-
try antl she went into a defense plant. He has been overseas 2 years
4 months. one clay I was called ro rhe hospital; rny daughter lost ¡wo
fìngers-index ancl middle finger. She just got over the second operation
of ihese fìngers ancl her heaith is broken. But she isn'¡ the only girl; there
were 5 girls in one week that worked at the Wheeling Corrugating in
wheeling that lost fìngers. Tl.rey make their help work without guards and
202
AùrEnrcR^¡ Lason: A DocunrENrnny CorrECTroN
Srnuccle roR INoustntnl Den¿ocnacv
tongs and bad presses. The girls are some day going
to be mothers and do
house work. How can they do this without n.rg.rJ
I taught -y ã*grr...
how to rake care of a home before going out inro the
wãrld ,.rd b..rrrr.
some people wanr to make money these girls have
to lose some part of
their body. Yes, they have.Government iãspectors in but the
wheeling
Steel can buy them over and have them on thåir
side. They make these girls
work in damp places, even srand in water. what do you
think our future
morhers are going to be likel I am not speaking fo.
my arrrgfrter-Jo.r. Uut
for the other girls.
uniOns themSelves there has bee n in dre ¡rast sot-ue distrtrst of rvotltetl's
loyalt¡, as union menrbers and a tendency to look ttpotr the ur :ìs an Llnstable ¿nd unreliable fàctor in the ttnion-a "blithering liability" as otre urale
The C.I.O. uies to.do every thing they can but the \tr/heeling
runs
Wheeling and round abour rown. I d; rhink they
should giue th.å d.h
artificial fingers as being a modrer means dresses to
make *d butto., ,rp,
and nearly everything means you need your fingers in
the home to mrke
good morhers and to rear good citizens. So Mr. and
Mrs. Roosevelt that is
w!¡r I am writing this letter ro you as I have faith in you and
k ro* yo,, both
will understand. But after these girls are hurr they tiy to put
them back on
presses; they can't get jobs elsewhere. what can
they do *i,horr, fingersì So
if you will give this a little of your attention I will be so thankful.
MRS. U. S.
4.38 Poswar Outlook fbr Working Women, 1947. Gladys Dickason, .,Women
in Labor lJnions," Annørs of the Arnericøn Acød.eruy i¡ noutlrrt ind.
sociør
Science, Vol. 251 (May 1947), pp.70-7g.
203
tunionist ¡rut it.
O¡r the side of sociery there l-ras been an iclea th¿t tl're ¡rartici¡ration ol
women in union activities, and especially in strikes, rvas trnfèuriniuc atrd
inrproper. Striking wonlen garnìent r,r'orkers irt 1924 were iirrcsted irud
sent to jail afìer being cailed "lo',v wotìten, a disgrace to their sex." Oflìci¿l
government guaràntees, afìer 1932, of the right to orqanize hel¡red to
rel'no\¡e the sdgnra of "clisorderl)"' and "ttnfèmiltine" couduct fì-om the
union activities of women.
In the p¿st some unions have had restrictions barring u'omen fiour
membership. Today all CIO unions and most AFL ur-rions :rclnlit
"vonrett
rvithout regard to skill, color or creed. . . .
The unions l'raving the largest nttmber of u'onretl nrenlbers in 1945
included the United Automobile Workers of America, CiO rvith 280'000
women members, constituting 28 ¡rer cent of its toral urembersþip; rfie
Unired Elecrical Radio a¡d Machi¡e W<¡rkcrs of' Anrericrt, CIO rvith
280,000 lvonÌen nrentbcrs, or 40 ¡rer cenr of its total nrenrþership; rlrc
Internarional Ladies, Gamrent Workers' union, AFL, rvirl'r 225,000 nremþers, or 75 per cent of i¡s r.ltenrbership; the Atlrllq¿trl¡tctl Clotlrirrg
workers of A¡rerica, cIO, rvith 200,000 wo¡lcu rltembers, or (r(¡ cen¡ of'
its total rrrenrbership; and Texdle Workers Urrion of Anrericl, CIO,
rvith 180,000 women ntentbers, n"raking trp 40 per cent of its total
nrenrbershil>. . . .
In Alabama recently a farmer's wife, who was arso a shirtmaker in a
small-town clothing factor¡ visited the Governor of the
state with a union
delegation ro reporr a case of mob violence against union
organizers. After
hearing her stor¡ the Governor ordered an inîesdgation
and-issued a starement emphasizing that union memb..r porr.rr.ã the same
rights under
the law as other people.
This woman in the office of the Governor of her state epitomizes
the
progress that working women have made through union
orgãnization. we
have come a long way. . . .
The spectacular increase in women membership in unions
during the
war can undoubtedly be ascribed to the type of jobs
they entered, ¡7.t i.,
the decade before the war, rhe number of *o-.., union
members'tripred
under t}'e labor legislation of the first two Roosevelt
adminisratio.r, -iri.h
put collecdve bargaining on a fìrmer basis. This, in turn
made possible the
new organizational policy adopted by the American rabor
movement in the
later thirties, that of organizing workers on an industrial
instead of a craft
basis. As a resulr large numberi of unskilled, semi-skilled
and white-coilar
workers were unionized, and ir was to these groups that
rhe majority of
women workers largely belonged.
Traditional prejudices about the abilities and starus of women
.
have
played a pait in retarding the organization of women workers.
,tmong the
The enuance of large nu¡rlrens ollvometl into indrrstrl' dr"rring the rvar
antl the endorsement by the National War Latror Bo¿rd olthe princi¡lle of
ec¡ual pay fbr equal work h¿vc given im¡retus to the cf'forts ol Lrnions to
secure eqttal clauses in union cotìtr¿cts. . . .
The importance of union membership to womerl is try no Ileans limited
to the econonric sphere. Ultions i)!:ollìote the ¡rolitical edttcation ancl
community activities of women workers in a nuurber of u'ays, both direct
and indirect.
Wonren anending union meetings, discussing the concrete ¡rroblenl of'
whcther mân¿gement can af'ford tO giye thcm a taise , are lec{ o¡ into t¿lking and thinking about such matters as dre ft¡tr,rre of their industry, the
relation of their industry to other industries, rvhether thcre s'ill be a
depression in 1947, what cattses deprcssions, ¿ntl so on, uutil rhey fìncl
themselves discussing and analyzing the fundanle rrt¿l social atlcl econonric
prot>lenrs of our time.
Through union activity women get to knolv their courllrLt¡itv ¡nd its
problen'rs as they could do in no other rvay. They becomc act¡traitrteci u'ith
tèllorv workers fìom difïèrent sections of the conlnlttnitl, lncl of tiiflèrent
social, re ligious, and nationalitl,.grou¡rs. Seeirtg e¡ch othcr ¿t tttliolt nreetings, working together on ttnion colrrnritlees, the,v learr.r to ktlorv c¿ch
'fhis helps to
other as people and to understand eacl-¡ other's problemsbreak down social barriers and raci¿l ancl religiotrs prcjtrtliccs.
204
An¡EnrcaN Leson: A DoculvrrNrany CorrrcrroN
SrnuccrE poR INoustnrer Dr¡¡ocnecv
working-class women do not as a rure berong to the Red
cross,
women's clubs, and similar communiry organizatións to which
and community activities. But the great contribution of rhe trade unions is
in their concern for and protection of øilworkers, regardiess of race, color,
creed or sex. By increasing the economic protecrion and equality for all
workers, it is making a grear contribution toward the special problems of
women, jusr as it has contributed toward the special problems of other
leisured
middle-class women belong, unress rhe unioi provides an
opportunity for
them ro participate . During the war unions secured for theirïomen
memservice
organizations, civilian defense agencies, and similar groups.
. . . The working girls, who were often self-disuustful because they ìacked
social and
administrative experience, discovered that when put to the
test they courd
acquit themselves as successfu[y as anybody else. In a number
of cáses the
union women were made chairmen of their local units.
women union members have taken an active part in the work
the
clo Political Action comminee and in the poritical activities ofAFLof and
independent unions. They have helped to g.i orrt rhe vote,
talked to their
neighbors, studied the legislative records o?.h.i, .o.,gr.rri..,
and representadves and enlisted supporr behind candidates with a good
record. on
progressive legislation. These activities have not onry
.h"*
-"d.
-or.
alert citizens but have added to their general selÊconfidence
and serÊ
respect. . . .
Many unions have expanded their educational programs in order to
encourage women members'participation in union activities.
The united
Automobile workers during the wai established a lvomen,s Bureau
in its
war Policy Division, and in 1944 herd a nadonal conference of women
members. some of the recommendations made at this conference
were
sr"rbsequendy incorporated in model conüact clauses and
recommended to
local unions for inclusion in úleir coilective bargaining demands.
This
union is also training women as union offìcers inro,rg:h its Leadership
Training course, which educates members for administr*ative posts
in the
union.
women members may be found. in neariy ali administrative
union
positions except that of narional or internarional president,
though they
as
1tt."91, a rule, represented in proportion to theii numbers in the union.
This discrepancy arises partly from tÀe fact that there are
more men union
members in highly skilled jobs and partly from the fact that
women work_
ers simply have less spare time to devote to union acdvities
than have
bers a chance to work with the Red cross, the united.
men....
From what has been said, it is evident that the uade union
movement,
during the past several decades, has played an important part
progress women have
1af1^toward
in the
firll participarion in th. co.rnuy's polit_
ical' economic, and social lìfe- It has doie so
irimarily by workini toïara
the achievemenr of full participarion of all working
women-in our society- what it has done for the
ieople_ñe' arrd
-ãt. *o.t., in giving
him a greater degree oisecurity, a grearer measure of self_respec,
,rrí.orr_
fidence, a feeling of belonging, it hãs done similarly for
rhe
worker.
But it has meanr even more for rhe woman workèr because-å*"r,
of her speciar
problems.
The labor movemenr has recognized these special problems and
has
helped solve rhem, as described above, by collectiie barjaining,
legislative,
groups.
205