Decatur Daily Democrat, Volume 50, Number 199, Decatur, Adams County, 22 August 1952 — Page 2

PAGE TWO

- i.'■■■“■.rO I ■ i ■ ■ ■ I : ’ . ■ i.| . - . it 1 ■ ■ ' . i •_ AR£,YQU FOR > i ' .' . . 1 ■ • I ! * ■ ■ FREEDOM OR FORCE - . : Voluntary or Compulsory Unionism? 1 '’ * 1 '‘ ■ I! ' ' ■'* ' . kJ .• \ . - J 1 • FORCE HURTS* WORKERS? Forced membership in unions — forced cials—such as calling off a strike,'orsletting J the7employerJmake’ , some * < dues-paying — compulsory unionism — these are bad for employees, \ " other temporary personal gain.?' whether they believe in union membership or not. Far fmm . > . —. . . \ . * ar irom making such a deal with union officials, the employer should Lots of employees have proved they don’t want to join unions. That’s do all that is legally in his power to protect his employees against their right—just as they have the right to join. Forcing them to join ; leM force and compulsion be’ing imposed upon them by anyone— whether and pay dues—or else lose their jobs—takes away this basic freedom, Iby union officials, or by government or by anybody elseT~ and makes them pay for something they don’t want and think isn’t ZXXZL p. y ,. E du „. M " have that free course open to them, if they should want to exercise that P frcedom - than condoning or,'.worse yet, being a choice. That’s the only rbal way employees can control their union and j S ° ° corporatlon and union officials to take money see that officials run, it in the members’ interest. Forcing members to / : away rom employees,by. force,” the government*should stay inapd keep on-paying against their will and P emptoyees adjust that. - - contrary to their* sense of values—destroys the control union members \ \ have over union officials—and makes members the servants rather FORCE DAMAGES EVERYBODY PmcrAcoii,- r j than the masters of their own union. freedom r ? °" freedom of choice - •\ -•-■ rreeaom or jot>s, freedom to improve, freedom to compete, freedom to Employees who want a union want it strong enough to protect them— stnv e and excel, freedom independently to seek good values and just but not strong enough to destroy them or their freedom or their right rewards. g Progress thrives where there is a balance of power—not where a union FrißfF hFADAhCC BMDinVEDC < -monopoly, for instance, becomes so Jxiwerful as to dominate employees, FvKvC IIKVKAIIE3 KnlrLUTcNd. It isn’t a pretty sight when ah em- employers, customers, vendors, government and the public/ i r ployer— out of either cowardice or what seems to be “practical neces- Unwarranted Dower- in ‘ sity"—makes a deal with union officials and trades away the freedom and clearly shows—always means fess freedom 0 ” e . g . r ° Up ,stor y 80 pay of his employees in return for favors or concessions from union offi- body * s S e noW *~ always means tess freed ° m “>d fess well being for_eyery- ■ ’ ' ‘ \ . .... I , , w ' . ;i t » . \ Mmh ' j Ever so often we have published; our views on compulsory unionism - where the em. ployer makes a deal to force his employees to join, stay in, and pay dues against their wifi to a union. Here are some questions and answers that seem timely. 1, What I. m« by compalsary un iani. m ? \ 4 . why do many union official. Want mm form of compulsory Th „. . .g.'ij , '• Answer: It is the opposite of voluntary unionism—which means an unionism so badly? r* r There is, of course, no question of security against employers because employee wants to join or stay in a union, and wants to pay dues— ' Answer: Because employees are hot: joining unions Voluntarilv Since are forbidden by law—the Taft-Hartley Act—to coerce or but can chdnge his mind if he doesn’t like the way the union is being the close of World War II about 9 million people have been added int crefrte with unions m any of their union activities, run or doesn’t think he is getting his money’s worth. Obviously, ail to the total civilian work force. Yet, total union membership in the u . .... . , fair minded employers should be agreeable to voluntary unionism for United States has remained about the sariie—in spite of the millions I°’ W " y d ° employers sometimes willingly settle for some employees. : , I of dollars spent by union officials in organisational efforts to persuade ‘ Om P u,s *7 ""*"?*?* u k , u Compulsory unionism means forced membership and people to join—and some of that “persuasion” has been pretty rugged. p nsw,er - because they think they can thus buy labor peace cheaply It is now usually demanded by union officials in the form of a union Any form of agreement between union officials and employers for *° F t^iernse^ves 81 expense of the freedom and money of their shop or the so-called “modified” union shop. The closed shop is now compulsory unionism, however, would force some, or all of these employees. They often learn at the next contract negotiation that the illegal, but the only difference between it and union shop is that the employees—who won’t do it voluntarily—to join or stay in a union compulsion they agreed to before was merely a down payment on closed shop required joining before being hired for a job and the union or keep on paying dues to a union. \ * more compulsion of their employees with a full union shop (or shop requires joining soon after being hired. Union officials seem to think that this additional power (“join up \ * Cl ° Sed Sh ° P> 8S th<? BOaL I • . How does compulsory unionism work? and pay' up or lose your Job”) and the extra millions of dollars the .u .. .. . . , . Amwe.: In any form of unionism the employer starts \ o ®. c '.’ ’ *o“'«J«eive each year in dues. wou!d be good for union th”' * pays ** ?" COm P“ lw 7 unionism? doing something for union officials-like forcing empires to join all the employees compelled to join and pay The employees do first, in loss of freedom to make then own unions and pay dues-so that the union officials £ll stop doing some- thM thi " k »- "»«• i" P ’l ? t thing to the employer—like threatening a strike, or demanding more 7. Why ara union officials suddenly In such an all-out hurry to gives them anything for their' money. In fact “theJe Me times when S: n emotove«Vn r d’ffir“fte T’ ° “1°" ’ hO, ” Or * Ome come to believe the uX doL them mom harny tZn the employees and for the benefit of the employer-wrth the obwws dnswer. Because a union shop can be obtained more easily with po- -especially when union officials get more interested in national and effect, of course, of g.vmg more power and income to the union offi. lifcal helt>-and union officials seem to think that now is a good international politics than in promoting proper local wages, benefits. L time while the going is good”, and the government is seemingly will- hours and working conditions. 3. Wha* is the real test of whether a collective bargaining agree- ‘ ng to J‘ re commend” that employers grant whatever union officials But the employer and the public also pay, as the abuses of unremens Involves compulsory unionism? eman . •, strained power in the hands of union officials change the union status Answer: The test is whether any employee is forced to do something, 8. But is the union shop "good politics" now? ' from one of equality with management in bargaining to <nion domior forced to keep on doing something, about joining a union or pay- Answel- Union officials and lots of politicians have thought so until nation — domination not only of employees but of management, mg union dues unde; penalty of losing his job. Unionism is compul- recently—but now they are not so sure Peoole are* wakinv un tn the owners, government, and the public as well. Almost inevitably this sory when any employees are deprived of the freedom to decide all way their freedom is bartered away under compulsory Cnion avree domination results in a less efficient operation of the business, with those matters for themselves. ments between agressive union officials arid weak and yielding em- consequent higher prices for everybody, and with fewer anef less se- <.; Why does Gt believe that all forms of compulsory unionism ployers. More and more the union shop is getting to be unpopular CUfe \ . are bod? and “bad politics.” * > , ’ • Answer: General Electric believes all employees should decide for p uu:ii ..»:«« What GE Iblnk Is the right position to take op com- i themselves^ individually-whether they should join or not join a »»«P at a modified union shop? pulsory unionism in any form? v union, stay in or get out of a union, or pay dues or not io a union. nswer. enerally speaking, it is only an opening wedge for some Answer.- Employers should not be a party to or consent to any form General Electric believes employees should be free from any com- greater form of compulsion—with the ntiw illegal closed shop as the of compulsory unionism. If compulsory unionism is bad in principle, pulsion, dictation or force iri this regard from either Company or At the recent steelworkers’ i * c it should be avoided in any form. . \ , union. If that is a good principle—and ifce think it is—it would be nulsorv union shon k tft th f * yPe ° f C ° m ’ Employees— both members and non-members of unions—should fight i wrong for us to agree to “just a little compulsion” of our employees, “practically worthless” The nf/ ii * 3 t Called t 0 retain their P dccless ri « ht as free men to decide for themselves—or to “just a little less freedom” for them under any form of compulsory unionism, whether modified or not. \ y , f * *? artley Act which would make Union officials who really believe in unionism as a benefit to employ-’ * 5. I. Os asain.t employe., becoming union Members, or against full compulsory union shop Tunion'can wver obuin security“Xst unio'n “I*’''" anx , ious .‘ o idea °! employee, paying union du.7? W internal conflict or attacks of employers or rival untons" kX it m P K mtml f ra - an . d Anstver.- No. Employees at GE are free to do a, they m sh. Where any •'lnternal conflict,’' of course. is’Uhing more than .union member employee wants us to withhold his union dues and pay it directly to exercising his right a free man to disagree with his union official/ in a union or not 1 Y > • ts \ EMPLOYEE AND PLANT COMMUNITY RELATIONS \ ' ' ' ' — \ « y ' . ' GENERAL® ELECTRIC J ' ; ' • ' ' j ■ ’* — " H T ■ ' ' . ' ; - '

DECATUR DAILY DEMOCRAT, DECATUR, INDIANA

FRIDAY, AUGUST 22, 1952