Arizona Sun

YOU CAN CATCH A THIEF; LIARS ARE MORE TREACHEROUS

The levels to which the proponents will stoop to put over their vicious campaign to foster the so-called "right" to work amendment on the people are beyond the comprehension of all decent people.

Any proposition that will not stand on its own feet and be discussed in a fair and square manner should be eliminated as soon as possible.

The latest story gotten out by the backers of the "veterans'" bill is that one which has been used on about every craft union in the state, but they seem to think it will never wear out. This time they picked on Carpenters' Local No. 1089, the largest carpenters' organization in the state and a tough nut to crack by the anti-labor boys.

This particular local union has approximately 500 veterans working as apprentices. In addition, hundreds of its members are journeymen returned from the last war, and many old-timers who fought for us in the first World War. This local has done about everything possible for the returning veterans. There is no charge for a veteran to join the union. And when he joins or becomes an apprentice, he goes to work-at once.

Naturally, the saturation point must be reached eventually, for no union can operate indefinitely by absorbing ALL of the returning veterans. So far, however, Homer Chester, the local's business representative, with the full knowledge and consent of all the older members, has fractured most of the rules and regulations in both the local's and international's constitution in order to place veterans on jobs. For doing that, such stories as the following is being repeated, getting a little worse with each repetition:

The proponents of the "right" to work bill have brought forth a man, by the name of Peterson, who claims he worked for Del E. Webb at the beginning of the war when Mr. Webb was operating his contracting firm non-union. Mr. Webb has NEVER operated on that basis. As a matter of fact, Del Webb was a member of organized labor before he became a contractor and has always conducted his business 100 per cent union. He was the first man in the state to sign an agreement with the Carpenters.

The story goes that this man Peterson went into the army, served his hitch and was discharged, whereupon he returned to Phoenix and applied to his former boss for a job. Mr. Webb is supposed to have told him there was a job for him, but that he would have to join the Carpenters' Union, as Webb was NOW operating union.

He was supposed to have gone to union officials and was told that he could join the union, but that it would be six months before he could go to work, as there were older members on the waiting list, one of whom would take the job Peterson was supposed to have secured from Mr. Webb. That is the old story: told many times with different unions as the goat, and with different men as the victims.

Asked about the story, Mr. Chester, knowing all about the numerous times it had been used, and who the people are who are putting it out, after relieving himself of some fancy language, which all GOOD carpenters know how to use, issued an official statement:

That no such event had ever occurred in the Carpenters' Union; that any ex-service man who was a carpenter, who had been out of service less than one year, would be given union membership free, and at the present time, at least, would be put to work immediately; that if Mr. Peterson would come to the union hall, if he had been discharged less than one year, and was a carpenter, he would be given a membership and would be given a job with the Webb firm the following morning, even though he was a liar.

Homer feels it is about time the labor-baiters think up something new for a change, as this particular story is getting extremely threadbare. Homer can tell you something else, too, if you ask him about this incident. We can't print it, however!