United Automobile Worker

CIO Convention Reiterates No-Strike Pledge

Delegates Adopt Rallying Call for Political Action

PHILADELPHIA.—The national convention of the Congress of Industrial Organizations, in session here, went on record demanding scrapping of the "Little Steel" wage freeze, and in its place a general wage increase for workers which would bring wages into line with living costs.

The convention, in a special resolution dealing with wage policy, declared that promised roll-back of prices had not been kept, and that labor's recourse was to seek wage increases.

Another principal decision of the convention was the re-iteration of the no-strike pledge given for the duration of the war. The resolution declared:

OUR NO-STRIKE PLEDGE

"WHEREAS, (1) The working men and women of this nation desire above anything else to exert all their effort and energy toward achieving maximum production of war materials;

(2) A strike or stoppage of work must necessarily interfere with this effort for all-out production and to that extent actually assists our enemies and endangers the lives of those men and women on the battle-fronts fighting the Axis armies;

(3) The CIO at the outset of this war gave its no-strike pledge which it has religiously maintained;

(4) We must recognize that the enemies of our war effort are constantly seeking to provoke labor into engaging in strikes, such as through the enactment of the Smith-Connally Act, and that there are employers who for their own personal profit may endeavor to take advantage of our war situation and attempt to exploit labor regardless of the impact of their policies upon the war effort;

now, therefore, be it

"RESOLVED, (1) That the CIO hereby reaffirms its solemn pledge without any qualifications or conditions that for the duration of the war there must not be any strike or stoppage of work. Each member and each leader of organized labor must make it his responsibility to discharge with scrupulous care this sacred obligation. Any leader of organized labor who deliberately flouts this obligation and any employer who seeks to provoke or exploit labor are playing into the hands of the enemies of our nation.

(2) We must recognize that for the duration of the war, issues in dispute between labor and management must be adjusted through the peaceful means of collective bargaining, mediation, or through disposition by the National War Labor Board.

(3) Further, we must recognize that to assure the prosecution of a war program that will prevent special groups from exploiting labor or benefiting from the sacrifices of others, organized labor has the task of mobilizing the people on the legislative and political fronts behind a win-the-war program designed to meet the basic economic problems arising out of the war and to protect the interests of the common people."

ON POLITICAL ACTION

These were only the highlights of the convention which, in a businesslike and aggressive way, acted on many problems facing labor both at home and on the world front.

The convention adopted a vigorous resolution dealing with political activity. Its adoption came after stirring addresses by Philip Murray, CIO president, and Sidney Hillman, chairman of the CIO's special committee on political action.

TEXT OF STATEMENT

The declaration on political action said:

"The CIO has hammered out a constructive program to meet the needs of labor and the nation, both in the conduct of the war and after victory has been won. That program has been perfected and reaffirmed by this convention.

"Our program does not serve the interest of labor alone, but that of every section of our people. It is directed toward the achievement of those objectives which are shared by the overwhelming majority of all Americans: Our paramount objective is the winning of the war and the advancement of those democratic standards and ideals for which our armies are now engaged in costly battles. Achievement of this objective requires: A strong and united home front in support of our military effort through the maintenance of our economic, social and legislative standards as a guarantee of wholesome living standards for our people and the protection of the highest possible morale among our millions of war workers; the mobilization of all of our resources for the vigorous prosecution of the war to realize our goal of unconditional surrender within the shortest possible time; only through their organized participation in the political life of the nation. The CIO Political Action Committee through its national office, its regional directors and regional committees, has set itself the task of giving stimulus, direction, guidance and organized expression to this growing political awareness of labor.

NO LABOR PARTY NOW

'It will not be the policy of the CIO in connection with the 1944 elections to build labor's political organization in the form of a third party, but to abstain from and discourage any move in that direction. For, apart from the insurmountable technical problems of placing such a party on the ballot for 1944, a third party at this time will only serve to divide labor and the progressive forces and assure the election of our political enemies. Our primary task in the political field today is to weld the unity of all workers, farmers and other progressives behind candidates, regardless of party affiliation, who are committed to our policy of total victory and who fully support the measures necessary to achieve it and to lay the basis for a secure, peaceful, decent and abundant post-war world.

Only if we succeed in that task in 1944 and place in office an enlightened national government prepared to carry forward this constructive and progressive program, can we have any hope for a prosperous, decent and secure postwar world.

"Whatever differences may divide labor on the industrial front, the overwhelming majority of the membership and leadership of every branch of the labor movement is in agreement upon our political program and objectives, and no barriers should be permitted to stand in the way of joint or parallel action in the political field with the unions of the A. F. of L., the Railroad Brotherhoods and unaffiliated organizations.

Such unity on the political front will not only mobilize 14 million organized workers and their families, but will stimulate and rally broad non-labor groups and help give effective political voice to millions of farmers, consumers and other progressives in every walk of life.

"The burden of carrying on the day to day work of education and organization for political action and putting into practice the programs and policies formulated by the Political Action Committee must necessarily fall on the local organizations of CIO. No more important task confronts us today. That task must command the united, wholehearted and militant support of every international union of the CIO, its affiliates, local unions, and all state and city industrial union councils. If it is approached with the same energy, intelligent application and enthusiasm with which we organized millions of workers on the industrial front, we cannot fail."