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About The daily Nebraskan. ([Lincoln, Neb.) 1901-current | View Entire Issue (Dec. 5, 1945)
Page 2 THE NEBRASKAN Wednesday, December 5, 1945 Forum Notes LAtBQERs DS DTT Miller Says 'Yes' BY BILL MILLER Attempts were made to find some professor who would write an article presenting labor's case. The pro fessors asked gave one of two reasons for refusing: They didn't know enough about the subject, or they thought it would be inadvisable for them to write an article tak ing such a position. Of the professors asked, none were found who would do it. If I may say so, this is pretty sad. Since the deadline is approaching, and no profes sor has said he would write such an article, I have been drafted by the committee. This will necessarily be a hasty and incomplete presentation of labor's case. The key situation in the labor picture is the automo tive industry. Here the largest, best organized and most progressive union is in conflict with the biggest, wealthi est and most intransigent corporation over the most startling and representative issue. The UAW and Gen eral Motors are engaged in a controversy over a 30 wage increase. Let's use this situation as a representa tive one for discussion. What are labor's demands? As enunciated by Wai ter Reuther.UAW vice-president and brain trust, they are: 1. That General Motors open its baoks sa that H may be seen whether they can afford at 3 wage in crease without sa increase in prices. 2. That if. as the UAW maintains. General MeUrs can afford the 3 ware increase, that that increase be era n ted. 3. That, in any event, there be no increase in car prices. Are these demands justified? In the first place, since General Motors has been so adamant in its refusal not only to accede in any degree to labor's demands but even to negotiate, certainly labor's demand that General Motors open its books is justified. Since General Motors can and does spend fabulous sums on advertising, not only of its products, but also of its own slanted figures " In tills controversy, an impartial view of their books is in order. If GM is telling the truth, they have nothing to fear. GM is a corporation which affects every citizen in the U. S., and millions of them vitally. If GM in sists they cannot pay the increase, they should open their books to impartial view to prove it. This is the demand of the UAW on which the others are based, and is certainly justified. In the second place, is the union Justified in ask ing for a 30 wage increase? The Bureau of Labor Statistics of the IT. S. Department of Labor, an im partial statistics-gathering agency, reports that the cost of living has gone up approximately 30. The research agency of the Congress of Industrial Organizations re ports that the cost of the necessities of life food, clothing and shelter has gone up 45. Most em ployers during the war granted wage increases of some kind to their employees. Many industries went on a 48-hour week, thus in creasing the pay of their employees; while many others paid their employees a great deal in time-and-a-half for overtime work. The "Little Steel Formula" allowed only a 151 increase in wages, while prices went up 30 to 45. On the whole, the worker didn't complain too much, altho, like everyone else, he grumbled. The "no-strike pledge" of organized labor was well kept. With the war over, however, the situation has changed rapidly. Industries returned to a 40-hour-week. Plants shut down overnight, leaving thousands of work ers stranded. While the hourly wage was not lowered, the end of the war found the worker taking home a considerably smaller pay check. His wife, who may have worked before V-J day, was laid off. Thus the family increase was drastically cut, with wages still limited to a 15 1 -over-1941 increase by the Little Steel Formula, while the cost of living, already up 30-45, continued to creep slowly up. In these so-called times of prosperity, the working man finds he has less actual purchasing power than he had in the 30's. Today the UAW and other unions, organizations of working men and womea with groceries U buy and homes U heat this winter, are asking for raises in wages so that they will still be able to buy as many goods as they bought in pre-war days. They are asking for increases ia wages only w hen it is known that their em ployers, like General Motors, can afford it only when they know the company has built up profit reserves. Intelligent employers know that the higher the wage for the working men, the more products he will buy. The more products the working man buys, the more products the employer makes. The best interests of employer and employee are served by high wages and the consequent expanding economy. Department of Commerce figures show that the re storation of the pre-work week and limitation of overtime pay will cut the weekly payroll of the nation by about 150 million dollars, or one-fourth of the total. This is a tremendous cut, and the reversal of other wartime trends will cause yet further decreases. In the automo bile industry, the average hourly wage is $1.19, accord ing to Labor Department statistics. The Labor Department also reports that the minimum hourly wage for health and efficiency in the U. S. is $1.44. Of course many automotive employees get far less than the average $1.19, and the automotive industry is a comparatively high wage-payer. Many other industries pay a far lower wage. In 1341, GM's biggest production year, profits be fore taxes were 511 millions and if the 30 wage in crease had been applied then, 288 millions in profits would still have been left Furthermore, the GM re conversion goal to be reached next March is a 70 in crease in the c;3 produced, meaning a larger and larger reutrn for GIL Surely with these fif ores the need of th workers and the enormous profits of the company we can say that labor's demand for wage increases are justified. In the third place, wage increases can be accom plished without raising prices that is,, without passing the buck to the consumer. Government figures show that an overall wage increase of $24 would still allow manufacturing corporations an estimated profit after taxes in 1946 of $4,800,000,000, or more than twice as high as the pre-war average and almost as high as in dustry's 1942 (wartime) profit of $4,900,000,000. GM itself has had a net average return on its in vestment for the past nine years of 18 a fantastic figure in comparison with returns many free enterprises get As was shown above, GM can give a 30 wage in crease and still have far higher than its pre-war exorbit ant profits. This demand of labor is also justified. General Motors has consistently refused to submit the case to arbitration. Theyvhave refused to negotiate, or, when they were forced to negotiate by NLRB pro visions, their representatives read newspapers during the labor presentation. They refused to allow a strike vote on their premises, and the NLRB consequently had to hold the votes elsewhere. GM has refused to open its books, saying that it is nobody's business but their own. The demands of labor are justified for wage in creases and no increases in prices are justified and would, if adopted, help America take a long step toward prosperity for all Americans. Jul TkbJuzAkcuv rVBTT-FIFTa TiA ..n ! ?1 !Z rrT Semester ar tl.M far the Caller Iw ti Mnl. Sinrie w.PT. S Cents. Entered a. seee-d-H.,, m.Urr M the .rf in l.inealn. Nrbr.sk. anaer Art 1 Centre. March S. 1.7S. a m .leexal n f notare Pl-fivi.e. far in Seetiaa lix - 2 J1 mr-.mr vU , a.-ra ariBra M ffiee ttnibm M. 122. EDITORIAL STAFF M.-?l). " rV. - Lee Jena Ghatfe Vr rSi ZL,ni.r " "a. ,Jm ".Man. Janet M.san ' frfnen. Mary Alice Ca..., Shirley Jenkins. R.ll Bob mi tnorts Editor nr u.il Sw ::: ::::::: ::::::::: GX& STAFF lrralne A areata Shu-ley Ramataa, Dore'hra KesenberK Staart iU.ni n BISINLSS Busmen Manafer Assistant Bnsiness Muurtf ......... .... .. Circalati.a Maaarer "BUI SOIL COXVEItSATIOX Br Don Gruke A fire was burning in the fire place, a tree covered with tiny colored lights was standing ma jestically in the middle of the room, snow was falling quietly outside . , . This was the scene in the Student Union Sunday night. The NRO's were coming and going and really enjoying the wintry atmosphere. One of the many couples covered with smiles as well as snow was Lee Tiering and Janie Eickmeier . . . They went dancing after they left the scene described above . . . Ann Whitam is not in love with David Swartz . . . She likes him a lot but wishes he would quit calling the Pi Phi House and ar guing with Miss Miichell . . . While I was having a coke with Miss Swanson today she casually remarked that she would like to live at Navy Hall ... IF she were a sailor . . . We now have a large recruiting oli'ice on the campus . . . The boyfriend of Kappa Sue was probably disappointed the other night after coming Irons Fails City to see her ... He dis covered she was out with the Navy . . . Graham, you know. Fortune Telling. On a little street in Lincoln a fortune teller informed Don Min ster that he would fan in love with a blue-eyed blonde; Marge Alexis is filling the bill . . . Too bad be isnt taking Spanish . . . Breezing out to the Army hos pital recently via cab, was Miss Carolyn Koehne ... No one knows the reason for the visit, but Philip Myeres was there and awfully glad to se her ... He recovered immediately. You all know Beverly Nielson . . . Well . . . She asked Joe Eecker the week-end at her Omaha home ANY time he wants to . . . Ted Lehman and Jo Seidel just can'i study unless they are together in the library ... So they STEADY in the library . . . The Navv men are hnniner in rw able to finish the year here at th university . . . After this year, if we are permitted to slay, some of the men will return to their home town colleges . . . Th uni versity, however, will remain in the lives of some . . . The minds of many . . . And the hearts of all . . . Biff Jones ... (Continued from Page 1.) i "S hnr a the year eat. Year trtwr : enquired an received eaasaderable um ! next reflect Ma an my pari. I ante with tali n m ra ynr W-tto-r f Ma 26th t lie aruua at the Rnara en er- j rartl as pinna fnr the Athletic IH-pa-rt- , ant aechaaaas aevt fan. Henrvrr, alter 1 n-vara inc the matter (ram all nat.li n. I I have WiaVa' ant t aaply tar relrane ream the servien, ar this statiaa. at tarn nar tiiirlar fane. I have taljtr with L-n aver the tek'ptHiae and kaewlnr his Irian fnr the faU. a. an aeneve that nry atrlslna mill aiharran tn lam-ratty la Mk at hW-tir jmrram. I had a letter fran Rivwaie at ial weeks an, atattatc has aViaee tmr nail; re leaiie aaa netara I la mla. I an chad ta ante that step art benag taJUea a. hriac this ahaat. I kaaw that yna are n lag; j family renajua ia Miaaeaata. W ha anaB wPy anaTef ajaav ana raJC4-l aVuaTwII uuf aV Imimiai at ia Ml I anatfirhna. With kmaeat recarns ta the tawily. 1 ii wl nuarerefy, i- -C JONES Cohavrl. F. A Craaaa.te Maaaeev ml Osa Masses, beautiful Danish star of Pine-Thomas' "Tokyo Rose," has such perfect skin and coloring that she does not have to wear makeup before the cameras. J HE STORE W ITH THE CHRISTM AS SPIRIT FOR HOLIDAY AXD DATE WE Alt PAS1L JUNIOR DRESSES BY JOMTHAS LOCAX ON THIRD FLOOR- 12 We show but one of our many new styles just arrived for the Holiday season. This style is ia aqua, gold or pink. Sizes 9 to 15. fR ft
