n - International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers

Editorial COHnnent
By Charles H. Pillard
International President
2
Getting the Union Side of the Story
Across to the Public Is a Constant and
Never-EndingTask That Has to Be Done .
.. Never before in the history of the struggles of organized labor in the
United States and Canada have the workers of both countries had more
reason to be concerned about what the future holds for them as a class of
people who toil with their minds and hands to earn a daily livelihood for
themselves and their families.
The economies of both countries have developed into such highly-inflationary
statutes that the working people are in a dilemma trying to make
their wages meet the cost of living.
Today, infla tion is the major cause of workers' chief concern: trying to make
ends meet. And it is thrown ri ght back into their faces , when they necessarily
seek more money through the collective bargaining system from employers.
who, through greed. have put prices sky-high and are reaping huge profits
without any restraints placed on them, such as the host of regulatory rules
now proposed for all the working people. AFL-CIO President George Meany hit
the problem right on the head. when, in recent testimony before the Senate
Banking Subcommittee. he accused the Nixon Administration of trying to
cover up the failure of its economic policies by making a "scapegoat" of
American workers. He lashed out at the " double standard" used to reward big
business and banks, while demanding restraints on wages.
Right now, organized labor is being attacked. criticized. and. in some cases.
penalized for trying to protect the policies and principles that workers. from
the lowest-paid to the highest·paid should not bear the burden of making the
rich richer and the poor poorer.
Fighting the so-called "political do·gooders" is tough work. They have the
general public just about convinced that unions should be politically gagged,
the union shop outlawed, an ti-trust laws applied to unions. and other labor
reform measures be applied to destroy labor unions entirely. This is the scheme
of some powerful individuals and groups who would like to have unions
obliterated completely.
It is up to the members of organized labor to be constantly on the job,
telling the truth. getting the union side of the story across to the public, and
counteracting the detrimental effects of the "union busters."
It is not an easy job_ It is a job that is a constant and never-ending task that
must be done. It is the sincere hope of the ISEW and every other international
union that the total memberships of all unions which are suffering from
these attac ks will rise and will take the appropriate action to show the world
that the rank-an d-file trade unionists. and by far the majority of their leaders,
are honest. sincere, and dedicated people. They are a vita lly-concerned part of
our nation's publics. and they are desirous of obtaining what is best for all
the citizens of our great nations.
We ask our members to do whatever they can to keep the continued growth
and strength of the tabor movement advancing for the welfare of all working
people. It always has been and always will be our Brotherhood's aim and
goal to obtain new economic and social gains for ou r members and to join
with other unions in the hope of working for an even·better world tomorrow_
TH E ElECT lt lC Al WOItKUS'