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The Texas Observer SEPT. 1, 1967

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The Texas Observer SEPT. 1, 1967 The Texas Observer SEPT. 1, 1967 A Journal of Free Voices A Window to The SoUth 25c The Labor Movement's Role Austin state, which is regarded as something al- tain in delicate balance the appropriate most divine and having a welfare of its I have been bothered for many years interests of employees, customers, pub- own not consisting in the welfare of citi- by the lack of understanding of the role lic, and country." Should capital and its zens . In the Soviet World human dig- of the labor movement in the American leaders act on more of the teachings of nity counts for nothing." the church, consider labor an important scheme of things. For three years I have We will use this concept as the theme been putting my thoughts on the subject part of the orchestra, be content to in- here. An idealist in labor is no different fluence government rather than domi- down on paper, and this article is the from an idealist in any other democratic result. nate it, and have an open and tolerant movement. If he has been able to stay attitude to civil rights groups, capital The revolutions of rising expectations, in elective office, he is pragmatic. He is could achieve an idealistic role. The al- corporate attitudes, the churches' stance loyal to his cause, willing to sacrifice for ternative is an eventually Marxist society on direct action, wage philosophy in Tex- it, not primarily interested in the mone- controlled by the government establish- as since the farm workers' march, fed- tary value of his services; keeping an ment. eral aid to education, medicare, automa- open mind, he does his best to produce Too often the church is more concerned tion, sex, and citizens' attitudes toward inspiration and vision. Such a pragmatic with financial solvency than with the Ser- the Vietnam war can very quickly out- idealist obviously is not the opposite of mon on the Mount. Chesterton said "The date anything written about such as a a realist; he is the opposite of a mercen- Christian ideal has not been tried and subject as mine, but still, there are some ary, a lazy slob, or a power-hungry Ma- found wanting. It has been found diffi- basic things worth saying, especially here chiavellian. Pragmatic idealists have cult and left untried." What have three in Texas. pulled the labor movement forward to centuries of Christian love done for the The first point to make is Sol Barkan's, where it is now, and if it keeps flourish- Negro? A century and a half for the Mex- in his book about the- decline of the Amer- ing, they will be the reason. ican-American? 1,967 years for the poor? ican labor movement. The labor move- As I see it, in the last 300 years so- But the church today is producing an ment is not monolithic—there are over ciety has been primarily influenced by amazing number of pragmatic idealists 140 national and international unions with five major forces, capital, labor, church, —not 'just pollyanna philosophers — who more than 60,000 locals negotiating with government, and civil rights groups. Each. are speaking for the oppressed, encour- more than 150,000 types of managements aging unions, marching for a minimum —and snap judgments based on the idea wage, helping organize the war against that labor is one force are simply mis- Roy R. Evans poverty. They are proving that idealism takes. is not dead and neither. is God. has an organization that corresponds to Theoretically our government repre- The essayist G. K. Chesterton wrote, its strength; each has its own establish- "To say that a man is an idealist is mere- sents everyone, but too often it 'follows ment, and each resists, reacts to, and is the Marxist ideal, considering the indivi- ly to say that he is a man." But what kind subject to the establishments of the oth- of idealism should we expect of labor? dual of no importance, expendable if he's ers; each is highly pluralistic (conserva- not organized. or if he's too poor and ig- Years ago Bertrand Russell contrasted tive to liberal, independent to servile, the Western with the Russian ideal, writ- norant to vote. cynical to visionary); but working to- For example, no one can honestly ing: . gether, they are like Bertrand Russell's "In the West, we see man's greatness contest the fact that the Texas boards orchestra of the great society, "in which and commissions represent vested inter- in the individual life. A Great Society for the different performers have different us is one which is composed of individu- ests and have very little regard for the parts to play and different instruments average citizens' welfare. Are we unfair als who, as far as is humanly possible, upon which to perform, and in which co- are happy, free, and creative. We do not in calling this Marxist? It fits well into operation results from a conscious com- Orwell's Animal Farm, where all the bene- think that individuals should be alike ... mon purpoe." The Russian Government has a different fits of communism go to the hogs. Many in the establishment of capital Yet we have reason to be optimistic conception of the ends of life. The in- uphold the Western ideal only when it dividual is thought of no importance; he in Texas. Many young idealists are gain- makes them "happy, free, and creative." ing popularity and understanding. Redis- is expendable. What is important is the Jay Gould saying in 1886, in derision of tricting and the abolition of the poll tax The writer is just beginning his fourth the Knights of Labor strike, "I can hire makes the job of the idealists 'less diffi- two-year term as the secretary-treasurer half of the working class to kill the other cult. of the Texas AFL-CIO. He has been in the half," was a man in capital promoting the On the other hand, the government can- organized labor movement for 20 years, Marxist ideal. "Did you ever expect a cor- not do what labor, capital, the church, beginning work in leadership as an or- poration to have a conscience when it has and civil rights groups should do, with- ganizer at Chance-Vought in Fort Worth no soul to be damned and no body to out moving toward the Marxist ideal. in 1948. He served as president of the be kicked?" asked Baron Thurlow _of the Government should promote idealism in Dallas CIO for three terms, was adminis- English Parliament 165 years ago. these groups, but it should not control or trative vice-president, representing the supplant them. United Auto Workers in the Texas CIO M AYBE, THOUGH, things are Many members of the civil rights for six years, and was president of the changing. The New York Stock Exchange groups, independent of the other four Dallas UAW for a number of years. He has published a handbook recommend- major forces, enjoy an enviable position. joined the State AFL-CIO in 1961 as public ing: "While responsible to the sharehold- They act without being responsible to relations director and was elected to his ers to make an honest profit, the board anyone but themselves. But a minister, present position later that year. of directors and the company must main- a politician, a labor leader, or a business- man must remain responsible to his es- he is seeking to gain justice and to influ- tancy. Take it from one who knows, some, tablishment if he is going to keep his role ence society, not to control society. For of the unions that pass the most radi- as a leader. This is simply an axiom, but the most part, the civil rights revolution cal resolutions have the worst records of frequently there are problems in efforts in Texas is being led by Western-type backing words with action. Some of the of coalitions because it is not understood. idealists who believe in a great society most militant-sounding unions are also "composed of individuals who, as far as Roy Wilkins of the N.A.A.C.P. said once, the most conservative where human is humanly possible, are happy, free, and "It must be understood that all organized rights are involved, and some unions that creative." bodies have their primary and secondary produce the most beautiful words on the purposes. The primary purpose of the national level do the ugliest things on the local level. N.A.A.C.P. is to combat discrimination NOW WHAT about labor? against Negroes. The primary purpose of The promotion of collective bargaining You can measure labor's idealism by labor organizations is to protect the wag- through unions has been federal, national how well it provides organization and es, hours, and working conditions of its policy since the Wagner Act of 1935. The representation to those who need and members. Civil rights activity for them right of workers to organize and strike want unions. Where is the labor move- is desirable but must be secondary. In- was made legal in Texas in 1889. Why, ment falling down in this? evitably these differences in emphasis then, has the labor movement only or- It is failing to organize millions of will produce tensions in greater or less ganized ten percent of the Texas work- workers in intrastate commerce simply degree." Wilkins could just have accur- force? Why are these available benefits because there is no protection in many ately been speaking of the church, capi- of the great society denied 3.6 million of states, including Texas, of the worker's tal, or government.
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