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Show Organized Labor Respected In Utah Communities active programs in their respective respec-tive communities. They coordinate coordi-nate the local activities which are not of a statewide nature. They have their Committees on Political Education, and have a structure similar to the Utah State AFL-CIO. The plan of organization is clear, from the National AFL-CIO AFL-CIO in Washington, D.C., to the State AFL-CIO in Utah, to the local central bodies working in their respective communities. All these organizations work in many fields. We are interested in education, including not only the public school systems, but vocational education and apprenticeship appren-ticeship training as well. We are interested in Community Commu-nity Services and have taken an active part in the United Fund, the Heart Association, the Community Com-munity Chest, Polio Drives and the Utah Association and Mental Health. We serve on various committees commit-tees in connection with the Industrial In-dustrial Commission of Utah, as well as numerous other committees commit-tees interested in the industrial, economic and cultural development develop-ment of Utah. You will find labor representa-I representa-I tives on each and every group fighting for a worthwhile cause within our state. Labor is an important segment of your community. It deserves status and recognition. Our organizations or-ganizations are headed by the type of leadership which the community demands, and the relationship re-lationship between labor organizations organ-izations and the community are mutual. I suggest that you recognize and support labor in Utah. Its past record would indicate that it deserves your support. It is true that labor has had their Becks and Hoffas, but this type of leadership is a minute part and is being stamped out by labor itself as rapidly as possible. pos-sible. Restrictive legislation such as the so-called Right to Work bills much to the dismay of labor haters in this state will not stop By Lamar G. Gulbraasen President, Utah State AFL-CIO Utah labor's role of community commu-nity leadership is no accident. Being a part of community life and serving the people with whom we live has been a condition condi-tion of existence of our organizations organiza-tions since their inception. This role of community leadership leader-ship is directed by an affiliate body of some 50,000 workers in Utah. Heading this group is the Utah State AFL-CIO, which was born in August, 1956 when the Utah State Federation of Labor and the Utah State Industrial Union Council were merged. The Utah State AFL-CIO is headed by an executive committee commit-tee consisting of the president, " vice president and the secretary-treasurer; secretary-treasurer; and an executive council, coun-cil, made up of twelve members who are elected at the annual convention by a delegate body representing the various local unions in Utah. Four Council members are elected from each a;hree districts: District No. 1, resenting the northern part ;he state; District No. 2, representing rep-resenting the central portion of the state, and District No. 3, representing rep-resenting the southern portion of the state. This broad base of representation representa-tion selected through the democratic demo-cratic process is one of the secrets se-crets of labor's success. Labor organizations are the most democratic demo-cratic bodies in America today. Democracy in labor unions is an absolute necessity, for they are composed of the workers, and must be led by workers who have the confidence of the members. mem-bers. To be effective, this must be done. Labor unions just don't happen. hap-pen. They are effetcive and con- organizations are just as important im-portant to our members socially as the Kiwanis or the Rotary clubs are to business men, and quite frankly we accomplish as much good, sometimes more, than these civic organizations, although we do not receive as much public acclaim. Third, workers need political and legislative representation. The recent newspaper talk calling call-ing labor a monopoly which forces the political opinion of the leadership upon the rank and file members is far from being true. Workers have a right to support political candidates of their choice. Our organization is bipartisan politically. We follow the rule laid down many years ago by the father of organized labor, Samuel Gomp-ers, Gomp-ers, when he said, "Elect your friends; defeat your enemies." We are interested in the candidates candi-dates who are interested in us, and the type of legislation which is good for all the citizens of Utah. We have had some bitter experiences ex-periences in the past, and you may rest assured that our future course will be carefully planned. At the present time Utah labor is in the process of reorganizing their Committee on Political Education. Ed-ucation. A new division has been added to this movement in the form of a Women's Activities Department, De-partment, and it is growing by leaps and bounds. It is our plan that through the efforts of this committee, and with the support of the movement move-ment as a whole, we will register every member of organized labor within the state, and do our utmost ut-most to see that every member votes on election day. It is certainly not our intention to have the leadership select a our growth. This type of legislation legis-lation merely clouds the issue, creates prejudice and makes it more difficult for labor to do an effective job for the whole community. com-munity. This is not a Dark Ages state, but the so-called Right-to-Work Act is dark-ages legislation. Most of the states which have passed this kind of legislation are backward states, industrially, industrial-ly, economically and culturally. I do not believe Utah deserves to be classified with these types. Utah is a state of which we can be proud, and Utah's Labor movement is an outstanding example ex-ample of the diligence, thrifti-ness thrifti-ness and hard work which our forefathers performed to give birth to this movement. Be proud of your labor movement. move-ment. Accept it as a part of the community. Encourage its activity activ-ity and growth. It will pay great dividends to you as an individual and to the community as a whole. atly growing because they t the workers' needs in many areas. Primarily the three basic areas of importance include economic eco-nomic needs, social needs and political and legislative needs. Certainly representation of the workers at the bargaining table is important, and it is our aim to constantly improve the standard stand-ard of living of each and every worker in Utah, and thereby improve im-prove the conditions of employment employ-ment for all citizens in Utah. Let's remember the prevailing wage schedules established for various industries are based on union rates. Secondly, labor unions give workers an opportunity to belong be-long to the organization of their peers. Social needs are met. Members become officers in the local unions and have an opportunity oppor-tunity to meet socially with the people with whom they work. Social functions throughout the year, aided by the auxiliaries auxiliar-ies of the various local unions, are highlights of union life. Our list of candidates which the membership will support, for this is not the way COPE works. Rather, an extensive educational program will be conducted that will enable the worker to decide for himself who supports the principles for which he stands, and who is against them. Here again, a Democratic process pro-cess is involved. COPE conducts meetings attended by local representatives, rep-resentatives, where it is determined deter-mined which candidates have the best attitude toward the working people. After conducting a very careful study of the candidates and .issues involved, the decision is made by the delegates to the COPE meetings. The next step, in the role of community leadership, lies in our city and county central body organizations. There are three such bodies in Utah, located in Ogden, Salt Lake and Provo, covering the areas designated as Districts 1, 2 and 3 as previously outlined. I These central bodies carry on |