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Show Labor Peace and Banishment Banishlnent of Strilces Strikes StrilcesIs StrikesIs StrikesIs Is Record Recordof of Toledo Industrial Indllstrial Board By LANSING CALLAWAYReeased CALLAWAYReleased CALLAWAY CALLAWAYRelented Relented Reeased Released ( ( ] by Western Wutern Newspaper Newsp per Union I > IEDWARD IEDWARD fDWARD A McGRADY , EDWARD t- t tassistant - < assistant secretary of oflabor oflabor oflabor labor was on his way to To Toledo Toledo Toledo ledo , Ohio The time tlmt ! was was1935 1935 and there was a strike m in inprogress inprogress progress thereTo thereTo there thereTo To Mr McGrady it seemed seemedthat seemedthat seemedthat that there was always a astnke astrike astrike stnke strike in m progress in m Toledo Toledoand , ; and that he was spendingthe spendmg spending spendingthe ' the greater part of his career careercommutmg careercommuting careercommuting commutmg commuting back and forth forthbetween forthbetween forthbetween between that city and Wash Washmgton Washington Washington mgton ington To a great many manypeople manypeople manypeople people in m Toledo the same samethings samethings , thmgs things were beginning begmnmg to be beapparent beapparent beapparentThe ! apparent apparentThe The industrial Industral ] wrangling had be begun begun begun gun in m 1934 labor and industry mdustry had hadbecome hadbecome hadbecome become almost literal armed camps campsand campsand campsand and the name of the city was on the thefront thefront thefront front pages from Boston to San D Dr Drego Diego ] ego Two men had been left dead in inthe inthe inthe the city s streets hundreds had been beenmJured beeninjured beeninjured mJured injured in m fighting and hatreds were werebe werebe werebe be ng aroused that forecast trouble troublefor troublefor troublefor for years to comeBut comeBut come comeBut But th s t me after the unmedate immediate unmedateI immediatebus immediatebus ] I bus ness at hand had been settled settledI settledMr settledMr I Mr McGrady wired wll"ed wlled " his Wash ngton ngtonI ngtonoffice ngtonoffice ngtonoffice I office that he . wouldn v.ouldn vouldn t be home right rightaway rightaway . away He was staying staymg 0\ 0 os o\er o er 0er \ er in m To Toledo Toledo Toledo ledo in m the hope of gett ng to the thebase thebase thebase base of the recurrent trouble and andobvIate andobviate andobviate obvIate the necessity of his constant constante'Ccurs constante constantexcurs e'Ccurs eCcurs e ' ' curs ons to ToledoWhat ToledoWhat Toledo ToledoWhat What Mr McGrady had in m m nd ndwas ndwas ndwas was that it seemed to be nobody s sbus sbusiness sbusiness bus business mess or concern it If the city s In InI Industral industrial industnal I dustral dustrial ] 1 I fe flowed smoothly or was wasthreatcned wasthreatened wasthreatened threatcned threatened with d srupt on During Duringthe Duringthe Duringthe the days when .hen hen . a potent al industrialbreak mdustrlal industrial mdustrlalbreak industrialbreak break was forming and might most mosteas mosteasly mosteas eas easly ly be adjusted no one d d any anyth anyth anyth th ng aboutt about ] it The s tuat on was al a1 allowcd a1lowed allowed lowcd lowed to dr ft Even when some of ofthe ofthe ofthe the large and bitter strikes were m in mprogress inprogress inprogress progress there . was .as as no agency at atork atwork atwork \\ork ork work \ \ to get the city s l life e back to tonormal tonormal tonormal tonormalRecord normal normalRecord Record Is Impressive Imprcsslve ImpressiveMr ImprcsslveMr Mr McGrady sought to change all allth allth allth th s Ho v well he succeeded is isshown ] isshown shown in m the figures released for forthiS forthis forthis thiS Labor day In the last five fiveyears fiveyears fiveyears years the c ty of Toledo has assIst assIsted assisted assisted ed m averting avertmg 165 potential strikes strikesin strikesm m in wh ch 32 224 employees were involved In Involved involved volved Included in th s were 52 52cases 52cases 52cases cases in m wh ch a strike defin defm tely telyhad telyhad telyhad had been votedIn votedIn voted votedIn In add t on the city government governmentassIsted governmentassisted governmentassisted assIsted in setti settl ng rig peacefully and andQUIckly andquickly andquickly QUIckly 47 strikes in m wh ch the com corn comparauvely cornparatively cornparatively parauvely paratively small number of 5617 5 617 em employees employees cmployees ployees figured Some of thesestrikes these thesestrikes thesestrikes strikes were called without the theknowledge theknowledge theknowledge knowledge of the c ty adm mstra nistra nistrat mstrat t on others m in spite of efforts eITorts to toavert toavert toavert avert themAlso themAlso them themAlso Also the city assisted m in setti setlI settl ng ngone ngone ngone one lockout in m which 100 men were wereinvolved wereinvolved wereinvolved involved andt and ] it looked in m on 42 oth other other othcr er disputes represent ng rig 2 874 em employees employees cmployees ployees but tor for various reasons was wasnot wasriot wasnot not riot able to contribute toward a set settIcment settlement setticment tIcment tlement Virtually all a1l of the latter latterhowever latterhowever latterhowever however eventually eventua1ly were settled by bythe bythe bythe the parties d rectly involved WithoutoutsIde withoutoutside without withoutoutside outside mtervent Intervent on . . . The grand total 265 d sputes handled 41 478 em employees employees cmployees ployees mvolvedRots involvedRiots involved mvolved involvedRiots Riots Rots ] NoneSavmgs NoneSavings None NoneSavings Savings Savmgs in \ wages ages and potent al allosses allosses allosses losses to owners stockholders Mil Millions Millions Millions lions . , . , . . " - 1 6 6s s tom > c dj y I ' y t - A1i . Ts 4 4j 4Scenes j Scenes of ofslrl1.e ofstrike slrl1.e slrl1e strike . Holence violence lke like , tl t1 tlat t1at at at.houn atshown d end A .houn houn shown . aboLe above are thin/ thin things thinof / { . of the past In en InToledo enk k AToledo Toledo 0 O 0since Osince since the Toledo Induslnlll industrial InduslnlllPeace ( ' Peace Board began to functIon five fiveyears fiveyears years a/o a o ago / ( In using horse sense to ad adJ adj J st d ff ffcultles Tculties cultles belween between labor and andem em- em employers employers - - ployers Thousands of dollars 1 1ave lave lavebeen ave avebeen been saved to workers employers and aid andIhe aidthe , Ihe the city as a result Cd Ed Cdvard Edvard vard A Mc- Mc McGrady : - . Grady lefl former as tslant < secrelary secrelaryfllJbor fllJbor Irlaborefwhool IrlaborefwhoolelpedsToledosbus " , ho helped elpedsToledosbus Toledo bus nlSS ness nlSSn nessn ! n formtie en and labor rcpresenlal representat ves yes form l r Z tie the , board boardIn In 1935 I Cost to the c ty $6 6 ? $ 6 450 450If 450If 450If If Toledo can do that why can t tany tany tany any other city ? is a question some somet t mes asked and also Has To Toledo ToLedo Toledo ledo d scovered sovvered any secret techn que quem quein quoin m in avert ng rig industrial mdustrlal d sputes sputes9Model ? Model for OthersTI OthersTI Others OthersTl Tl TI e a answers respect vely are arethat arethat arethat that any other community can do dolIke.lse dolikewise dolikewise lIke.lse lIkelse likewise . and that Toledo has not notdIscovered notdiscovered notdiscovered dIscovered any method of passingm passmgm passmg passing m racles but rather has applied appliedold appliedold appbedold old fash oned garden variety horse horsesense horsesense horsesense sense to d fferences bet vecn veen men menand menand menand and management managementBriefly . Briefly Brley { ] Mr McGrady set up on that thatfinal thatfinal thatfinal final v sit to Toledo back in 1935what 1935 1935what 1935what what ] is S kno vn as tl tI e Toledo Indus Industr industr tr al peace board It includes five fivemen fivemen fivemen men from the ranks of management managementfive managementfive five from labor and one full t me medlIector medirector medirector dlIector director These 10 since smce have addcd added addede addcde e ght others to the r ranks attor attorne attorneys attorne ne neys ) s judges and clergymen to rep represent represent represent resent the publ c cThe cThe cThe The board ] is S an integral part of ofthe ofthe ofthe the c ty government but it of has no noauthor noauthor noauthor author ly ty to crack down on any anyone anyone anyone one It issues . , .no no no publ pub ! city re releases releases releases leases It cannot vote on who is isright ] isright S Sright right or who ] is s wrong It does not noteven noteven noteven even express such op nons n ons ens publiclyMr publiclyMr publicly publiclyMr Mr McGrady set up the first boardh board h mselt mself He went to the Chamber Chamberof of Commerce and he thumped the thetable thetable thetable table There Thcre was a great deal of ofreluctance ofreluctance ofreluctance reluctance There was a lot of hon honest honest honest est skept cism csm ] But he got a prom promIse promise promise Ise of co operat onThen onThen on onThen Then he went before the Toledo ToledoCentral ToledoCentral ToledoCentral Central Labor un on Strangely Strangelyenough Strangelyenough Strangelyenough enough he met the same react onYou onYou on onYou You need not fear such a board boardsaId boardsaid boardsaid saId Mr McGrady It will not Inter Interfere interfere interfere fere in any way with your right to tostrike tostrike tostrike strike Co operat on by labor and andmanagement andmanagement andmanagement management with such a board will willbe willbe willbe be ent rely voluntary What have haveyou haveyou haveyou you to lose by trying ? The answer was that no one had hadanyth hadanyth hadanyth anyth ng to lose by trying trymg The two twoCrlt twoGrit twocnt Crlt Grit cal disputes involving Involvmg thousands thousandsand thousandsand thousandsand and thousands of men ( Chevrolet ChevroletToledo ChevroletToledo ChevroletToledo Toledo d vis on General Motors March 1935 and Toledo Edisoncompany Edson Edison Edsoncompany Edisoncompany ] company June 1935) 1935 ) had left the thecIty thecity thecity cIty exhausted emotionally and m in mdustnally industrially mdustnally mdustnallySolid dustnally dustrially dustnallySolid dustriallySolid Solid SupportToledo SupportToledo Support SupportToledo Toledo s three newspapers gave gavesolId gavesolid gavesolid solId support to the plan Caut ous ously ously ously ly each s de watching v.atchlng vatchlng . the other otherfrom otherfrom otherfrom from the s des of the r eyes thefirst the thefirst thefirst first meeting meetmg was held hcld McGrady McGradypresided McGradypresided McGradypresided presided and d d most of the speak speakmg speaking speaking mg ing He promised to ass gn to the theboard theboard theboard board as its full fu1l time d rector Lee LeeSHard LeeS LeeS SHard S Hard ng a federal med atorThe atorThe ator atorThe The funct ons ens of the board were wereoutlined wereoutlined wereoutlined outlined and it was decided to go goahead goahead goahead ahead although every everyone one of themen the themen themen men at that first meeting meetmg since smce has hasconfcssed hasconfessed hasconfessed confcssed confessed that he agreed with a agreat agreat agreat great deal of sup su < ; p cIonBut cionBut cicn cIon cicnBut But during the foliowir follown follower g si sI-c sI c sIcmonths sixmonths ' ! : - months the board ass sted m in set settl settl settl tl ng rig seven d sputes without loss of ofa ofa ofa a s ngle day of work Five Fve ] stnkes strikes stnkesthat strikesthat strikesthat that already were showing showmg signs ofbeing of ofbeing ofbeing being long drawn dra\\n dra n \ out struggles were weresettlcd weresettled weresettled weresettledThere settlcd settled settlcdThere settledThere There w \ vas , as no street fighting No Noone Noone Noone one was hurt . . The vast Toledo m in mdustnal industrial industnal dustnal dustrial area was working full blast blastPayrolls blastPayrolls blastPayrolls Payrolls and product on were on onschedule onschedule onschedule schedule Workers had money to tospend tospend tospend spend spendIerchants Merchants \Ierchants Ierchants } \ were pleased pleasedThe pleasedThe pleasedThe The people of Toledo also began beganto to s t up and real ze that some someth someth someth th ng new had arrived on the scene sceneMuch sceneMuch sceneMuch Much to the surprise surpnse even of the theboard theboard theboard board members they too were find findmg finding finding mg ing the r suspic SUSpC ] ons of each other otherallayed otherallayed otherallayed allayed confidence and rea reason on were weretaking weretaking weretaking taking the place of an mosity moslty mosityIf mosltyIf If a labor situation became men menac menac menac ac ng the d rector of the Toledo ToledoIndustnal ToledoIndustrial ToledoIndustrial Industnal Industrial Peace board offered h s sscrvces sservices sservices scrvces services ] to both sides He sought a afaIr afair afair faIr compromise and offered it for forcons forcons torcons cons deration But he never ordered orderedany orderedany orderedany any side to do anyth ngIf ngIf ng ngIf If the situation sltuaton ] reached such a aspot aspot aspot spot where the director felt he was wasnot wasnot wasnot not making progress the entire entireboard entireboard entireboard board was called into mto session ses.ion sesion . The ThebO'lrd Theboard Theboard bO'lrd bOlrd board : ' offered its services at times timesIt timesit It even offered sueeest suggest ons While it never voted on whether a questIOn questIOnwas questionwas questionwas was right nght or wrong the important importantelement importantelement importantelement element was that within wthln ] the city at atleast atleast atleast least there was an agency charged chargedWIth chargedwith chargedwith WIth the task of keep ng Industry Industryrunn industryrunn industryrunn runn ng and d ss is patmg pating disputes be before before before fore they reached the troubleso'11e troubleso11e troublesome troubleso'11estage troublesomestage troublesoTiestage troublesoTiestagePublic ' stage stagePublic stagePublic Public Prestige PrestigeIn In \ March I\Iarch I Iarch 1936 Hard ng rig was re recalled recalled recalled called to Washington but the Toledo ToledocIty Toledocity Toledocity cIty council decided the board was wasdes wasdes wasdes des rable and dec ded to cont nue nueIt nueit nueit It as a regular part of munlcpal municipal munlcpalgovernment municipalgovernment municipalgovernment ] government , , with a paid dIrectorOn directorOn director directorOn On the recommendat on of Mc McGrady McGrady MeGrady Grady board members engaged a anewspaper anewspaper anewspaper newspaper man Edmund Ruffln Ruffin as asd asd asd d rector RufTn Rutrn Ruff'n Ruffn ' had covered all of ofthe ofthe ofthe the previous stnkesAiter strikesAfter strikes stnkes strikesAfter After Aiter be ng d rector for more than thanfour thanfour thanfour four years Ruffin sa3 says sa } ) s he has no nocut nocut nocut cut and dried dned procedure in m ap approachmg appreaching appreaching proachmg preaching or work ng out d sputes sputesI I know many industrial sts and andlabor andlabor andlabor labor offlc ornc oflic als and I try to keep m in mformed informed informed formed as to what wh3t is going on in inthe inthe inthe the way of organizat on programsnegot programs programsnegot programsnegot negot atmg ating of new and succeedmg succeeding succeedmgagreements succeedingagreements succeedingagreements agreements Ruffln Ruffin e\pla e pla e"pl3 epl3 e \ " pla ned If U IfI UI IfI I hear of a deadlock dC'adlock dCadlock ' I may offer offermy offermy offermy my services to both parties or one oneor oneor oneor , or the other may call meAfter meAfter me meAfter After I get into a d spute I lis us listen usten listen ten to an outi outl ne of o1 viewpo vewpo ] nt by byeach byeach |