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Show JIH Jl I I ) I W. ,ip ,....11111 I I .1 ' IH mm WEIGHTY PROBLEMS BESET LABOR Organized labor feels that its "solidarity day" held in Washington on ' Sept. 19 and bringing some quarter of a million union rank and file workers from all over the nation was a dramatic triumph. There is no question but that it was a vast and impressive demonstration demon-stration against many of the Reagan Administration policies such as cuts in the budget, tight money, and other moves designed (hopefully) to strengthen the economy and still reduce inflation. While some have been prone to belittle the scope of the solidarity assemblage, it was unmistakably a signal that many workers felt strongly enough about the issues to travel great distances to show support for the country's labor leadership. Officials of the labor movement are definitely more confident about union clout than they were before the big rally, and a feeling of accomplishment has reached down into all levels of the union structure, giving the rank and file somewhat more faith in their future. STILL FAR TO GO The next possible face-up against the Reagan Administration may well be taken at the AFL-CIO biennial convention con-vention to be held in New York City in the middle of November. Most of the bigwigs of labor have already declared their opposition to many of the present government's plans and programs, and intend to try to reduce political support for them. It will not be an easy task, and the Federation policy molders realize this fact only too keenly. They want and AFL-CIO conventioneers con-ventioneers will work on it-to put together a "people's" pattern of action. Every conveivable effort will be made in November to broaden the backing of labor's potential friends among politicians, the public, and union employes. em-ployes. There will be special focus on trying to rebuild the long-term liaison between organized labor and the Democratic Party, neither of which ;ire in a particularly strong position ;il the present time, in terms of either political or legislative way. UNIONS WILL SEEK EMPLOYER AID II has already become phiin that it is all to the good at present for the unions if they help employers in serious difficulty, dif-ficulty, since it means ensuring the jobs of their members at the same time. Both the Teamsters and Auto union know that their usual enemies the management representatives are not in any position to be generous at bargaining tables when contracts expire in 1982. or even sooner. There are too many companies in the red. and some of the largest are going to need extremely reasonable demands from the unionists if they are to get back into the black again. It will, so it would seem, be a question of the unions and the employers joining forces for the financial and job welfare of all concerned. con-cerned. RrtVi iinirme Vin'f cnffprpH hpnw layoffs of their members oyer the past couple of years, and it is likely that they will emphasize job security during upcoming negotiations rather lhan raises. Trucker firms have sought an early reopening of pacts because of the heavy financial burden stemming from industry deregulation, a somewhat sluggish economy, and an agreement made in 1979 that has brought about wage increases of 35 percent. Certain carriers have already persuaded their workers to accept pay deductions of as much as 15 percent to avoid company shutdowns or substantial layoffs. AUTO SITUATION TOUCHY According to Pres. Douglas Fraser of the auto union. 1982 talks will also center upon the question of jobs rather than raises. Already 150,000 have been laid off by the Big Three, and the companies themselves have revealed a loss of some $4 billion. It becomes clearer every day that the unions and the employers need each other more than ever before if sagging industries are to recuperate. |