PURSUIT OF HAPPINESS

e the [Music] onethird of the numbered hours of our lives at least eight out of 24 are spent on the job at work and what we make out of that onethird of Our Lives affects the other 2/3 directly and positively that oneir puts a roof over our heads it puts bread upon the table clothes upon our bodies and shoes on our feet one-third of Our Lives is spent working for that security which is a basic necessity if we're to be successful in our Pursuit of Happiness and we go about getting that security in many different ways some of us are Bankers butchers druggists Farmers py workers cat operators Tower men we take a job at our father's trade or because we like the type of work because it's the only job we can get or because we're pretty good at a certain [Music] thing but whatever we do one-third of our life must provide the basic Foundation of security on which to build the other 2/3 and how each of us goes about getting that security is pretty much our own business some get it and some don't two men can live in the same Community they can look enough alike to be brothers they can both be good guys equally intelligent equally well-dressed they can even work at the same trade and be equally good Craftsmen but Ed Jones's family life can be upset by long irregular hours even after years of service if he has a dispute his boss is the only judge and jury there are many reasons why the one-third of his life which he spends on the job does not provide the security which it should Ed Jones may be up against a blank wall but Bill Smith is sure where he's going and how he's going to get there let man finds security and he has found the main highway to his gold of heavens and this Bill Smith isn't just one man at one job he is many men at many jobs he is a butcher in San Diego California or an apprentice in New York he's a sheep Shearer a poy worker a Chicago cowboy he is white yellow or black he is a shut 10 girls working in a food processing plant in Milwaukee or Los Angeles and sausage workers in a dozen other cities a woman handling eggs in Washington USA and in Toronto Canada Bill Smith lives in New York Chicago Seattle and San Diego his kids go to school in Louisville Minneapolis New Orleans East St Louis and galvaston he eats bacon and eggs egged puang and fried noodles your filter fish Irish stew fried chicken and blackeyed peas he raises his young and buries his dead in the 48 states in the Dominion of [Music] Canada Bill Smith is the more than 200,000 brothers and sisters of The Amalgamated meat Cutters and butcher workmen of North America 200,000 men and women who have chosen for their careers perhaps the most vital and important job in our national economy the handling of food in one way or another at some time or another some Bill Smith or another prepares for America almost every mouthful it eats no other group is as close to the everyday lives of its fellow citizens as the men and women of these Allied trades they have responsibilities they recognize and like everybody they have goals for which they work in fight [Music] the first step every Bill Smith takes on the road to security and well-being is the same official induction into his Union it is a brief solemn ceremony he will immediately share the full rights and privileges of every other member when he takes his oath of loyalty sanitary working conditions a guaranteed minimum wage and a limit of working [Music] hours equal division of work vacations with pay insurance sick and Health and Welfare benefits and as he PES his trade this security he will also have members can be discharged only with good and sufficient reason and the Union as well as the boss determines whether the reason is good and sufficient all these things things will belong to Bill Smith in a few minutes I also promise to Bear true allegiance to the Amalgamated meat Cutters and butcher Workman of North America AF ofl and will never subordinate its interest to those of any organization to which I may now or Hereafter be a member and with that solemn pledge Bill Smith you have become a brother in a family of more than 200,000 strong along with the right and privileges you have inherited this Local's headquarters belongs to you now or maybe this one or perhaps this one or any one of the more than 500 this also will soon be yours the new international headquarters the Cornerstone of your security the foundation of your union in modern well-kept offices a highly trained hardworking staff efficiently handles its job of serving union members whatever their needs may be the cabinets are filled with documents the files with records silent evidence of the progress made to improve your working conditions wages and general well-being Not So Silent however are The Men Who guide that progress International president Earl Jimson secretary treasurer Pat Gorman and the national negotiating committee when they meet with the executives of Corporations they meet them on an equal footing which is the only way the collective bargaining can be successful our executives are respected by the bosses not only because they're sincere and militant labor leaders they respect them because you Bill Smith you and your more than 200,000 brothers and sisters are united behind your leaders that is the real strength that makes it possible for your leaders to get good contracts and to see that the terms of these contracts are kept by the employers nationally and locally the can where I work broke its agreement with my local in the contract it definitely set forth the jobs that women were to do and those that the men were to handle should men not be available and their work done by women the girls would receive the same wages as the men in spite of these Clauses the plant put women at the filling machines after transferring the men who' been operating them to other departments furthermore the women received their previous scale less than the men had received for the same work the company's motive was obvious regardless of the Union contract they were trying to get the same work for less money but we kept working even though the company had broken its contract we could keep our word so in in accordance with the correct procedure we filed our grievance our shop steward was turned down so was our business representative we kept working our grievance committee tried hard and patiently and got nowhere with the bosses we kept working we kept working and asked the international for assistance our leaders after conferences with the company Executives succeeded in having the case put up for arbitration the arbitrator was a man respected by both sides for his intelligence and his honesty whatever his decision was it would be final and binding to both sides to us the issue was crystal clear could the company change job classifications without the consent of the Union could the company for its selfish interests disregard the interests of the workers we waited for the answer the answer was that the company could not with this favorable decision our union agreed to permit the women to continue in their new classification because the men had all been assigned other jobs but we got a salary raise to the same scale the men had received we know what it means to have The Amalgamated behind us we know too we hit the pavement we hit the pavement and we walked for nine weeks we could have walked nine years it started when our work contract came up for Renewal with the seven meat packing plants in our area that was the time for collective bargaining then they handed us their terms decrease in wages a decrease at a time when cost of living was skyrocketing lower working conditions after years of struggling to improve them and there was to be no allowance for tools no allowance for work clothes it meant that these seven packing houses were trying to break the union these seven signed an agreement that none would reach separate agreements with the union and to prove their good faith and mutual trust they stipulated a lot large fine if one of them should break this gentleman's agreement we tried to work things out in conference they wouldn't listen we called on the conciliation service the seven Packers walked out we brought in the state mediation service the seven Packers walked out for five weeks we tried and they walked then we walked if they wouldn't listen to reason then we'd have to hit them where they could feel it the seven of them could sign agreements let the seven of them turn out the work let them butcher the meat and trim and Bone it let them run the plants and turn out the products if they were blind to reason maybe the pinch on their pocketbooks would open their eyes sure we'd feel the pinch too we knew that and we would have walked nine years we had the guts but we had more than that we had The Amalgamated more than 200,000 strong in back of us and while we walked we knew that this wasn't only our fight we knew that the defeat of a single Union member is a defeat for every member and we walked 6 weeks eight weeks Dave dck flew out with instructions from Earl Jimmerson and Pat Gorman if anyone could fight this through with us he could Dave's got the ability that's why the international hires him [Music] the pinch began to hurt the seven Packers began to realize that the union of our workers was stronger and more determined than any association they could form regardless of the size of financial penalties the pinch began to hurt they were ready to talk the settlement was signed we got what we wanted increase in wages improved working conditions allowance for tools allowance for clothes and so we went back to work back to our jobs to earn our living and feed our families we had won the fight won it because we were right we had safeguarded our security because we were United and strong and because we had militant and competent leadership the officials of ir International are constantly on the move to settle disputes and negotiate contracts with the large chains and Packers the Executive Board of the international is the body responsible for General policy and overall planning and therefore must approve all work contracts and agreements their decisions are made only after long and well-considered discussions because the problems they must solve cover situations that arise across a whole continent these men represent many many years of experience in labor organization and labor leadership and they keep in close contact with the needs and opinions of the individual locals through the medium of regional conferences at these conferences they are guided and influenced by open Forum discussions on the floor they know that the needs of the locals vary one from the other conditions are different in different sections of the country and in different trades but the problems of one local are the problems of all locals as well as of the international Equitable conditions must exist in all regions across the country and meetings which at one time had to be held in darkness and secrecy are now welcomed and respected the governor of the great state of Colorado recently addressed a regional session of the Union other state Governors and dignitaries are proud to appear as honored speakers and frankly discuss State policies in regard to labor and labor legislation yes you and your organization Bill Smith are even larger than you might think for you are an integral part of the entire labor movement and the organization of the labor movement is patterned along the lines of the organization of our country our federal government is the central control for the 48 United States and her millions of loyal citizens the American Federation of Labor is the central control of the 109 independent International unions and they more than 8 million organized workers each International is in the union picture the same as a state is in the National scene then there are the locals which are the cities and towns of the international Union that is the basic setup for Union organization on the national scale AFL international local then there is the regional organization through your local you are part of your State's Federation of Labor which handles the specific problems of Labor in each particular State and to look after the Affairs of individual trades many unions have their own State Federation such as the 21 state federations of butchers stretching from coast to coast then to handle situations on the community level the central labor council is made up of all the affl locals in your city or town and the purpose of such careful organization is just one thing security United States Department of Labor Statistics showed that Union Packing House workers for example enjoy better working conditions and earn far more than non-union workers then there are the little things like who puts out money for tools it used to be the individual now it's the company now too the workers get laundry allowances allowances for sharpening tools little things that mount up but there is more to a day than working hours there is more to life in the pursuit of happiness than Security on the job alone that security must be a tangible thing 24 hours a day in health and in sickness that is why for Bill sm's hours of emergency his Union has set up Group insurance plans and death benefits that is why through collective bargaining with large Packing House corporations with the management of large chain stores in all sections of the country and numerous independent employers the union is setting up Health and Welfare plans which are becoming more and more widespread some of the locals have set up their own modern welli clinics to take care of their members and their families and so with the security and protection that shelters those he holds most dear Bill Smith counts himself a fortunate man but fortunes can change for it isn't only over the conference table that Bill Smith's security is achieved there are also the halls of our state and National legislator the laws of the land are links in the chain of Bill Smith's life and the old adage of the weakest link is very true for him Labor's league for political education was formed so that the links would not weaken but would stand true well forged and firm education has been one of the Prime goals from the very beginning of the labor movement and in the fight for laws for free schools free education and for laws to protect children children and their mothers Bill Smith led the way he fought for and won workman's compensation he won laws governing Factory inspection and safety regulations which prevent conditions like these these victories and many more were not earned by a few men at a conference table they were won by millions of Bill Smiths at polling places in free and open election so read your B Bill Smith read it carefully read the names and note the candidates remember not their party or their promises remember the record and remember you are a member of the Union that has won the reputation of being the most loyal to the cause of workers in the entire labor movement remember that in 1946 only onethird of the potential votes in the nation got to the poll remember 1946 remember it as we work toward new objectives expanded and improved Social Security and health insurance for everybody for everybody because the rates labor struggled and suffered for in the past today belong to the American people as a whole the rights Bill Smith demands for himself he insists are also rights to be enjoyed by every loyal citizen Union member or not so remember the record and Mark your choice Mark your choice Bill mark it with an X for every X is as mighty as a hammer blow to forge the links in your chain of progress and that progress in turn is dependent on efficient administration of the individual locals in this age militant leadership must be armed with knowledge and the information Bureau for all the locals is the research and education department at International headquarters this office compiles data as to the correct handling of Union business and statistics necessary in collective bargaining negotiations pertinent facts about such things as cost of living and job evaluation are sent out by letters circulars books and pamphlets visual aids also help keep Bill Smith posted because today more than ever before bill must be well informed and Amalgamated monthly magazine the butcher Workman is edited to keep members up to- dat about Union activities in all parts of the country the butcher Workman has won prizes as an outstanding publication and every issue carries news and articles of importance and significance to every brother and sister furthermore extension courses for union members have been started in many colleges and universities all over the country under the guidance of experienced teachers Bill Smith can study subjects such as government and public affairs labor and Industrial relations subjects which are closely Allied to his well-being and the young Bill Smiths the apprentices must also learn how to serve employer and general public in keeping with the high standards expected of them by the Union that is why through the cooperation of local school systems the employers and the union training programs for apprentices have been established in key cities all over the country they are taught the principles of business operation the different Cost Cuts and the relative price each cut must bring and you'll find older Bill Smiths at these classes too taking refresher in Brush up courses interesting and effective merchandising is something every Apprentice must understand he must learn to cut and prepare meat though it will be easy to cook and attractive to serve working with another Apprentice he practices actual over-the-counter contact with the public and when his Apprentice period has been served young Bill Smith is ready to take his place beside his older brothers and share with them the responsibility of maintaining this their reputation of service the confidence of knowledge and security are solid foundations for happiness but there must also be Leisure Hours Bill Smith earns his pleasure and he's got a right to his fond he can enjoy himself with a free untroubled mind because he isn't merely snatching at a moment's happiness his contentment is basic it has something concrete behind it maybe he likes to lure the Bass from its hiding place or relax with friends on a warm Lazy Sunday or maybe he likes to knock down the maple with his teammates in a bowling league perhaps Miss and Mrs Smith like to keep up with the fellows or just lie in the Sun at the beach but no matter what the preference may be there's time to enjoy it the hour's limitation no Sunday work and vacations with pay Clauses in their Union contracts have taken care of [Music] that but while Bill Smith takes his fun he doesn't forget those who are less fortunate his Union is in the Forefront of contributors to infantile paralysis drives and all worthy in constructive causes through his union he makes large contributions to care for European relief and you'll find him a regular visitor at the blood bank you'll find Bill Smith serving in state legislatures participating in the Urban League and constructive Civic programs you'll find him wherever you go he is part of the American scene in every town town city and [Music] state but if there is one thing that marks Bill Smith that sets him aside and gives him the ability to walk with dignity and confidence along the road to security it is his feeling of loyalty to his fellow members for as he marches in Labor Day parades he knows that his Union wasn't always powerful and strong and if he's an oldtime Bill Smith he might still be able to see in his Mind's Eye the early days of the union he might even remember George berer the first International president and one of Amalgamated Founders he might also remember Homer Deco Michael donelly John Hart and Dennis Lane strong men everyone and everyone a fighter a union man had to be in those days do you know what it used to mean to be an Amalgamated organizer 47 Amalgamated members were murdered or maimed in the tragic general strike of 1921 in Chicago and other hundreds were wounded and beaten there was an organizer called Schneider he was a Bill Smith in that strike shot and killed while carrying an American flag another Bill Smith lives here now and another one has hung up his shop card here what those who came before you bought with sacrifice and blood are your privileges and rights today it is your responsibility to militantly maintain that tradition of honor and of loyalty it is up to you to pass on your heritage of security to the bill Smiths who will follow you on the road you've taken in your pursuit of happiness so let the tradition of your heritage give you faith in yourself and in the constructive leadership of your union for with your support this leadership will continue to bring continuing benefits to workers and cultivate constantly improving employer relations and The Amalgamated meat Cutters and butcher workmen of North America will March steadily forward as confident workers good neighbors and loyal citizens faithful to their principles their country and their God