McBRIDE FOR ABEL
Rice, Charles Owen
tice, who, squatting over his radio in Howard Johnson's, startled by Howard Hunt's return with the call to Fly at once, all is discovered, asked plaintively, "Does this mean I can't go to Miami?"...
...It doesn't wash, of course, it never does...
...as did his image as a militant...
...no less certainly, Kissinger's jollying up of the press, a form of club date entertainment, was his greatest service to his master, as was evident from the things the press got into when it was not kept sufficiently amused...
...Can a lame duck president committed to not striking haggle tough enough...
...Nice enough in themselves, both of them, but both so isolated, so accidental...
...in general, they are not so well paid as true steel workers, nor as union-oriented...
...if you threw out all the doubtful votes it still has a solid margin...
...Abel remains in office until the middle of the year, and is now negotiating a new contract with the steel corporations...
...as yet there was a mere trickle of results, but my friend, a rabid supporter of Ed Sadlowski the challenger, had heard enough to reach his melancholy conclusion...
...The old favor the status quo and are cool to challengers...
...0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 HARD TIMES IN EUROPE ' VINTER OF DISCONTENT Winter months are a somber time in Western Europe...
...It will take a long time...
...Jack Levine, I think it was, finding his painting praised lavishly by some sawbones who claimed to have profited in his own weekend dabbling in oils by studying Levine and who rashly went on to inquire what Levine himself did for a hobby, Jack Levine said, "On Saturday, I like to do a little brain surgery...
...Sadlowski has now filed an official protest, as much for the sake of some of his allies, who want to contest for their own reasons...
...For those of us who have gained a moderate livelihood from writing, lecturing and performing for public entertainmentmin my own case, all three--the situation is exactly that of The Old Theater Cat who complained to that imprudent pussy, "Mehitabel, both our professions are being ruined by amateurs...
...An unfortunate interview with Penthouse produced a quote which was easily twisted and hurt Sadlowski more than lust and Playboy hurt Carter...
...his chances are not great...
...That hurt in the South and the challengers are bitter...
...Cm~RLES owEr~ vac~(Msgr...
...In that conservative record was a controversial innovation, ENA, Experimental Negotiating Agreement, the essence of which is abandonment of the strike weapon even in contract negotiations...
...He can claim vindication of his leadership...
...Old .timers remember with a shudder the long strike of '59, over one hundred days...
...But there is little feeling that the end is in sight...
...The historical reasons for the crisis of the English economy are relatively clear...
...Will he bind wounds...
...Meanwhile, many people Commonweal: 167...
...They were cool to McGovern, warm to Wallace and not too unfriendly to the Nixon of '72...
...with it he lost some Steelworkers who are not liberally inclined as a whole...
...Without a doubt a similar area of discontent exists in all unions but does not show because the others make challenge more difficult...
...The small turnout meant that the unemployed did not come out to vote, which hurt the challengers...
...Only 600,000 voted and that was considerably less than half of the eligible...
...There are indications that the controlling and surviving faction in the Steel union would rather not go through this sort of test again...
...However, one must realize that USW is a conglomerate with more than half its members outside basic steel, which workers are not covered by the experimental no-strike agreement...
...But other nations which industrialized later were beneficiaries of more advanced technology and larger-scale organization...
...What are we to make of that...
...Is he wise...
...In such reflections, the professional can try to put a good face on this invasion of his craft by the criminals and political rejects...
...But Wodd War II liquidated both the Empire and much of England's foreign investment...
...In the early 1950s, England was forced to choose between membership in the Common Market and reliance on the Commonwealth and a "partnership" with the U.S...
...They all felt threatened...
...Personalities enlivened and embittered the struggle, but they were not decisive because a legitimate issue predominated...
...The seeds of a new and stronger Steelworker rebellion may be sown in the next few months unless Abel does very well indeed...
...In a way they were discovering what the members want their union to be...
...The result will repay study because of what it reveals about American trade unionism and the mentality of the working force...
...but the defeated battalions remain intact and will rise again...
...Spending a month in England, Belgium and France, I sensed a widespread concern about the future...
...But it will take years for the situation to improve...
...Abel jumped right into the debate...
...England's weakness was hidden by the Empire and the accumulated assets of the 19th century...
...It was February 9, only one day after the gigantic United Steelworkers of America had conducted a nationwide election for its top officers...
...Abel's first negotiations under ENA had results which were at least adequate, if not tremendous...
...Charles Owen Rice, a pastor in Pittsburgh, has been close to the labor scene since the lounding ol the CIO in the mid-'3Os...
...Sadlowski's slate had to win big in the basic steel locals of the Northeast and Midwest if it were to carry the referendum, but he noted that it was just scraping through...
...If those resuits had been unsatisfactory, his designated successor would have been wiped out in the late contest...
...He is now a national figure, more prominent than 99 percent of the reigning union presidents...
...Withal, it was a famous victory, the dimensions of which surprised even the victors...
...When there is unemployment in a unionized facility, the proportion of older men working rises dramatically...
...Interestingly enough, the administration slate fared better with these than with those directly affected by ENA, who are evenly 18 March 1977:166 divided in their estimate of it...
...This time Abel seeks a measure of job security which will quickly benefit older workers and for which the corporations will demand concessions...
...Lloyd McBride, the winner and new president, is said to be more liberal and militant than Abel...
...Without the help of liberal outsiders Ed could not have sustained the massive effort that was required...
...That was debated fiercely and attacked by Sadlowski as improper unionism...
...Everyone recognized the virtual certainty that Canada and the South would turn in overwhelmingly for the administration slate...
...Unless McBride lets "slip the dogs of war," Ed can settle down in Chicago as a staffman...
...She chose the latter, and consequently did not share in the economic unswing experienced by the continent in the 1960s...
...The international economic crisis takes different forms in each country...
...Accepting all of the administration's figures, its slate won by upwards of 80,000...
...The fall of the pound corresponds to a loss of self-confidence...
...Ironically Sadlowski's strong showing among the employees of those corporations strengthens Abel's hand...
...eventually they did and that was that...
...The sun rises late, sets early, and its rays do not suffice to warm the air or dissipate the damp...
...Further consolation can be sought in the thought that Nixon and Kissinger always were entertainers anyhow: certainly Nixon's entire public career up until the presidency was concerned with the theatrical, not the substantive, aspects of political discourse...
...With the exception of the United Mine Workers, other unions vote during conventions now...
...Later he called again to say that his gloom was fully justified...
...This was a long and bitter election campaign and wounds do not appear to be healing...
...Not overwhelmingly for Sadlowski, they were equally cool to both Abel and McBride...
...still young, he was beaten but not wiped out...
...There is a deep mood of pessimism in England...
...Sadlowski's prominence and his popularity with liberals did him harm as well as good...
...Or will he try a purge...
...it would appear that they want a prudent union which will look out for them without too much conflict, getting along with management where possible for the good of the industry...
...Having industrialized first, England enjoyed temporary world supremacy in exports during the 19th century...
...Abel, the retiring president, who had anointed Sadlowski's opponent, Lloyd McBride, as his chosen successor, laid his record on the line...
...Nothing has dimmed his vigor...
...It was a classic and possibly the last of its kind...
...Sadlowski himself can hardly be purged...
...Candidates for anything would be wise to avoid skin magazines...
...When the time is ripe, an attempt will be made to change the constitution so that referenda will be discarded, and voting for top office will be conducted at conventions...
...Finally, the truth must be faced, however bitter...
...By forcing England to modernize, the Common Market should ultimately benefit England...
...FRANK GETLEIN 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 UNITED STEELWORKERS IeBRIDE FOR "When I seen them old guys pushin' in to vote, I knew we was licked...
...When England finally entered the Common Market, she was in a position of weakness...
...While the Steelworkers were bellowing and thrashing, the slightly smaller Machinists quietly chose as their president, the very liberal William W. Winpisinger...
...One feels like an independent dry cleaner, perhaps, watching the trade being taken over by the Mafia...
...He faces a divided union and a large mass of discontented members...
...If the change is attempted there will be a mighty row, but the powers may decide: better one big final row than a succession of them...
...Established labor leaders from the top down were violently against Sadlowski and no wonder...
...Twisting of quotes is excusable but Red-baiting is not...
...Will he temper the wind...
...His own designated successor won in his huge home Chicago district...
Vol. 104 • March 1977 • No. 6
