Amerikai Magyar Szó, 1987. január-június (41. évfolyam, 1-25. szám)
1987-06-18 / 24. szám
Thursday, June 18. 1987. AMERIKAI MAGYAR SZO 13. John T. Gojack: JOCSAK A SON XVI. They had an office in a tacky building downtown, not far from the plant, but only an idiot would risk his job going there. "What about the CIO union that passes out thoses leaflets. Are they any good and are they getting anywhere?" I asked my brother-in-law Adam. "A union is like any other organization," explained Adam, always thoughtful. "It's as good or as bad as the members who run it." It was good to hear Adam report "our tool room has a "big majority signed up for the union." Later, when an organizer myself, I knew that tool rooms, made up of the most skilled,, most knowledgeable and most independent workers, were always the first and easiest to organize. "Johnny, would you like to go to a union meeting Sunday afternoon?" asked Adam to my surprise. "Sure, I'd go to any meeting if I thought they could slow up the shock assembly line." Workers approaching the meeting hall at 9 E. 5th Street in Dayton on Sunday afternoon would look up and down the street for suspicious cars before going up the steps to the union office. With about thirty present, the professional organizer began the meeting with reports of successful Labor Board elections around the country. He hinted it would not be long before this local would be able to petition the Labor Board for an election. Then, going around the room, he asked everyone to report on progress in signing authorization cards for the union. "I'm here with my brother-in-law. I'm not even signed up for the union," I said when he pointed to me. "Well, what do you think of our Tuesday leaflets?" the professional organizer asked. He was an Italian-American named Ernest DeMaio. Later I discovered he was an outstanding rabble rouser and a brilliant labor leader. We became good friends. Next came my first union speech, which started an exciting career as a volunteer organizer, field organizer, two-state president, and for many years general vice president of the third largest CIO union. As I stood up, I noticed two more professional organizers sitting about the room, watching me carefully. Having never spoken to an audience in a meeting before, I could feel my knees shaking. I knew what to say, remembering Pop's advice, "The truth is always the easiest, to remember and to say." "Sir, reading is my hobby," I said and firm. "Once a week I pick up a shopping bag full of books at the Dayton library. Yet I find your leafiest difficult to read. They're written as if you're trying to organize the University of Dayton instead of our factory. Also, your leaflets often sound like a minister's sermon. The guy who writes them must have been a college professor, and 111 bet the only college graduates in this GM plant are in the front office. If you want to appeal to workers, use workers' language." I got a nice round of applause from the other workers. "That was a good speech and the first time anyone got applause for speaking his mind," Adam told me. On the way out, DeMaio stopped me, asked my name and department and invited me to stop at the union office for a chat during the week. After reading all the books at the library on unions and collective bargaining, I was more confused than ever about unions. My session with the organizer was just as confusing. His talk convinced me I had a lot to learn about unions. Later he said the staff checked me out and figured I was "either a future organizer or an agent for the company." A month later, I learned from Adam there would be a very important meeting that Sunday. There were over sixty people in attendance. "The union is ready to file an election," announced the chief organizer. "However, a final big push for cards is necessary, and to accomplish this, all the active union supporters have to come out in the open by helping distribute union leaflets next Tuesday." There was sound logic behind DeMaio's impassioned pleas to exchange paid Western Union boys for volunteer workers out of the plant. The news of a possible early election created excitement in the meeting. When the organizers went around the room listing volunteers for the leaflet distribution, there were sixty-one enthusiastic for the task. As eager as any, I offered to sign a card and help, since my brother-in-law could not, due to extended shifts in the tool room. Tuesday night I arrived at my shop entrance and was given a bundle of leaflets by an organizer. "How did it go on the morning and afternoon shifts?" I asked. "Let's get started," he said, ducking my question. "We should have kept the Western Union boys today." As the workers arrived, they stared at me, some with mouth open. In my shop clothes, they knew I was not an organizer, who always wore suits and ties. As foremen and supervisors showed up, they paused to watch this unique phenomenon, discussing with others this amazing occurence - a Delco Products, Division of General Motors, employee actually distributing union leaflets. Many workers shook their heads, as if I were nuts. "You's better hide," whispered one. "You'll get fired for sure." When my foreman came by, he muttered, "Jesus Chirst!" I learned later that out of the sixty-one volunteers to pass out leaflets, I was the only one to show up. Mind you, this was 1940, in Dayton, Ohio, in the United States of America, land of the free and home of the brave. This is not a dictatorial nation. The First Amendment to our 'Constitution guarantees freedom of speech, and here were grown men, workers, citizens, afraid to exercise their constitutional right of free speech. In my lectures to college students, most never understood, nor cared, that Americans feared to exercise this constitutional right. With the warning bell, I handed the rest of my leaflets to the organizer and rushed up to my floor. "Someone else is on your job. Come with me to the night superintendent's office," my foreman said. We picked up two other supervisors along the way and crowded into the night bosses' office. "Gojack, you are the first Delco worker to pass out union leaflets. Do you mind telling us why?" he questioned. It looked to be a grilling by men powerful enough to affect my life, so I paused a moment and then said, "I'll be glad to tell you. First, I was on city property; second, I was exercising my rights under the First Amendment; and third, I'm sorry , that many other Delco workers who promised to be there backed out because they were scared to lose their jobs." "Is that all?" asked the top boss. "Before I answer your question, can you tell me if I violated any Delco or General Motors rule or regulation, or any city, state, or federal law?" I asked. "No, you seem to be well versed on that," said the boss. "We're simply trying to find out why an employee in the shock department would be the first to ‘work for the union. Are you unhappy with your job?" "Remember me asking you a long time ago if I could get off my job because First Aid could find nothing to cure the oil boils on my arms?" I rolled my sleeves up to show the boils and continued, "There were two drill press jobs open and besides getting away from the oil, those jobs pay thirty-six cents an hour. Since I asked for that transfer, two newer men got those jobs, while . I'm stuck on a job paying only thirty- two cents that grows more boils on my arms." The phone rang and we were all asked to step out of the office for a few minutes when the boss called us back and looked at me. "We're not going to make a big thing out of this," he said. "You have a point about not getting the drill press job, for health reasons if not seniority. So I'm asking your foreman to put you on that job starting tonight. If you have any more gripes, John, take them up with supervision or come into my office. The door is always open." "Thank you sir, for solving a big grievance for me. I appreciate it very much." I stood up and shook his hand. Word went around my floor like wildfire. The workers were more amazed that I didn't get fired than about my transfer. One union worker had a supply of union cards in his lunch box. We passed them out during lunch break and collected them, signed, at shift end. We repeated this the next night with many more cards, and got the majority of a large department signed up because of one man's belief in the First Amendment. To be the first worker out of thousands with guts enough to come out openly for the union and, more importantly, the first to exercise his basic American right of free speech, says something for my background and training. It says I learned guts from my family - Transylvania Courage from my father. Thus began my union career. General Motors made a rebel out of me. I thanked them at every opportunity, by buying GM cars. With World War II. underway and industry busy again, Pop went back to work. He had skills as an industrial blacksmith and was an experienced drop forge hammer man. His employer appreciated him as a competent and extremely hard worker. After years of unemployment during the depression, he was happy to be back on the job, which now became the focal point of his life. Like many workers with few interests at home or off the job, Pop made a habit of going to the shop early. He enjoyed socializing with shopmates and, with his children now all adults, his work was most important in his life. m To be continued
