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Susan Green

Put the Bosses on Ice; Labor Needs No ‘Cooling’

We Must Act NOW Against the Vicious Vinson Bill

(12 May 1941)


From Labor Action, Vol. 5 No. 19, 12 May 1941, pp. 1 & 2.
Transcribed & marked up by Einde O’ Callaghan for the Encyclopaedia of Trotskyism On-Line (ETOL).



The Vinson Compulsory Mediation Bill is this week before the House Rules Committee. IT MUST DE DEFEATED.

The bosses’ hands are hot and sweaty from grabbing war profits. LET THEM COOL OFF!

A strike is a hard, cold reality that no workers undertake hot-headedly. LABOR DOES NOT NEED TO BE COOLED OFF!

The Vinson bill provides for a 25-day cooling-off period after workers have decided to strike and for penalties against workers up to $5,000 and a year in jail if they disobey the law and refuse to “cool off.”

The bosses love this cooling off period FOR LABOR. It will give them 25 days, in which to prepare a sure-fire campaign AGAINST STRIKING WORKERS.

The bosses’ eyes glisten with the fever of greed in expectation of more and better war profits. LET THEM COOL OFF!

When workers vote for a strike they know what they are in for: loss of wages, picketing in all weather and at all hours, hunger and sickness at home, increasing debt, policemen, clubs, tear gas, armored trucks, bullets.

THESE ARE COLD FACTS THAT THE WORKERS ARE WELL ACQUAINTED WITH.

They do not need to be cooled off. THE VINSON BILL MUST BE DEFEATED.

There is talk in Washington about “compromise.” The bill may be amended, leaving out some of the more objectionable provisions.

These are: 1) The right of the bosses to fire workers who are subversive – which means ANY MILITANT UNIONIST; 2) The prohibition against union organization of plants that are now open shop.

These two provisions may be dropped, according to reports. The cooler heads in Congress understand some cold facts, too. They know that workers in their present strength and militancy will not stand for such DIRECT ATTACKS ON THEIR RIGHT TO ORGANIZE.

But these legislators for the bosses will TRY TO PUT OVER THE “COOLING OFF” PERIOD – in the interest of “national defense.”

It sounds so innocent! Why should not labor “cool off” and “mediate” its grievances in the “national emergency,” which is also an innocent way of saying “preparation for imperialist-boss war”!

But this means – in actuality – TAKING AWAY LABOR’S RIGHT TO STRIKE.

In the 25-day cooling-off period the united forces of the boss and the government can be so well organized as to take away from the strikers every chance of victory.

THAT IS EQUAL TO TAKING AWAY THE RIGHT TO STRIKE.

THAT IS EQUAL TO REDUCING THE WORKING CLASS TO INDUSTRIAL SLAVES.

THE VINSON BILL MUST BE DEFEATED – IN TOTO. The workers want no part of it.

The bosses lust for mountains of profit to increase their power and domination over this country and the whole world. It has nothing to do with the necessities of life. LET THEM COOL OFF!

The workers strike to get the NECESSITIES OF LIFE. They fight for a living wage, for decent hours and conditions. THESE ARE NECESSITIES OF LIFE.

That is why workers turn out in mass picket lines. LABOR KNOWS WHY IT HAS TO STRIKE. IT DOES NOT NEED TO BE COOLED OFF.

And labor can go out on picket lines to lick THIS VICIOUS VINSON BILL.

TO LICK THE VINSON BILL is also a NECESSITY OF LIFE FOR LABOR.


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Last updated: 19 August 2014