Walter Reuther: Labor Day Address

Explanation and Analysis of the Document

Much of Reuther's speech is given over to a clear rejection of Communism. He points out, for example, that “for centuries man has been struggling to divide up economic scarcity and the communists have built their dogma and propaganda upon this fact. American labor rejects the communist concepts of the class struggle.” At the same time, Reuther reminds his listeners that modern technology has given humanity the ability not just to improve the quality of people's lives but also to wage destructive nuclear war. In this climate, “America, as the strongest of the free nations of the world, shares a tremendous responsibility for world leadership,” and, in Reuther's view, the American labor movement is an important part of this world leadership.

Reuther then surveys the American economy. At the time of his address, the United States was in the midst of a recession, with relatively high unemployment and considerable unused productive capacity. Reuther wants to tap that unused capacity to “demonstrate beyond question the superiority of our system of freedom over the system of communist tyranny.” Nevertheless, Reuther wants also to see the fruits of America's productive capacity shared more equitably—which gives him the opportunity to talk about the relationship between the UAW and the three U.S. automakers (at the time, Ford, General Motors, and Chrysler). As one might expect from the president of the UAW, Reuther scolds the “Big Three” for refusing to accept the union's contract proposals. The economy at the time was struggling, in Reuther's view, because of “irresponsible and selfish pricing policies of a few giant corporations who exercise monopoly control of vital sectors of the American economy and are able to set aside the economic laws of supply and demand.” He calls on the president to convene a conference of labor, management, and government to solve the nation's economic problems. Meanwhile, labor “is determined not to compromise with the forces of either crime, corruption or communism.”