Fron United Pattern
Workers Journal. April.
The change over, particularly marked at Douglas Aircraft Co., from the construction of aircraft, to the production of missiles and space systems has increased the demand for engineers and technicians, as against riveters performing a single, repetitive job all day. The striking nature of the change can be seen from the following table, which: compares the labour needs of Douglas for building D.C.6's in 1960, with their needs in 1963 for the Saturn project.
1960 196 Manufacturing workers 69.3% 41.0% Tooling workers 18.0% 17.5% Engineers and technicians 11.7% 50.7%.
These few figures show what importance technical workers will hold in the future, with regard to trade union organisation. :
THE WEEK Number 23 Page 10 U.S. Notes.
Statement OF THE MAY SECOND MOVEMENT.
"Every American boy killed in South Vietnam is unjustifiably killed and the blood is on the hands of the U.S. government." So spoke Senator Wayne Morse in Congress on April 29 1964, and we agree. The U.S. war in Vietnam is a hopeless campaign of oppression against an 'tenemy' which consists of virtually the entire South Vietnamese population. No wonder all the United States armed 'advisers', helicopters, napalm bombs, and chemicals cannot win. It is generally recognised that the U.S. must either pull out of Vietnam or commit us to a full scale military (Korea style) effort which could create a world holocaust. If the U.S. pulls out of Vietnam the war will end overnight. The people of Vietnam will then be free to decide what form of government they want for themselves- neutralisn, socialism or whatever. The 1954 Geneva Agreement on Indo China provided for such a popular plebiscite but this agreement has been flagrantly violated by the various U.S. supported tyrants of South Vietnan.
The first and most important purpose of the May Second Movement shall be to bring about the complete withdrawal of U.S. troops from Vietnam.e Until The U.S. withdraws its troops, we will join with the growing world wide opposition to this U.S. war, through campaigns of mass action demonstrating to the U.S. government and the world thet a significant part of the American people DO NOf support it. Ameracan youth have nothing to gain from fighting in Vietnam, whatever aspirations U.S. policy makers might have. Many of us have refused to fight in this war and we will encourage others to do the same.
The May Second Movement has already learned how the government reacts when its policies are threatened. On May 2nd, as part of our campaiz , we showed a special film made by the Viet Cong on campuses and in communities throughout New York and other parts of the country. One copy of our film was seized by federal agents, without a warrant, as it was being shown to a neighbourhood political group on Manhattans West side. In another incident, police agents raided our temporary head quarters in a New York hotel and pressured the management into evicting us. No better example of governnental connivance with the press can be shown than the press blackout of the May 2nd demonstrations and march... This intimidation only increases the need for the May Second Movement... American students have played an important role proP¥ar policies of past adninistrations - and we are standing for this generation. We are convinced that with determination, unity and militant action we can bring an end to all U.S. war policies. The May Second Movement Will:
1. Organise mass action on campuses around the country to stop the U.S. war in Vietnam. We will conduct sit ins, picket lines, demonstrations, boycotts, petition. campaigns, school strikes, political questionaires and other activities demanding an end to " McNanara's war. We will demonstrate off campus as well as on campus when it will be effective.
THE WEEK Number 23 Page 11 U.S. Notes.
2. Circulate a statenent for young men of draft age calling on them to refuse to fight in Vietnam. This statement has already been circulated by a group of young men associated with the May Second Committee with great success and we consider it a positive move against the American war in Vietnan.
3. Concentrate, but not limit, our activities to opposing the U.S. war in Vietnam. We recognise that from every brink of war, wherever it is located, we can topple into the same nuclear grave. We will oppose U.S. aggressive policies wherever a war danger arises. A particular case in point are the illegal and provocative United States spy-flights over Cuba.
4. Investigate, expose, and oppose the cause and causers of wars, both cold and hot... Past movements have all too often reduced their opposition to war to simple opposition without explanation. This, like opposition to sin, is hardly the besis for a mass movement. We intend to stir the dirty laundry no matter to whon it belongs.
5. Include all honest political ideologies within the movement. We will not red bait. The use of red baiting in the past has destroyed peace organisations and we will not be associated with such tactics.
6. Above all,criticize and act to change pro war policies of Anerican governments. As citizens we are ashamed of the extent to which our country's government is responsible for world tensions, most glaringly exemplified in the unjustifiable war in Vietnam. Our prinary responsibility as principled Americans is to oppose our government on its wrong policies, and to work to change them, or to change the governnent itself if need be.
7- We must make the issue of Anerican involvement in Vietnam @ political campaign issue. We intend to urge ell the candidates for political office into taking a stand for withdrawal of American troops from Vietnan. Organization :- A national provisional executive comnittee to include representatives from all areas around the country where groups are active, and provision for including new groups when they form. This committee shall have authority to issue policy statenents based upon majority vote. All local chapters shall havs complete autonony to initiate actions or join with others in actions, so long as they function within the policies of the May Second Movenent. A national newspaper will be published in September, and a Christmas convention will be held. Actions- We propose that May Second Movements be started immediately on as many campuses as possible and that on June 4th these campus conmittees demonstrate on their individual campuses against the U.S. war in Vietnan. We also propose that the chapters near and surrounding the national political convention sites be mob lized so that effective demonstrations can take place during the conventions. Again local initiativéisessential and we can only hope that some dranatic gesture will be made at the conventions against McNanara's War.
WEEK