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the day that word was out that Labor Commissioner Brock was going to --

Speak at the AFL-CIO Convention or Executive Council.

We were very much concerned about what the Department of Labor was going to do. The election was going on, and I told him how the Department of Labor had been fooling us all along. We were going to win! And it was going to be an unheard of kind of thing, and that it would be very helpful if he would do an OpEd piece, because primarily we were concerned that the AFL-CIO would put its feet into Turner's camp after the election and in some way screw us, in some way screw us. Because the whole question of “Would the RWDSU install us?” -- you know, all of these things. He said, “Sounds like a good piece.” He quickly wrote a piece, kept calling me for questions. Quickly wrote a piece, and he called me one day and said, “Look, I spoke to Bob Temple and they think it's a good idea. Of course I can't promise anything, but I know that if they say okay they're going to use it.” It sat around for two or three weeks! I kept calling him. I knew I couldn't pressure him. He said, “Look, I don't know what's the matter with those guys. You know the guys. Ah, the Times. You know, I can't” -- you know. Meanwhile the voting, the voting ends and they don't want to give the official tally. They have to go over it. You know, there's that big delay there. There's a tentative vote and he keeps calling me, and I'm calling him. Then he calls that weekend. He calls me on a Friday and he says, “Moe, I got a go-ahead.”

At one point I got so worried about the thing, because it had to come out fast. I called Joan Cook at the Times. I said, “Joan, what do I do to make this come out faster?” She said, “I'll tell you. I'll walk over to see Howard Goldberg.” Howard Goldberg is assistant to the op-ed tape editor. She calls me back and she says, “Moe? Howard said he saw the piece, and it's going in.” “When?” She says, “He didn't say.” Then a week goes by, nothing happens. I get so worried I call Howard Goldberg, and he's not in. I said, “Leave a message to call me.” I get worried that I did the wrong thing. I put a call through to Joan Cook. Meanwhile, he calls me. He says, “You called me?” I said, “Yes. I probably am out of line.” I says, “I'm calling to ask about Abe Raskin's OpEd.” He says, “This is a matter between the Times and Abe Raskin, not with you.” So I said, “Look, Mr. Goldberg. Would you make believe that I never called you?” I said, “I want to apologize.” When I called Joan Cook she said, “Oh Moe, what have you done? That's a no-no.” I said, “Is it going to kill it?” “No, it won't kill it. Don't worry.”