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Frances PerkinsFrances Perkins
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as the agent for collective bargaining, whereupon all the bona fide AF of Ls would walk out and strike.

What were you going to do? I never felt sorrier for any employers than I did for employers that were caught like that. I had them in my office wringing their hands and tearing their hair in desperation - “What shall I do? I try to do the right thing. I sign a contract with them. What can I do? They go out strike and they're right. They go out on strike because they think I've broken my agreement. I was ordered by the board to recognize the CIO for collective bargaining. So I have them in. So quite naturally the AF of L walks out.”

In any large factory where you have something like electrical manufacturing this was a usual picture, because there was always an inner core of skilled craftsman who had had a union, and sometimes even called themselves an industrial union and represented everybody. Nevertheless, they were primarily electricians, and in addition there were also several hundred girls and young men who were doing the simplest kind of assembly work that was semi-skilled. The CIO would sell itself to them. They had a right to vote just like anybody else. They would vote for the





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