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  4. Decision: The Conflicts of Harry S. Truman - The Squeeze, Episode No. 10

Motion Picture MP80-9

Decision: The Conflicts of Harry S. Truman - The Squeeze, Episode No. 10

Administrative Information

Original Format(s)
Motion Picture
Footage
907 feet
Running Time
26 minutes
Film Gauge
16mm
Sound
sound
Color
Black & White
Produced by
Columbia pictures - Ben Gradus in association with Screen Gems and David Noyes
Restrictions
Restricted
Description

Episode 10. The Squeeze. The subjects of this program are labor problems and strikes. Unfortunately, the Decision series is copyright Sony Pictures Entertainment, and the Truman Library may not reproduce any episodes without their consent.

Date(s)
1964

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Moving Image Type
Motion Picture

Shot List

  • Reel 1
0:00   Men running, 1947; Labor strikes; violence. Harry S. Truman speaks about trouble between labor and management; Taft-Hartley Act; refers to John L. Lewis.
1:16   John L, Lewis (head of United Mine Workers) comments on Truman as a disgrace to the office.
1:42   Truman speaks on not knowing whether to sign the Taft-Hartley Act.
2:40   World War II scenes.
3:05   Strikes, violent confrontation.
3:24   Truman speaks of pendulum swinging between rights of labor and management.
4:00   Scenes of child labor; bad working conditions. Violent strike scenes; murdered union leaders. Truman speaks of struggles of organized labor in the 1920's.
5:28   John L. Lewis; Alvanley Johnston (head of Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers); Alexander Whitney (Brotherhood of Railway Trainmen); all were originally Truman supporters, but became his enemies.
5:58   Charleston dancing; stock market crash; bread lines; march on Washington.
6:20   Franklin D. Roosevelt elected (inaugural scenes); shaking hands from car.
6:52   Men working on roads, etc.
7:10   Union meeting; Senator Robert Wagner speaks of National Labor Act of 1935.
7:43   John L. Lewis parade.
8:05   Senator Truman in Senate, helped labor win victories.
8:32   Truman speaks of 1941, when coal strike was eminent in midst of war; he asked union leaders to keep working. Labor and management did not cooperate.
9:16   gap in film
9:29   Chart of pendulum swinging between labor and management. Strikes, riot scenes.
10:05   Truman speaks; panic is worse thing that can happen. Production slowed. Men home from war - no jobs. Shows G.I.'s on boat, people applying for jobs. Seventy-ninth Congress was one of the worst he had to deal with.
11:12   Strikes marching, Truman says union were no more arrogant than management.
12:15   Excerpt from Truman's radio address on October 30, 1945 on wages.
12:46   John L. Lewis, others. Congress.
13:00   Truman speaks of setting up his own fact finding board. Board recommended a raise of 18-1/2 cents an hour and labor and management accepted this.
13:30   Alvanley Johnston, Alexander Whitney, John L. Lewis.
13:50   Mine explosions killed many miners; John L. Lewis asked for welfare fund for miners; threatened to strike.
14:43   Truman speaks: world needed coal. Truman asked Lewis not to strike as long as negotiations were proceeding.
15:00   1948: railroads were threatened by strike. Alexander Whitney and Alvanley Johnston.
15:23   Truman speaks; asked them not to tie up country with railroad strike at this time.
15:38   Miners go on strike, April 1, 1946. May 24, 1946, railroads went on strike. Nation faces paralysis. Trains standing idle.
16:33   Truman speaks. He had to stop this and risk antagonizing labor before next election.
17:00   gap in film.
17:18   Truman speaks. Always fought for right of working man, but no one can place his rights above welfare of country.
17:31   Strikers.
17:49   Truman speaks of anger of people of U.S. and of Congress. He had to get strikers back to work by any means he could.
18:26   Ordered miners to go back to work. They defied order.
18:50   May 25, 1946, Truman speaks to Congress about forcing railroads back to work by military force. Received word during speech that railroad strike was settled.
19:45   Alexander Whitney speaks; says strike was called off because of pressure from the President.
20:12   John L. Lewis called miners on strike again. He was arrested and fined. Lewis speaks, called Truman a liar.
22:15   Truman speaks. At congressional election, labor stayed away from the polls, and the Republican 80th Congress was elected.
22:36   Taft, other man shaking hands, talking. Senator Robert Taft has confrontation with John L. Lewis; Taft speaks.
24:50   Strikers asked for veto of Taft/Hartley bill.
24:10   Truman radio address on why he vetoed Taft/Hartley bill.
24:27   Walter Reuther, United Auto Workers, speaks against Taft/Hartley bill.
24:45   Truman speaks, excerpt from Labor Day address, September 6, 1948. Detroit, Michigan.
25:12   Truman speaks of partnership between Labor and management.