George Meany is president of the A. F. of L.C.I.O. This union of unions, counts 16,200,000 workers in its membership. So, when Mr. Meany talks, people listen.
Here is what the Montreal Gazette of February 18, 1959, had to say of the czar of this giant agglomeration of unions:
Mr. Meany declared that a basic cause of high unemployment is that automation and other technological improvements are increasing production efficiency while requiring fewer and fewer workers.
There are only two answers, he said: "Shoot about ten percent of the people or get more purchasing power into their hands." He said he did not advocate the first alternative.
So far, Mr. Meany makes good sense. But when it came to making some practical suggestions, Mr. Meany could come up with nothing more brillant than, "a shorter work week and substantial increase in wages."
Still harping away at employment! If you want to live you have to work — even if the ultimate and logical consequence of this doctrine is digging holes one day a week and filling them in the next!
But then if there were no workers to organize, Mr. Meany, Mr. Hoffa, Mr. Jodoin and the other bosses of the unions would be out of their high salaried jobs.
Social Crediters have the right suggestion, Mr. Meany. Since the cultural heritage of the ages is bringing man to the point where all he needs can be produced with a negligible amount of human labour; and since money is the means of distributing this produce, then let a dividend based on production and balanced by the compensating discount to counter inflation, be distributed periodically to every citizen. This dividend would be linked to the individual, not by virtue of employment (he could make extra revenue through employment) but by virtue of his being a human and a member of society.
The dividend would end the plagues of poverty in the midst of plenty, unemployment, surpluses, export wars and finally, shooting wars.
The dividend is the answer to Mr. Meany's (and society's) problem. Look to Social Credit, Mr. Meany!