Union and Community (Reel 1, 1950)

[Music] this is Chester Pennsylvania situated near the middle eastern coast of the United States it's not a small City nor a large one population 135,000 main occupation of its people [Music] manufacturing there are many parts to Chester like the Main Street where everybody comes to shop [Music] the newer homes in an Ever growing Chester the older homes the housing developments where working people live and the children the future of Chester the churches an important part in the lives of Chester citizens churches of all denominations finally there are the factories where thousands of men and women make their [Music] living this is the Baldwin plant in this great Factory locomotives are made Steam and diesel engines which furnish power for railroads America and throughout the [Music] world here is where I [Music] work my name is Ed Orel I'm a turret lathe [Music] operator while that lathe turn a man's mind has a chance to turn to many thoughts my thoughts were turning to the Bloodmobile that was due to arrive the Red Cross Bloodmobile that was making its first visit to the Baldwin plant this was something new for [Music] unions for our Union had recruited the people at the plant who wish to make their blood donations I had arranged the event and in arranging it I'd been struck by an idea the idea that our union membership could do a lot for the community in many different ways I helped check the names of the donors most of them Union Men We organized this line of blood donors like we once had organized a picket line but now we weren't just fighting for ourselves we were giving to the community one man is a blood donor others could give give other services but just what services we could give wasn't clear to [Music] me until one night at a union meeting I heard about Community counselors Frank Ritter head of our CIO Council explained that this new committee would help people with their personal problems he asked for volunteers many of us volunteered to join the union had made Chester a better place in which to work why not make Chester a better place to live 12 the next day I was to start my studies in the Union School it seems strange for a grown man to be getting back to the classroom I never knew until those classes how much could be learned in so little time we learned to help unemployed get their jobless benefits we learned about the health and medical facilities in Chester about the nursing service and Technical AIDS available to working people without charge we learned of the voting district so we could help our neighbors to be better and more intelligent citizens we learned how money raised from the citizens for welfare purposes was divided yes we knew a great deal when the classes ended but our learning wasn't finished the social agencies building was the last step in our training course Frank Ritter personally took me through this part of the course Under One Roof were all these agencies the Red Cross the nursing Aid the family service the Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts I was going to find out about these services and meet the people in charge the first people we visited was the Chester Red Cross part of the Great International Organization the woman in charge explained how the Red Cross Blood Bank was used that reservoir of plasma ready for people who needed it in event of accident or illness there was a family service Mrs shelm could explain how it [Music] worked when a family was in distress because of poverty or ill health or child problems the family service assisted with advice and doctors and money [Music] now I had two jobs one with pay at the lath another without pay as a community counselor my idea about what a union could do in the community was now ready to go into action it wasn't long before I had my first test as a community counselor the plant superintendent approached me one night one of the men had been injured his leg had been caught by a steel beam [Music] Tony Alto was not too badly hurt but it did mean that he wouldn't be able to work for some time Tony was worried about the doctor bills and about the loss of pay I told him that the doctor bills would be paid from the fund established by the union and the employers several days later Tony was able to meet me at the union office here I helped him with a workman's compensation papers under state law a worker injured on the job is entitled to automatic compensation for the injury Tony gave me the information I [Music] needed I filled out the forms for him and now all he had to do was sign [Music] them when I left work the next day I thought about Tony and his family I felt the job wasn't done his doctor bills were paid and he would get his accident compensation but he did need some nursing care while at home so I thought I'd go see the nursing Aid Bureau in Chester the next day a visiting nurse and I called at Tony's home this nurse was another of the community services Tony's wife and child were a little surprised to see the nurse but by now they were getting used to the many services about which they had never known [Music] before with a child in the house to care for I knew Tony's wife would welcome the aid of a trained nurse to care for him Tony didn't quite know how to react to all this attention and kindness but down deep he was very grateful the nurse would be visiting him three times a week meanwhile I discovered new problems the weekly wage wasn't coming in Mrs Alto wanted to get a job but that was difficult unless something could be done to take care of the child during the day that was my next challenge the answer to Mrs alto's problem was the Chester day care center here working parents could leave their children during the day the surroundings were pleasant the people in charge well trained kind and intelligent and there were other children in games and playgrounds so that a child would be well cared for safe and [Music] Happy from the dayc Care Center we went to the state employment service to find Mrs Alto a job she was asked if she could type no could she sell no was there anything she could do yes she could cook and there was a need for her services in a restaurant so now Mrs Alto had a job and the family was tied it over an [Music] emergency I felt I'd done a good day's work I was rather pleased with with myself then [Music] suddenly the entire Community raced to Save a Life the grosser called for Aid the telephone operator sped the message the ambulance with a doctor hastened emergency aid the police assisted the injured to Save a Life in Chester [Music] in the hospital there was expert care doctors nurses there were also anxious moments for the parents and relief to see life return and to know that their child was in good hands [Music]