First Published: The New Voice, Vol. II, No. 9, May 7, 1973.
Transcription, Editing and Markup: Paul Saba
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The California State Employees Association, a well-heeled company “union,” has many publications. One of them, the Newsmobile for Department of Motor Vehicle Workers, has apparently began a campaign against The New Voice. First they had their staff photographer write themselves a letter attacking The New Voice. (More on that in a later issue.) Their second shot was the cartoon reproduced below.
The cartoon raises an interesting point. To get The New Voice out to fellow workers, we have to distribute it outside state office buildings. But CSEA has a much easier time issuing its pro-boss propaganda. In many state office buildings, the state lets CSEA set up literature racks in cafeterias. After all, CSEA is merely a tool of the employer, the state administration, to mislead state workers.
There is another point about this cartoon. It portrays New Voice distributors as “spaced-out,” stupid people. (Incidentally, no one who works with The New Voice has a 500SL Mercedes.) If The New Voice “line” were as stupid as the cartoon pictures it, most state workers would not be interested. But we find that most workers are eager to read The New Voice. They know it is their newspaper – it speaks for their interests, and they are encouraged to join the fight for a better lot for employees.
But this cartoon in effect says that you are a fool to take a “radical” newspaper. CSEA leaders are showing their true attitudes to you, too.
We will continue to pass out The New Voice where we can; we will fight for the right to distribute it in other ways; and we are confident more state workers will join us to distribute copies among their fellow workers. Then what cartoon will the CSEA bosses run?
