The Concerto of Deliverance

           OnOctober20,thesteelworkers’unionofReardenSteeldemandedaraiseinwages.

           HankReardenlearneditfromthenewspaper;nodemandhadbeenpresentedtohimandithadnotbeenconsiderednecessarytoinformhim.ThedemandwasmadetotheUnificationBoard;itwasnotexplainedwhynoothersteelcompanywaspresentedwithasimilarclaim.

           Hewasunabletotellwhetherthedemandersdidordidnotrepresenthisworkers,theBoard’srulesonunionelectionshavingmadeitamatterimpossibletodefine.HelearnedonlythatthegroupconsistedofthosenewcomerswhomtheBoardhadslippedintohismillsinthepastfewmonths.

           OnOctober23,theUnificationBoardrejectedtheunion’spetition,refusingtogranttheraise.Ifanyhearingshadbeenheldonthematter,Reardenhadnotknownaboutit.Hehadnotbeenconsulted,informedornotified.Hehadwaited,volunteeringnoquestions.

           OnOctober25,thenewspapersofthecountry,controlledbythesamemenwhocontrolledtheBoard,beganacampaignofcommiserationwiththeworkersofReardenSteel.Theyprintedstoriesabouttherefusalofthewageraise,omittinganymentionofwhohadrefuseditorwhoheldtheexclusivelegalpowertorefuse,asifcountingonthepublictoforgetlegaltechnicalitiesunderabarrageofstoriesimplyingthatanemployerwasthenaturalcauseofallmiseriessufferedbyemployees.