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| Labor Day |
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Labor Day will be observed by workers of Bridgeport as an opportunity to contribute a fighting weapon to the U.S. Navy in the form of a Corsair fighter plane, symbolic of the determined fighting spirit of the working people of this city. The plane, made by the Vought-Sikorsky plant of United Aircraft, will be purchased by contributions from men and women of the city's numerous labor, fraternal, and civic groups. Coordinating the groups which will raise the money to purchase the fighting ship are three labor union heads, Peter Benard, of the Bridgeport Central Labor Union; Joseph Julianelle, secretary of the Bridgeport Industrial Union Council, and Judson A. LaHaye, representative of the independent groups. They said yesterday that free American Labor will make labor's holiday this year the most notable in the nation's history, and will climax the event with the dedication of the "Corsair" fighter as an answer to Hitler's slave society. "This is to be the gift of a fighting Yankee community of industrial workers to the nation, to be presented on Labor day to the Navy with appropriate ceremonies," it was announced today by Gregory J. Bardacke, International organizer of the United Hatters who will assist in the drive for funds as head of the working committee's office forces at headquarters opened at 1024 Main Street." …All of the work of the fund-raising will be done by volunteer workers with all agencies of publicity cooperating under Labor's banner, as an expression of appreciation of the war effort of the factory fighters of this community, who have been the pacemakers of the nation's industrial activities to preserve democracy in the world…" (excerpted from Bridgeport Telegram, August 21, 1942, "Workers to Buy Warplane for Presentation to Navy." |