Labor Standards and the Cold War - Hon. James P. Mitchell - Address to the Spur Society of St. Peter's College

Sep 29, 2026

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A 1955 address by Secretary of Labor Hon. James P. Mitchell to the Spur Society of St. Peter's College, Jersey City, reflecting on Pope Leo XIII and Pope Pius XI and linking Catholic social teaching to labor-management relations during the Cold War. The speech contrasts mutual agreement in collective bargaining with perpetual conflict, and condemns forced labor behind the Iron Curtain. It emphasizes God-centered human dignity as the basis for social harmony and calls attention to economic laws, propaganda, and international responsibility.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryHealthcare

FormatPDF

Pages68

Reading Time2 h 51 min

AccessFree to download

Labor Standards and the Cold War

Introduction and award

Catholic social teaching and social order

Capital and labor

Cold War pressures and international labor conditions

atholicMino # THE ARTICLES AND ADDRESSES Labor Standards andthe Cold WarHon.James P.Mitchell 321Catholic Church on Separa-tion and Civil DivorceBishop MacKenzie328Medical IdealsJournal of the A.M.A. 337Anti-Minority and PressureGroupsHarwood L.Childs 340In Praise of Study ClubsTelegraph-Register351Plight of the RefugeesMsgr.E.E.Swanstrom 352Point Four ProgramCharles H.Lee359DOCUMENTATION Crime and PunishmentPoPE Pius XII36453rd YEAR OF PUBLICATIONAn America Press Publication # FROM OUR EXPERIENCE we know THE VERY BEST WAYto advertise a magazinea sample copyis to send the wavering subscriber # FROM YOUR EXPERIENCE you know who needs to receivea copy ofTHE CATHOLIC MIND We need your experienceYou can help others and help us ACT NOW!You might not do it later—Please send names and addresses toCirculation ManagerThe Catholic Mind,70 East 45th St.,N.Y.17 THE NO.1110 VOL.LIII # Labor Standards and the Cold War THE Hon.JAMES P.MITCHELLSecretary of Labor Address to the Spur Society of St.Peter's College,Jersey City,N.J.,March 20,1955 o SAY that I feel honored to who have honored me by being join the ranks of the distin-present this evening,my heartfelt guished men who have received theRerum Novarum Award,would beThere is no doubt that Pope Leoan understatement.The highestXIII is one of the most importantcompliment a Catholic can receivefigures of the modern era.He be-is to be told that he has lived upcame Pope at a crucial period ofto the principles set forth in theChurch history,and when he diedgreat encyclicals of Pope Leo XIIIin 1903,he was acclaimed theand Pope Pius XI.I accept thefounder of a new age in Catholicaward with humility,for to actu-history.Because he attacked theally match this standard is to matchproblems of modern society withthe highest standard of Christianeternal principles based upon thesocial action.divine law,his tcachings are as per-May I extend to you,Father tinent today as they were in theShanahan,to the Spur Society,tolate 19th century.Perhaps the great-all who have made this award pos-est of his achievements was thesible,and to my very good friendssetting down of the Christian con- thanks. cept of the social order.This con- the field of labor-management rela- cept is expressed magnificently in tions.As collective bargaining has the great encyclical Rerum No-continued to expand in content and scope,it has tended to take on thecharacter of labor-management co-operation.And collective bargain-ing is based upon the principle of"mutual agreement."More andmore our great labor unions and in-dustries are becoming acquaintedwith each other's problems.Theybring to the bargaining table aknowledge of both sides of labor.management questions,and throughbargaining sessions,they come upwith solutions equitable to bothsides. varum. Basically,Pope Leo rejected allplans and theories which sought toestablish a social order withoutrecognizing the existence of God.He refuted the black-and-white the-ories of Socialism,which laterbranched into modern Communism—theories that reduce men to con-licting classes,filled with hate foreach other.He claimed,rather,thatman receives his dignity from God,and that when he accepts God,classwarfare disappears,and hate is re-placed with love. On the other hand,the Pope said,"perpetual conflict necessarily pro-duces confusion and savage bar-barity ...”Today it is estimatedthat behind the Iron Curtain aminimum of 5 million men andwomen are at work in forced laborbattalions.The function of theseworkers has been reduced belowthat of animals.They are purelyand simply tools.When they“wearout,"they are tossed aside like abroken machine.They have little tohope for.No recognition is giventhem for the work they do.Theyare fed only as much as is neces-sary to keep them working.Theyhave no freedom.They have notimefor recreation—only work.They are the lost souls of the mod.ern world,and they exist—not live—in that hate-infested area mis. CAPITAL AND

FAQs

Who delivered the address and when was it given?

The address was delivered by Hon. James P. Mitchell, Secretary of Labor, on March 20, 1955.

What does the speech identify as the basis for effective labor-management relations?

It highlights collective bargaining grounded in “mutual agreement,” where both sides understand each other’s problems and reach equitable solutions.

How does the speech describe labor conditions behind the Iron Curtain?

It estimates forced labor by millions, describing workers as reduced below the level of animals, used for relentless work without freedom or recreation.

Sep 29, 2026

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