Meta Fiction Short Story

Jeff Gordman was exhausted from the constant attacks. Despite being only 27, he looked like he was 40, with a receding hairline and wrinkles from constant stress. He tried to dress smart, public appearance was everything after all, but his only suit was worn and discolored. Nothing was going right for him lately, or even for the past two years. Jeff was the head of a union called the Radical Workers Union. Ten years ago, it was prospering, as the Great Depression made people thankful for the protection that a union gave them. His union had successfully fought for higher wages and shorter hours for its workers while most people were getting laid off. The members had celebrated the union then, but now things are different.

                To Jeff, it seems like everyone had forgotten what the union had done for them. Most people seemed to think that the company raised wages out of respect for the workers, or that they got time off because the company valued their health. Jeff knew differently. Every pay raise and concession that the workers got was a result of months of negotiations between the union and the company, yet the company got all the credit. When he asked some workers on the factory floor that morning what was the last thing your union did for you, he had hoped for comments about pay raises or safety records. Instead he was told that the last thing they remember was being forced to pay their dues. Jeff realized that despite all the union had done, it had lost the propaganda war and it had lost badly.

 But for today, Jeff was done with work. He turned on the television, and saw Joseph McCarthy giving a speech to the senate. He was waving a list that supposedly contained the names of politicians with communist ties. Jeff knew the list was bullshit, but McCarthy’s threat was very real. All it took was for someone to accuse you of communism, and public opinion would instantly turn against you. He had experienced this for himself. Jeff wanted to publicly announce that he had never been associated with the Communist party, but unfortunately the accusations against Jeff were not without merit. Years ago, he had been an active member of the communist party. He recalled one meeting with the Louis Budenz, managing editor for the communist party newspaper.

                Jeff had come into the meeting with Budenz, a gaunt old man, with a hairline that started on the top of his head, hoping to secure some good publicity for his success with a 12 cent pay raise. Budenz had insisted that they meet in his house rather than the union office, but it soon became apparent why. Jeff gave the story to Budenz, but Budenz was interested in more than a story. Budenz wanted to set up a secret deal. The newspaper would provide funding publish positive things about his union if Jeff agreed to have his union support a set of strikes. To Jeff the selection of products seemed strange. They were against steel manufacturing, plane building, and boat construction companies. Jeff was unsure of Budenz’s motives, but he really needed to get publicity, so he agreed. All his union would have to do was man some picket lines and provide support.

                On the television, McCarthy’s speech went on. He turned from politicians to organized labor. Unions were another favorite target of McCarthy, but Jeff wondered why this was part of a speech to congress, usually unions were attacked at a more local level. McCarthy went on speaking, and then called a witness up to expose communist meddling in organized labor. Jeff thought he was just going to call up another right-wing hack to decry communism, but to his dismay he saw Louis Budenz stroll on stage and begin to speak.

                “My fellow Americans, I have grave information on the insidious forces of communism that are attacking this country. I’m sure we all suspect that communists have penetrated deeper into our political system than the Communist party will tell us, and today I bring proof. I was lead editor at the Communist party newspaper for many years until I saw the evils of communism. With my high position I was trusted with top secret information coming straight from the head of the party, Moscow. As editor, I was instructed to meet with unions and exchange good publicity for participation in strikes and boycotts. What was the purpose of these boycotts? To hinder American industry and defense.”

Budenz pauses, there is tension in the air.

“In my hand I hold a record of every union that I ever arranged a deal to threaten American power with, I intend to distribute this list to the media at the closing of this hearing”

                Jeff stared in shock as Budenz showed the list to the television cameras. He prayed that Budenz was lying, that his union was not on that list. As camera started to zoom in on the list, Budenz put it down. Jeff would have to wait until the morning’s papers to discover his fate.

                The next morning, Jeff was up before his mail had arrived. He anxiously waited for the mail boy to come by. When he did, Jeff rushed out to get it. His face dropped as he read the headline. “LOCAL UNION IMPLICATED”, read the headline. What followed was a scathing story about the Radical Workers Union that played fast and loose with the facts. He read in disbelief as the article made wild claims. It claimed that the RWU had been secretly founded by the communist party and that it was run by the Soviets. Jeff saw his name appear in another article, the headline read: “Union leader Suspected of Espionage”.