United labor bulletin., 1914-07-25
GOVERNOR WALSH
SIGNS LABOR LAW
Is First legislature to Enact
Anti-hjunCtiOn Measure
Massachusetts, Takes Advanced Posi-
tion That There Are No Property
Rights in Worker Labor Power

Governor Walsh if Massachusetts, has
signed the anti-injunction bill recently
passed by both branches of the Massa-
chusetts Legislature, and that state is
the first in the Union to place in its
code democratic and modern ideals rela-
tive to personal rights.
The theory that property rights are
supreme is overthrown, and the position
SO insistently maintained by the Amer
ican Federation of Labor is sustained in
an act that draws a clear line between
workers and the products of their labor
and sweeps aside the dictum that one
man has property right in another's
services.
Attorney General Boynton failed to
find anything unconstitutional about the
anti-injunction bill, and in response to
an inquiry by the State Senate, said:
The bill eontemplates a radical change
in our law and a new departure in the
public policy of the commonwealth but
the right OF property to the protection
of the writ of injunction is a statutory
right and is not guaranteed by the con-
stitution. The result of my examination
Of authorities in connection with your
inquiry is that 1 do not find that the
bill is obnoxious TO any constitutional
provision"
Bill of Rights for Labor.
In urging the passage OF the bill Sem
ator Sheehan said: .-rhe American Fed
Grafton OF Labor is only asking in this
bill the right it supposed its members
always had in this state-freedom of
speech and the right to meet in lawful
assembly,
The new law is as follows:
IAN act to make lawful certain agree
ments between employees and laborers,
and to limit the issuing of injunctions
in certain cases.
| BE it enacted by the Senate and
House of Representatives in general
court assembled, and by the authority
of the same, as follows:
Section l. 1t shall not be unlawful
for persons employed or seeking employ
ment to enter into any arrangements,
agreements or combinations with the
view of lessening the hours of labor or
OF increasing their wages or bettering
their condition; and no restraining or
der or injunction shall be granted by
any court of the commonwealth of Mas
sachasetts or by any judge thereof in
any cause between an employer and en-
ployes, or between employers and en-
ployes, or between persons employed and
persons seeking employment, or involv-
ing or growing out of dispute concern
ing terms or conditions OF employment,
or any act or acts done IN pursuance
thereof. unless said injunction be neces-
sary to prevent irreparable injury to
property or to a property right of the
party making the application, for which
there is no adequate remedy at law;
and such property or property right
must be particularly described in the ap-
plication, which must be sworn to by
the applicant or by his agent or attor-
ney-
In constituting this act the right to
enter into the relation of employer and
employe, to change that relation and to
assume and create a new relation for
employer and employe, and to perform
and carry on business in such relation
with any person in any place, or to do
work and labor as an employe, shall be
held and construed to be a personal and
not property right In all cases in
volving the violation of the contract of
employment by either the employe, or
employer, where no irreparable damage
is about to be committed upon the prop
erty or property right of either. no in
junction shall be granted, but the
parties shall be left to their remedy at
law.
Specific Exemption Clause.
Sec. 2. No person or persons who
are employed or seeking employment or
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