Great Falls daily tribune. [volume] (Great Falls, Mont.) 1895-1921, 1919-10-20
COLLECTIVE
BARGAINING
HAL IS WORK:
l entative Agreement
Reached Saturdays Shat
tered at Sunday Meet
ing.
Emloyers and Labor Men
Split; Former Want In
dividual Rights Given.

Washington, Oct. l9.-Solu-
ton of the difficulties seriously
threatening the life of the ma
tional industrial conference.
seemed more hopeless than ever
Sunday night after the confer
ence's central committee, in a
three-hour session, failed to con-
ciliate the differences between
the labor and employer wings.
The tentative agreement reached
Saturday or the vital question of col
lective bargaining was shattered at the
committee meeting when the employers
group insisted on adding to the substi-
fute resolution 4 clause declaring for the
right of employees and employers to
bargain individually" This clause was
rejected unquaiifiedy by the labor
delegates.
Previous to the Introduction OF the
individual bargaining clause an ap-
parent solution to the problem before
the conference had b,en reached The
original Russell EEdicott resolution. pro-
vlding for recognition of the right II
collective bargaining and the right Of
employees to choose their reserves nj
will was revamped, divided into four
sections and amended to read "rhe right
to organize into trade AMI iafor unions
shop and other industrial associations
Section Is Amended
The section granting to labor orsauiza-
tions the right IL choose reserves with
out restrictions was amended to read,
by representatives chosen by a majority
OF their own members
met with the approval of the labor and
public groups and some members of the
employers.
Later however the employers insisted
on the addition of fifth section. the
individual bargaining clause, which
promptly was vetoed by the labor group
This left the central committee again
deadlocked.
Two resolutions on collective bargain
ing were before the conference when
was taken Friday and I'M
less compromise is reached which is
improbable, each will be brought lip for
4 vote. The first proposition in order
will be the Wheeler resolution. sponsor
ed by the employers group and should
this be defeated or withdrawn. the Rus
sell Endicott measure would be next In
order
Delegates Pessimistic.
An air OF peSSfmlSm was evident when
the committee of Is adjourned its meet
ing, The differences between the en-
ployers and labor groups III the opinion
Of many OF the delegates seem ir-
reconciliable
Suggestions that the conference adopt
the new tactics and eliminate collective
from consideration temporar-
lily while considering other issues have
met opposition.
Many of the conferecs hold that the
cannot sidestep this i'm
portant issue of collective bargaining
and that it must be settled now, il the
conference is to accomplish anything.
The labor delegates are particularly
strong in their support of this view. Tn
ess the present deadlock can be broken.
many of the delegates were outspoken
n their belief that the conference May
Is well adjourn.
Submit Modified Version
At the meeting of a portion of the
central committee it was decided to sub
nit a modified version of the Russell
tndleott resolution to the labor and en-
lloyers groups, with a plea that the
measure be accepted tentatively and get
o the floor of the conference for vote.
The labor delegates were not present at
his meeting of the committee as they
we're attending 81 session of the executive
'ouncil Of the American Federation of
-abor
Both Elbert II, Gary, chairman of the
nited Steel corporation board, and Sam
TEL Gompers. president of the American
federation of Labor. are expected to be
iPpSent when the conference couxpues