Norwich bulletin. [volume] (Norwich, Conn.) 1895-2011, 1919-01-16
Claims Power Of War
Labor Board Is Over
Bethlehem Steel Company
Has Refused to Carry
Out Agreements on That
Plea.

Washington. Jan. 15-The author
tlF OIL the National War Labor Board
70 enforce its DEGREES now that hos
tllities have ceased was challsnged
eooay by counsel for the Bethlehem
ateel Company who had been askc d
10 appear to answer complaints that
AWARDS made by the board during the
"dr mad not been carried out.
JOINT Chairman Taft, of the board
questioned the good faith of the com
pany and said its present attitude
"colors the whole situation with a
sense of injustice which makes one
yearn for judicial power 10 compel
compliance" He added that fhe
board did not have this power, but
would meet Saturday with employees
| representatives to determine what
there is possible to be done in this
| situation"
Representatives Of machinists and
electricians employed by the Bethle-
hem Company complained that awards
of back pay were not carried out ard
that men who complained through
the plant committees established H.
the board We're discharged.
Our position is that the award does
not apply today" said Guy Currier cf
| Boston, attorney for the company
IiiOuSII uuI1uS lllG WAL we were Pre-
pared to accept anything the board
recommended. We don't feel now thai
| this board can go on adjusting Sriev-
ances between employees and manage
ments OF the industrial plants
Chairman Taft read a letter which
tie board received last September
from Z. G.. Grace, president of the
! Bethlehem company, who expressed
| Willingness to enforce the award and
| allow the men to organize commit
tees. He said. however, that the pay
rnent of the back wages under the in
cTeases would be contingent upon the
readiness of the war and navy de-
partments to increase the payments
to the company for the production o.
slunitions.
'Now doesn't the Bethlehem com.
pany intend to show any good faitf
with the board?' Mr.. Taft demanded
You entered into the agreement L
enforce the award in this letter.
don't consider that your present atti
tude shows good faith. You intend t.
t1out what has been done'
Attorney Currier objected to tn,
construction placed upon the actor
of the company by Mr.. Taft He sal;
the war and navy departments haC
not allowed increased payments OF
the company's war contracts and ask
&c that a special section of the boar,
be appointed to investigate the mat
. ter.
Attorney Currier said the Bethle
hem company was laying off larg
numbers of men and that the produc
ton of munitions which was its prin
cipal business had stopped He sat
members of the shop committees ere
ated by the board had not been dis
charged in larger numbers than ha
other employees.
''This is a very painful situation t
me" Chairman Taft said in adjourn
ing the session. we wish to secur
/ what these workers are entitled t
have under our previous award Tn
present attitude of Mr.. Grace and hi
company in refusing to accept ats
what has been done colors the whol
; situation with a sense OF injustic
= which makes one yearn for judicia
power to compel compliance. but thi
board has not that power. I declar
this meeting adjourned now TO NEE
5 on Saturday with ,the employees rep
, resentatives to determine as nearly I,
. we can what the@ is possible to b
GOnp in this Sit1Ia ti011 "