The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1919-10-22
LABOR DUBIOUS
OF AGREEMENT
Capital is Calm and Deiiberative,
While Public Group Is ConcIiatory
on Collective Bargaining.

Washington, Oct. 19.-Labor i'm.
patient and chatting over delay, CAPT
tai cain and deliberative and disposed
to seek more time for discussion, and
the public group conciliatory and anx
ious to please both in order that
there may be no breakup in the in
dustrial peace conference on the very
first proiect-collective bargaining.
That's the situation as an adjourn
ment is taken over the weekend.
Analysing still further the attitude of
each of the three groups, it is also
true that labor is dubious in any
agreement skeptical of the intent of
the employers in asking for pro-
longed debate and inclined to stand
absolutely on the proposition as spon-
sored by the public and labor groups
The employers are not so doubtful
and believe an agreement can be
reached, provided labor alters its un-
compromising position. The public
group is really optimistic acnd conf
dent.
1t would seem that the disagree
ment is on phraseology, but each
group knows that the dispute goes
deeper than that. Yet there has been
progress in a week. The employers
are ready to recognize trade unions
That's a concession. But they want
shop industrial councils recognized
too. and the riht OF every employer
to deal with shop councils or trade
unions What the employers would
like is an entirely comprehensive
scheme for the adjustment of indus
trial relations giving the shop coun-
ell its part and the trade union its
part-invalidating neither and recog
nizing both At first sight this would
seem irreconcilable and the laboring
men are almost a unit in their belief
that nothing hut an absolute recogni-
ton of the right of men to organize in
trade unions is of value But labor
did nevertheless make an important
concession when it agreed to a clause
proposed by H. b Endicott of the pub
lie group to the effect that every in.
diyidual should have the right to re-
frain from poining a union and deal
ing separately with his employer
Inside the labor group there was
some dissatisfaction with the action
OF their spokesman in agreeing infor
mally to this, but in order to preserve
harmony. all the labor members stood
pat on the language of the resolution
containing that clause so that as il
went to the floor of the conference
r the right to be recognized in trade un-
ions was granted on the one hand and
. the right of an individual or group of
individuals to recognition as separ-
ate and distinct unit, apart from the
| unions themselves, also was recog-
nized. Therefore the employers ar
que that if the individual has a right
to refrain from entering a union and
2 TO make an individual agreement with
, his employer SO has group of indi.
|, yiduals organized perhaps in a shop
industrial council. And on their part
the employers steadfastly maintain
that the right granted to an employer
TO deal separately with non-member
of union also carries with # the
right to bargain with a group in his
shop and the refusal to deal with
shop council or trade union or both I
Eventually this point will be com
promised with the understanding that I
employers are Obliged to deal with /
any organization OF their employees .
whether II be a shop council or a
trade union. II is on the Introduction
OF Influences outside the shop that
the hitch comes The labor leaders
claim the workers in any plant can
bring in outside representatives such
as trade union officials Immediately
The employers would prefer to deal
directly with their own men The
compromise which is being discussed
would provide for Industrial councils
somewhat similar to those provided
by the Whitley plan in England but
would not permit the calling in of
outside representatives until an abso-
Iute disagreement had arisen between 4
the employer and his employee and
alter certain agreed upon processes of
adjustment had been exhausted. Thus
the labor union officials would come
/ in as sort of mediating influence
gradually until in the case of an an
soiutedisaereement, the employees
would be able to leave their case to
the trade union officials to work ou;
{ The responsibility of the empoye to
his shop would be maintained and the
contact between employer and EN- !
ploye would be unimpaired by any
outside influence. There would OF
course be no objection to afilation
with labor unions outside and to the {
exchange of information about shop {
conditions and wages, but on the 9th ]
Ier handFthe employer would face his I
men and arrange schedules OF wages
and hours and seek to obtain an agree 5
ment without the veXatious interfer- i
ence of the tactless walking delegate. /
Ihere are no doubt tactful walking q
delegates and reasonable labor lead.
ers, but the employers claim these Il
are more apt to he found higher up c
IN labor circles and not in the locals ]
and districts. They are seeking there 1
fore to thresh out their differences S
with their men and provide machinery \
for adjudication and then in the \
event of disagreement to bring in (
the higher officials of the unions.
Labor probably would not agree to :
such a process at the outset, but UNI /
less the American Federation of
Labor wishes to take the responsible =
ty for breaking up the conference. it
is unlikely that there will be serious
objection to an agreement on the alb
solute right to organize in trade I'M
ions or shop councils as the employees