The daily star-mirror. (Moscow, Idaho) 1911-1939, 1922-06-29

Some Employers Report Labor Turn
over Is Decreased by New System
Improvement Shown in Relations
Between Employer and Employee
Where Management and Men Have
Worked Together With Common
Interest in Experiment.
The national Industrial conference
board, representing large number
of the leading employers associations
in the country, recently announced
that survey just completed shows
that an increasing number of firms
are establishing some form of en-
ployee representation in their plants,
"and," the board added, with gen
orally favorable results" The ten
dency is not confined to any one sec
ton, it was said, as was shown by an
examination Of nearly 800 such plants.
'.7'he present study said a state
ment from the board, twas undertaken
In April, 1921, to furnish grounds for
estimating the value of employee rep
resentatiOn in industry on the basis
Of actual experience
"The report shows the sharp differ
ence between the plants where in
auguration was forced by war neces-
sity and those developed later by vol
untary action of the two parties con-
cerned, says the board. Most of the
Shop committees set up by the
national war labor board and the ship
building adjustment board have
ceased to function, the common ex-
PLANTATION given being that they were
imposed upon the plants by an out
side body, usually after a dispute be-
tween employer and employees, and
that neither side desired their estab-
lishment or was willing to give the
genuine cooperation necessary for q
fair trial of their possibilities.
Importance Of Cooperation.
"On the other hand, where manage
ment and men have worked together
with a common interest in the expert
ment practically every plant reports
an improvement in relations between
employer and employee, attributable
to the opportunity to come into direct
and intimate contact and to learn each
others ideas and difficulties. Increased
loyalty has been the result where en-
ployees have come to realize that they
are working with the management
rather than for them. The tendency
at first, so far as employees were
concerned, was to cOnfine their efforts
70 the adjustment Of complaints and
personal grievances, but under intelli-
gent guidance and interest on the part
Of management, broader understand
ing Of the questions involved has been
developed in the employee representa-
tives, who have been able to an In
creasing degree to make satisfactory
adjustment Of such minor disputes be-
tween foremen and employees.
Suggestions made by employees
with reference to their work may be
divided into two main groups those
which would improve working condi-
tious and those which would increase
The former, such as the
installation of a new drinking foun-
are relatively easy to secure. The
latter, based on the practical knowl- (
edge and experience of employees, will
be advanced only when employees
have confidence in the fairness of
where reduction in wages or in !
force or change In working |
schedules has been necessary, the |
boards report shows that in plants |
which had used their works councils |
as means Of keeping the representa-
how NJ
Informed Of the business outlook, both |
FOR the country as a whole and for
their individual concerns, the en-
ployees understood the need for such
changes and acQufesced with much
less dissatisfaction and Ill feeling than I
wcdld otherwise have beer shown.
Attitude Of Foremen.
zone chapter in the report il de-
voted to the attitude of fOremen to-
ward works councils, and another to
he effect Of councils on relations be-
ween foremen and employees. Re
,orts regarding their attitude were re-
,eived from 40 plants. In 1862 Of
hese 1t was stated that their fore
men had been In favor of the plan
TOM lLS luC0pL1Ou LII u Lucy u8O
egarded it with disfavor at first, but
Ger had come to see it's effectiveness
)nly 10 reported continued indiffer-
nee to the plan. These figures show
hat the majority fell In with the idea
It once, while those whose approval
anne later were fearful at first that
Of work councils would
nean curtailment Of their author
", especially where the council was
I the committee rather than the In
ustrial democracy type.
'sThe last part Of the report is CIV
a over to employers opinions AZ
. the value of works councils in In
ustry. These show that much de-
ends on the manner Of their installa-
lon and the sympathetic attitude and
o-operation Of both management and
vorkers. The Importance Of continued
,terest on the part Of employers as
ell as employees is emphasized.
Works councils have been found Of