Evening star., 1933-07-30
FIGHT PROMISED
DIVERSIFIED CODE
Company Union System Yer.
sus A. z. l. One Of Big
ParIey Issues. 49,
BY MARK SULLIVAN.

BY MARK SULLIVAN.
With the hearing on the steel code
beginning tomorrow, there will come to
the front that feature Of the industrial
recovery act which is most subject to
controversy, and carries the largest
possibility Of momentous consequences.
To understand what will emerge, 1t
is necessary to bear in mind that this
has nothing to do with the universal
temporary code now being ADOPTED. It
has to do with the permanent codes for
separate industries which are to super
sede this temporary one. It has MOTH
ing to do with wages and nothing to
only q choice between the open shop
and organized labor. and second q
choice between two methods by which
labor may be organized.
The question will come up also In
connection with the automobile manu-
featuring code, to hurry which Gen
Hugh s. johnson made an airplane trip
last week TO Detroit. Automobile manu-
facture has been an open shop" In
dustry and Detroit an "open shop" city
The matter will come up more definitely
however, in connection with the steel
code.
Labor Provision Words.
The labor provision of the industrial
recovery law-not the present voluntary
blanket code, but the law enacted by
Congress-reads as follows:
Every code shall contain the
following conditions: Cd That en-
"a hn vtvt1 %N ,tve
and bargain collectively through repre-
sentatives Of their own choosing, and
shall be free from the interference, re.
straint, or coercion Of employers.
(2) That no employe and no one seeking
employment shall be required as q con-
dition Of employment to join any com.
pany union or to refrain from joining
organizing, or assisting q labor organi-
zation OF his own choosing"
It will be observed the law does moi
bar the "open shop" It merely say.
that employees shall have the right te
organize" and that employers shall MOI
III any way interfere.
The code prepared by the steel indus.
try contains that provision verbatim
as 1t must. However, it adds the fol.
lowing In the nature Of comment: Thl
steel code asserts that 1t believes" ir
the superiority Of the open shop sys.
tenn. The steel code asserts. however
willingness Ito deal directly . viii
employees collectively" Then the stee
code describes what Is known as thl
company union" form Of organiza.
ton and asserts that the company
union" system should be maintained
without interference, restraint o.
coercion"
Labor and Company System
What is back of this distinction Is 9
contest between the American Fedora.
ton of Labor, and on the other hanc
the company union system. The A. r
of L. stands for unions organized BY
the federation on q Nationwide basi.
and dealing with employers from out.
side. The company union" Is the sys-
TEN In which employees Of q company
are organized as q unit standing alone
with men employed by the company
heading the union and acting Is it
spokesmen.
It is mainly between these two sys-
TENS that the battle viii be. It will be
observed that the law permits either
Realizing this, both sides. soon after
the law was passed, began q race to, as
Gen. johnson expressed 1t, beat the
gun" The Il. F. Of L. was IN june
at probably its lowest ebb Of member
ship, power and funds. Instantly
seeing opportunity in the new law
trained organizers went through the
country organizing unions as branches
Of the A. F. Of L. It Is alleged that
some organizers gave to laborers the
impression that It was obligatory On
them to join In order to get the bene-
fits the industrial recovery act. At
one time, johnson publicly let 1t be
known that this Is not 30.
At the same time, 1t is likewise al
legged, companies began to stimulate
among their employees the company
union" type Of organization as q de-
tense against the activity OF the A.
F. Of L.
The attitude OF Gen. johnson Is one
CT strict neutrality The attitude OF
the law is one of strict neutrality. Gen
johnson in this as in all matters,
stands rigidly on the law. The law
does not even bar the open shop" 1t
merely gives employees the right to Or
ganize. If employees do organize, the
law makes no distinction between the
A. F. Of L. type Of organisation on q
national scale, and the company
union" type Of local organization.
Every one realises that . deep-reach-
ing controversy will begin next week
Indeed. beneath the surface 1t has al
ready been under way.