Evening star., 1933-10-18
LABOR UNION CODE
MAY Be NEXT STEP
N. R. A. and Justice Depart
ment Officials Study Plan
to Stop Racketeering.
BY DAVID LAWRENCE.

A promise from organized labor that
it will not intimidate or coerce workers
who are unorganized may be the basis
for a new code that will be put before
labor unions under certain provisions Of
the national recovery act.
Study is being given to the plan by
of1cials Of the N. r. A. and the De-
partment Of Justice in the hope pri-
marily that 1t will be the means Of
stopping the inroads Of racketeers into
means of stopping the friction that has
produced countless strikes in the last
few weeks where there has been no ele-
ment Of racketeering but good deal Of
Misrepresentation as to what can or
canhot be done under the collective
bargaining provisions Of the national
recovery act.
The President is authorized under the
law to enter into agreements with
unions which are trade groups" in
every sense of the word. In order for
them to get the benefits of the law.
which includes collective bargaining
benefits. the President may call for the
acceptance of regulations prescribed by
the Federal Government One of these
would be an agreement or promise not
y
but to carry on their membership activ-
tiles in lawful and peaceful fashion.
Change in Views Expected.
It is taken for granted that most en-
ployerS who have recently been criti-
cizing the one-sidedness Of the N. r. A.
officials in handling the labor problem
would take a different view of the case
if they saw the labor unions restricted
as to coercion precisely as the employers
are. The N. r. A. has refused to allow
any suggestion of this kind to be incor-
porated in the codes themselves.
same solution without trying to interpret
collective bargaining the result would
be accepted by the employers as step
in the right direction.
Definite reasons other than the CO.
ersion tactics now being practiced by
legitimate unions are really the mott
waiting influence for the making of codes
for labor organizations. The Govern
ment has evidence that racketeers are
interfering with the proper functioning
OF labor unions. Thus folr well known
labor racketeers appeared at recent code
hearings and advised the Government
on how industry should be managed
They had the right as representatives
OF the labor unions Of which they have
taken possession to speak for those
unions. And the Government has the
corresponding right under the law to
md out from the membership whether
these leaders truly represent them.
This cannot be done unless the Govern
ment Is willing to extend protection to
the laboring men who are coerced into
accepting leaders who are not really Of
their choosing.
Tailors Feared Racleets.
Tailors testified at one hearing that
under the requirements Of the recovery
| law with respect to labor organizations
they might be subjected to rackets and
i predicted openly that such a result
might be expected unless the Govern
| ment dealt with the-situation firmly.
Philadelphia cleaners and dyers have
told Of threats to force them out of
business. A certain chain store in
| Florida and another in New York have
complained about threats from racket
! eers to force them to accept price
| Standardization. Forced payment OF
| dues to racketeer labor leaders is q
well established practice in - certain
| areas.
Can the Federal Government accom-
| plish anything without putting labor
unions under some form Of code regu-
| lation? Naturally the law-abiding labor
| leaders do not want such restrictions
But since the employers under the Blue
| Eagle accept regulation, the answer
made is that a code for labor unions
| too, is a natural corallary.
Copyright. 1889
|
| It pays to read the want columns Of
| The Star. Hundreds of situations arc