Montana labor news., 1933-06-15
Green enounceSM anufactur Association
for Opposing Labor Sections Of RecoveryAct
F. L.. President Declares Notorious Anti Union
Employers Group, Closely Organized, Wants to
Hog the Benefits of the Bill for Themselves and
Then Victimize Workers by Preventing Them
from Organizing Into Effective Trade Unions.


WASHINGTON. - William Green,
president of the American Federation
of Labor, administered a singing re-
buke to the National Association of
Manufacturers for their malignant OPP
position to the labor sections of the
National Industrial Recovery Act as
adopted by the House of Representa-
tives.
The provisions which drew the at
tack Of the anti-union manufacturers
association provide that the codes de-
veloped under the act shall guarantee
the right of the employees to organize
and bargain collectively through rep
resentatives of their own choosing,
without interference from employers,
and that no employee shall be required
to join a company union or refrain
from joining a labor organization as
the price of a job.
"The opposition of the Manufactur-
ers' Association to the labor sections
of the Industrial Recovery Act" Mr..
Green said, "places it in a most sell
fish as well as a most inconsistent
position.
Glaringly Inconsistent.
"They are consistent only in their
traditional opposition to the exercise
of the right of the workers to organ
ize into bona fide trade unions. Their
position is glaringly inconsistent be-
cause while they are willing to ac-
cept the provisions of the Industrial
Recovery Act, which confer upon them
the right to organize, to fix prices and
to compel any employer who refuses
to conform to their price-fixing ar
rangement to do so or forfeit his
right to engage in industrial produc-
ton, they seek to deny their own
workers the right to organize and
bargain collectively.
"The Manufacturers Association is
willing that its members shall exer-
else the right to organize, to establish
a closed shop, so far as employers are
concerned, under the protection of the
Government, but they are unwilling to
accord to labor the right to organize
and to be represented by representa-
tives of their own choosing. Such a
position is indefensible.
at is inconceivable that Congress
would grant to employers the right
to fix prices, through a closed or
ganization of employers, and deny
their workers the right to organize
and be represented by representatives
of their own choosing.
"They loudly proclaim devotion to
the so-called open shop principle. The
facts are they favor a shop closed to
union labor.
Company Union Failure.
"The failure of the company union
which they profess to favor and pro-
tect has been clearly proven over and
over again.
"In practice the company union is
a creature Of a corporation or of the
owners of industry. In dealing with
a so-called company union the COM
pany simply deals with itself. Such a
form of organization is unrepresenta-
tive and can in no sense be regarded
as a bona fide organization of work.
ers capable of engaging in collective
bargaining.
'The people of the Nation and par
ticularly the masses of the people
have an opportunity to understand
the attitude of the Manufacturers
Association, through it's opposition to
the labor sections of the Industrial
Recovery Act, toward organization of
working people, collective BARGAINING
and trade agreements.
Keep Workers Unorganized.
"They are willing that Congress
shall confer upon them full authority
to organize and to compel their fell
low manufacturers to join their or
~ganization and observe its price fix
ing set-up, to reap all the benefits
that come from such a closed organi-
cation and such a price-fixing ar
rangement, but they advise Congress
and the Nation that they insist upon
enjoying a further advantage by keep
ing their workers u~norganized, help
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