Evening star., 1934-03-21
Let the Courts Decide.

The right of industrial employees tc
employ collective bargaining and tc
organize in their own way, written
into the law of the land by Congress
in the national industrial recovery
act, is now brought squarely before
the courts for determination. The
Federal Government has sought ar
injunction against the Weirton Stee
Co, of Weirton, w. Va, claiming thai
this company sought to void the right
of collective bargaining by forcing g
union of its own making on its en-
ployes. Cool judgment, if it is ex-
ercised, will permit this test to be
made to determine just how far Con-
gress has gone, or may go, in the mat
ter of forcing employers to recog-
nize the organizations chosen by the
employees for the purpose of collective
bargaining. It is matter of tran
scendent Importance to both sides
The decision may we'll be awaited by
workers. A strike of great proper
tionS is threatened today in the auto
mobile industry over this very point
of union recognition-the right oi
labor to organize as it sees fit and its
right to engage in collective bargain
ing with its employers through its
chosen representatives. The dispute
also involves the method of deter
mining the will of the employees as to
what organization shall represent
them in collective bargaining. The
contending employers claim that even
though a majority of their employees
might choose the so-called company
union, the A. F. of L. is unwilling to
recognize that choice as required by
law.
President Roosevelt has called the
representatives of the automobile
manufacturers and of the unions
into conference, in an effort to
reach an adjustment and SO to
prevent a disastrous strike, disas-
trouS for the companies, for the
workers and for the general public
and bearing the threat of violence
and distress to many persons. The
charge is made by labor that the au-
tomObile manufacturers, in order to
meet in letter, if not in spirit, the
terms of the recovery act, have has
tened to form company unions. which
virtually take away from the en-
ployes the real right of bargaining
The same question is involved in the
suit which the Federal Government
has brought against Weirton Steel
If the automobile workers could bt
prevailed upon to await decision oi
this case by courts, or if the Govern
ment would bring similar suits, where
justified, against automobile COM
panies, q serious conflict may bt
averted.
The language of the recovery act
which has been variorsly interpreted
by labor and by the employers, ap
parently expressed the will Of Con
gress that employees should be fret
to engage in collective bargaining a!
they see fit. 1t says: Every code o.
fair competition, agreement anc
license approved, prescribed or is
sued under this title shall contain The
following conditions: That employees
shall have the right to organize anc
to bargain collectively through repre-
SentativeS of their own choosing, ane
shall be free from the interference
restraint or coercion of employers o.
labor, or their agents, in the designa'
ton of such representatives, or in self
organization, or in any other con-
certed activities for the purpose O.
collective bargaining or other mutua
aid or protection" There is further
provision that no employe shall b.
compelled to join a company unior
or be hindered from joining any or
ganization of his own choice.
Pending before Congress is thu
Wagner bill, which seeks still fur.
ther to assure the right, of the labol
union in all collective bargaining
The contest between labor and cap.
ital over the right of collective bar.
gaining for wages and hours of labor
is old; it dates from the beginning
of the industrial era. Gradually the
right of labor to such collective bar.
gaining has been recognized by
great part of industry itself. Thi:
recognition has been won in the paSt
not by pronouncement of law, but
by negotiation, strike and violence
where there has been no peaceful
settlement If this issue now can be
settled by law and by the courts
a great step will have been made, both
for capital and for labor.
There should be no long delay
permitted in the courts over this
vital question. Delay would not ACT
in the cause of justice. 1t would
serve merely as an irritant.
Tribute to DOUGLASS,