The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1934-03-30
Bosses Urge Auto
SellOut Action as
Model for Strikes
Continued from Page y

the demagogy mixed into the Wag-
ner bill. Hartman took exception
specifically to the Illusion creating
clauses of the Wagner bill which
restate the collective-bargaining
and right-to-organi5e promises of
the NR.A. In other words, appar-
emily believing that the auto work.
ers will take the auto settlement
lying down, and that it will stick.
Want Promises Cut Down
Big business srrogantly rests upon
its machine guns and its company
unions, refusing to allow its govern
ment to make any more promises
which labor might fight to translate
into reality. Significantly, the
auto agreement principles are now
being offered to the New York taxi
strikers. 1t is common knowledge
in Washington that this is signal
that it will be used universally.
After Hartman testified, it was
also widely said that this about
ended the Wagner bill. Chairman
Walsh of the committee declined to
hazard any information about when
the bill might come out of commit
tee. Wagner himself, asked what he
thought Of general reports that the
bill is being strapped, replied I'M
certainly:
We'll, I don't think it will be
Of course, I'm only one man"
President Roosevelt himself told
the press during the auto negotis-
tons that he would press the Wag-
ner bill "if' he couldn't quickly
settle the auto dispute.
Hartman told the committee that
"if'' any new legislation is enacted,
it should be only amendments to
carry out 1.-The Presidents thought"
expressed in the auto settlement
that "industry's obligations are
clearly set forth. 1t is not too much
to expect organizations to observe
the same ethical and moral respon-
sibilities, even though not specifi-
cally in the statute (NIRA)"
More specifically this means that
the Presidents auto declaration be
used as the formula for putting
over the ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
works council" plan, giving COM
pany unions as we'll as bona fide
labor unions authority to speak for
workers in collective" bargaining"
and that, in addition, the employers
will make new raids against indie
pendent unionism under the cloak Of
putting down coercion" restraint"
and interference" with workers
preference" for company unions.
Against Communists
A special new drive against mill
tant unionism-under the red-scare
banner of putting down Communist
"sabotage"--is implicit in the new
policy; the resort to these methods
in the New York taxi strike may be
expected to be copied generally.
Hartman put it to the committee
this way: The employer has the
right to say that he will not open
his shop to, let us say, the members
of a Communist union
After Hartman testified, another
big business spokesman, Nelson w
Pickering, Connecticut manufacturer
speaking for the Industrial Associa-
ton of the Lower Naugatuck VAL
ley Of Connecticut, blandly quoted
as a survey by the open-shop Ma
tional Industrial Conference Board
which, Pickering said, shows that
As per cent of the workers prefer
company unions; IS per cent prefer
to make individual contracts with
employers; and but 10 per cent pre-
fer to be represented in their bar
gaining by the standard or national
unions"
Thus the driving of workers into
company unions which was carried
out by the most reactionary en-
ployers through their National or
carnations under protection OF the
section IA, becomes a process Of
the workers "preferring" company
unions-and the Roosevelt govern
ment today was set to stand behinc
this without even bothering to enaci
Ii into law.