Montana labor news., 1934-06-14
Wagner Bill Rushed
as Strikes Spread

WASHINGTON. - (FP) Badly
scared by the general bitterness shown
in recent strikes, the administration is
pushing the new Wagner labor dis
putes bill to the front again. No pan
acea for strikes is seen in the meas
ure, but it is felt that the strike wave
has convinced hitherto recalcitrant en-
ployers that some permanent machin-
cry is necessary to check strikes be-
fore they start and to bring about ar
bitration where possible.
Both President Roosevelt and Cen
eral Johnson, NRA administrator, gave
their blessing to the bill after an
nouncement that agreement had been
reached on its final form. Johnson told
the press emphatically May Is that the
bill to be reported was in the form
approved by Secretary Of Labor Per
kins, NRA Counsel Donald Richberg,
Senator Wagner and himself and
should be passed. Roosevelt the same
day said hat legislation of the type
of the Wagner bill would be very help
full and he hoped it would go through
at this session. The president, who
said he was following the strike situa-
ton closely, declared that the Wag-
ner bill would help to clarity proceed
ure in dealing with labor matters and
define authority.
That the administration has taken
a very serious view of the recent
strikes there is no question. 1t is also
apparent that it feels these outbursts
should convince the more autocratic
employer that their interests lie in
acceptance OF machinery designed to
check strikes even if this may slightly
infringe on their ideas of running
their WI business"
At the same time, the administration
would like to check the impression
given by general strike moves that $50
lated disputes are developing into a
general class struggle. Efforts have
been made to put across the idea that
the Minneapolis and Toledo situations
do not represent any indiscriminate
rebellion but are isolated actions di-
rected against Individual firms, and re-
sulting from dissatisfaction with in
dividual politicians. An analogy has
e been made with the recent
French political situation, where it is
claimed there has been no general rev
dictionary feeling but only disgruntle-
ment with certain definite politicians.
Behind these arguments is the fear
that this may not continue to be the
case, wen if it really is now. The
development Of isolated and small
strikes into general movements involv-
ing a great part Of the working pop
%ulation, seems to point an opposite
moral-and Washington wants to be
prepared to deal with the possibilities
OF more widespread rebellion.
1t is in this situation that the new
Wagner bill becomes the center Of at
tention. According to the announce
ment Of Chairman Walsh Of the SEN
ate Labor Committee on May rs, the
new measure is to be known as the
industrial adjustment act" 1t is to
establish a permanent adjustment
board, which would take the place
OF the present National Labor
Board, the new boards junction,
Walsh said, would be judicial and fact
finding in character, dealing with ques-
tons Of representation for collective
bargaining and not with wages and
hours.
The board will have to determine
which OF the competing groups is to
represent the workers in a given case
IA for instance, decide between
union and company union. 1t ma or
der an election, according to Walsh, if
unable to decide otherwise.
Both Walsh and Johnson made it
clear that the new measure does not
outlaw the company union, though
Walsh said it was opposed to com
pany-dominated' unions. Johnson said
that the bill does not say that the
company union is invalid" but that he
interprets it as establishing the ma
jority principle for representation.
Walsh claimed that the bill does not
include compulsory arbitration, as the
board would have no initiative powers
to this end; and that arbitration
could be provided only if all parties
agreed to it.
Defining the limits Of employers
rights to influence their workers or
ganization, Walsh said that if 'agita-
tors" attempt to organize Russian
lied unions employers may make sug-
gestions to their workers against such
organization, but may not "coerce"
them in the matter.