Evening star., 1934-03-26
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MARYLAND and Virginia.
Memher nf fhe Assnciated Press
Justice and Common Sense.

The agreement between the auto
mobile plant employers and their
workers to settle their controversies
without strike is a signal victory
for President Roosevelt and for the
country. The President and Gen.
Hugh Johnson are to be congratulated
for engineering the consultation, and
the workers and the employers for
having the common sense and the
patriotism to come to the agreement.
They avoided disastrous conflict in
industry that might have affected
hundreds of thousands of workers
and led to strife in other industries.
The formula which has been agreed
upon for the settlement Of the diff
ferences between the automobile
workers and their employers hews
strictly to the line of the right of
the workers to join any labor organ
ization they desire, and through that
organization or organizations to en-
gage in collective bargaining. 1t is a
just agreement. 1t cares for the
rights Of the minority as well as for
the rights of the majority.
The peace which has been achieved
through the good Offices Of the Presi-
dent and Gen. johnson is peace
without victory" in the view of Will
liam Green, president Of the American
Federation of Labor. Mr.. Green in
commenting upon the agreement said
that neither side had won. 1t may
be the more lasting for that fact.
If common justice can be done the
workers and the employers that is all
that can be asked. The strife between
the employees and the employers in
the automobile industry has arisen
over the demand of the labor unions
that they be permitted to organize
in those Industries and the resistance
of the employers to these demands.
Under the agreement the employers
acknowledge freely the right Of the
workers to organize and to engage in
collective bargaining. The employees
are to have the right to form such
groups and unions as they see fit, and
there is to be no coercion on the part
Of employers or on the part Of the
labor unions. If the plan can be
carried out-and it can't will mean
a real victory for the freedom of labor.
The agreement goes into much de-
tail, fortunately, and does not leave
many important points to be settled
in the future. 1t does not content
itself with merely laying down the
principle of collective bargaining and
the right of free choice of unions and
representatives. 1t provides that pay
rolls and lists of the unions are to be
submitted to the board which is to
be set up Immediately to adjust the
differences. Neither side in the con-
troversy wished to give up its rolls
But it was clear that justice could
not obtain otherwise. The agreement
calls for proportionate recognition of
the various unions, if there should be
more than one, in collective bar
gaining.
With both sides determined to stick
by their own demands, an agreement
to settle their differences amicably
and through conference and the min
istrations of board was difficult.
The result is victory for cool heads,
for common sense and for justice.
II the formula now worked out for
adjustment of differences between the
workers and their employers is sue
cessful in the automobile industry
every reason exists why it should be
applied when controversies arise in
other industries. 1t may not be a
panacea, but it gives hope of solving
at least one phase of the age-old
problem of the relations between
labor and employer by exercise OF
the right of recognition and of col
lective bargaining.