Evening star., 1934-03-16
JOHNSON OFFERS
AUTO PEACE PLANS
Proposes Two Courses to
Avert Strike That Would
Hamper Recovery.
Continued From First Page.)


week, hampering the best production
year the industry has experienced
since 1929 and setting an example to
labor in other lines.
The automobile strike threats were
only part of Johnson's troubles. He
was listed as a witness before the
Senate Labor Committee on the Wag-
ner bill, designed to strengthen the
Labor Board against just such con-
tingencies as it now faces. Whether
he would have time to appear was
doubtful.
A prediction that continued evasion
of the labor provisions of the recovery
act will breed revolt" was given the
president of the United Mine Work
ers of America.
Lewis said "the continued denial
and wretched evasion" of the COL
lective bargaining clause of the recov-
cry law has caused unrest and will
breed revolt apart from any question
of wages"
Would Ban Company Unions.
The bill, by Senator Wagner. Dem
ocrat. of New York, would outlaw
company unions and make permanent
the Labor Board, of which he is chair
man.
Labor, Lewis said, understood that
In return for suspension OF the anti
trust laws industry would recognize
the right of employees to organize. but
was deeply grieved because of the
bad faith evidenced in the attitude of
major employers.
were singled out by him for particu-
lar criticism as to their attitude
toward labor. He said they were
willing to take all the benefits of the
N. r. A. but still denied equality of
bargaining power to labor.
The only unions in the steel in
/, dustry. Lewis told the committee. are
! company-d y-dominated ones. He cited
testimony to the Labor Board as evi-
dence of violations of the recovery act
by the automobile industry.
He said this evidence showed COM
pany unions were organized in the
automobile industry to prevent COL
lective bargaining and disclosed re-
peated instances Of coercion, intimi-
dation and discrimination against
employees who intended to join other
organizations.
Rail Groups to Meet.
Representatives Of a million rail-
road workers prepared to meet this
afternoon with rail managers on a
proposal for continuing the present
| 10 per cent wage cut until April 30,
1895.
! The managers withdrew their pro-
jected IS per cent cut plan. Labor
leaders suggested a suspension of ne
gotiations until January.
johnson also had today another
hitch to untangle in his proposed
hour shortening plan. A special COM
mfttee Of code leaders suggested that
real compliance with the codes had
to come first, and that each industry
should work out its best possible con-
tribution to further Unemployment.
The committee report. signed by
George A. Sloan, head of the cotton
textile code authority. and IL other
mdustrialists, proposed that qualified
code authorities be given power to
punish violators; that. Government
compliance staffS be enlarged and
that "wilful and deliberate" violations
be stamped out without delay.
Charge IA Violations.
Green and Father Francis ]. Haas
also member of the board, testified
to the Senate committee yesterday
regarding huge increase in the num-
Der Of company unions since the ma
tional industrial recovery law went
into effect less than a year ago.
Their argument was that this was
evidence that the employers were at
| tempting to evade the famous section
! las provision that workers should
have the right to organize as they saw
fit and bargain collectively through
representatives of their own choosing
without coercion by employers.
Father Haas directed himself espe-
cially to the troubles with the COM
pany unions.
THE improperly of the company
union" he said, lis clear when it is
remembered that the typical company
union scheme requires workers to
chose as their bargainers persons
who are paid. in whole or in part, by
| the employer with whom the workers
case is being bargained.
Recent Case Recalled.
I'm recent case before the Ma
tional Labor Board, involving over
1000 employees, the labor adjustor
and the two attorneys for the workers
received half of their compensation
from the company and half from the
employees"
Meanwhile, another outgrowth of
! the company union issue was quietly
developing at the Justice Department
There 1t was made known that q
decision virtually had been reached
to seek an injunction to prevent the
We1rton Steel Co. from interfering
with a proposed election at which
employees would select representatives
for collective bargaining.
Green used the Weirton case tc
bolster his argument against company
interference in labor matters and the
formulation Of company unions before
the Senate Committee. Advocating
the passage of the Wagner bill he de-
| clared Ernest T. Weir, president o1
the steel company, should be branded
! a public enemy" and that he stands
| as challenge to the Government"
Confirms Priests Story.
Green also cited instances Of mer
serving as labor representatives ir
! disputes who were paid in part or ir