The times-news. [volume] (Hendersonville, N.C.) 1927-current, 1934-07-27
STREICH-OUT
CASE IS test
Cotton Textile Relations
Body Has Biggest Prob
lem on Hand
The Tirnes-Ncws Bureau
Cir Walter Hotel

RALEIGH, July 27.--The most
difficult decision the State Cotton
Textile Industrial Relations board
has yet faced is now before it IN
connection with the strikes in the
Union Mills and the Monroe Mills.
in Monroe, since in making its
decision in this case the board
must decide just what the So
called "stretch-out'', system is and
whether or not it is permissible
under. the cotton textile code,
Chairman Theodore S. johnson of
the State board said here today.
"There is no doubt that if there
is any such thing as the "strech-
out" system that an attempt to
put this system in effect in the
Monroe and Union mills was the
cause Of the strike or walkout
there Johnson said. "The mill
management frankly admits that
it either had to increase, the
amount of work done by employees
CT else close the mills entirely.
The workers in one of the mills
at first agreed to the increase in
work at the same rate of pay,
but the workers in the other mill
did not. Then the workers who
at first had agreed to the stretch.
out plan decided not to accept it
and they walked out, too, evident
w to see what our board and the
national labor board in Dashing-
ton would do about it. We are
now studying the matter and ho9-
ing to be able to render a deci-
sion soon."
Under Section II Of the cotton
textile code, the matter of the
amount Of work to be done by,
employees is left for settlement
between the mill management and
the workers, evidently on any ba-
sis upon which they can agree
Johnson pointed out. Thus if the
management of one mill is able
to reach an agreement with It's
weavers for one weaver to han
die nine looms instead of seven,
or eight looms instead of six, re-
CARELESS of the. system employed
in other mills. then that agree
ment is entirely legal and binding
under the code, Johnson main
tains. But the employees must
agree with the management on
any change in work regulations to
make. them bindings This has
been the view taken by the State
Cotton Textile Industrial Rela-
lions board and in which it has
been upheld by the national labor
board.
1t is the contention of the
workers who are Directing to any
increase in the amount of work
or change in the work allotment
system in the mills that the tex
tile code guaranteed there would
be no change in the work load
from the load in effect July IL, |
1888, when the code was adopt
ed. And as first adopted, Section |
Is of the code did specify that !
there should be no increase in the |
work load following the adoption |
of the code. But this section was
made imperative when it was SUI !
perceded",bv Section II, adopted |
along in November of last year,
and which left the, way open forl
employers to menease the work
load of employees whenever the
would agree to any such |
increase.
"One of the. reasons some oil
the labor leaders have been so on.
posed to me as chairman of the |
Cotton Textile Industrial Rela-
tons board is because have
held, with the other members of
the board, that under Section II |
any mill management has the
right to put into effect any work
load to which its, employees will
agree Johnson said. "The Labor
leaders have held that a unif
work load should be, fixed for the
entire state and all the mills com