The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1935-02-23
WAGNER LABOR
BILL LEFT Up
TO CONGRESS-
Administration Leaders Are
Silent on Disputes
Measure.

By Scripps-EotcGrd Newspaper Alliance
WASHINGTON. Feb. 23-The
push needed for enactment OF the
Wagner labor relations bill with its
majority rule feature, has been left
by the Administration.
Labor Secretary Frances Perkins,
carrying out the new Roosevelt pol
/ icy OF declining TO comment on
pending legislation. said she would
give her views only if called before
a committee of Congress.
Miss Perkins is understood to have
urged some time ago that minority
union representation. as applied IN
the automobile industry, be given
chance to operate. The Wagner
bill would scrap that system.
A new automobile labor crisis was
in the air as the automobile council
of the A. F. OF L. federal unions
assembled for a meeting today in
Detroit. One Of these unions is al
ready on record for a strike.
Three Leaders to Testify
Miss Perkins, Recovery Co-Ordi-
nator Donald R. Richberg and Fran
els Biddle, chairman of the Ma
tiOnal Labor Relations Board. are
expected to be called to eteStify at
hearings on the Wagner bill by the
Senate Education and labor Com
mittee.
All are expected to favor c0ntin-
uance of an impartial government
board to settle labor disputes and
protect collective bargaining rights
under Section IA or its successor.
The present labor board expires I'M
der the law June Is.
But on two vital points of the bill,
perhaps three, there may be fire
works even inside the Administra-
ton. Certainly labor and employer
/ interests will be in vigorous oppoSi-
ton to each other.
The first point is majority rule.
The Wagner bill is definite and af-
/ frmative:
BiddIe Board Differs
Representative designated or Sc
lected for the purposes OF collective
bargaining by the majority of the
employees in a unit appropriate for
such purposes, shall be the exclusive
representatives Of all the employees
in such unit for the purposes Of col
lective bargaining in respect to
rates of pay, wages, hours of en-
ployment, or other basic conditions
of employment"
Ty7d 1c or, ,iT1O1-Itxy
present grievances" through other
channels.
Unlike Miss Perkins and Mr.
Richberg, the Biddle board has
taken a definite position in favor of
majority rule in the Houde case
from Buffalo, now in the Federal
Courts. The A. F. of L. is strong for
it, and organized business just as
strong against it.
More Power Needed
The second point is: How can
the board enforce its decisions? The
present board calls itself power
less" It's findings are only recon-
mendations, it says, and its major
weapon, removal Of the Blue Eagle
ny NINA Ids 4lCJlC p4dCC4Cdl C44COS
in many industries.
Part of this is due to a need for
Qualification of IA, the board has
advised Miss Perkins. Part is due
to the boards lack of power to act
by itself. Justice Department action
is slow
The Wagner bill provides for is
suance Of orders by the new board
to enforce its decisions. Appeal
from these would go to the Circuit
Court of Appeals. either by the
party proceeded against, or, if the
order is not obeyed, by the board
itself
The bill would Clarity IA by
specifying as unfair labor prac-
tees" any means Of interfering with
or coercing employees in self-organ-
izing, and determinations by en-
ployerS against union members. The
boards power to act would chiefly
be to stop violation of such clauses.