Evening star., 1935-01-26
WHITE HOUSE RIFT
WITH LABOR SEEN.
A. F. of l.. Reputation OF
Roosevelt Auto Peace
Declared Cause.
BY DAVID LAWRENCE.

Tension between the White House
and the American Federation OF
Labor has arisen as result OF the
direct reputation by the A. F. Of L.
of the settlement worked out by Presi-
dent Roosevelt last Spring when q
strike in the automobile industry was
threatened.
Just why the A. F. of L. should
decide that the Presidents agreement
to which labor at that time assented
shall now be overthrown has not been
officially divulged, but the general i'm
preston is that the A. F. of L. has
been baked in its efforts to control
the works in the plants of the car
manufacturers. President Green has
said simply the agreement hasn't
worked OUT
There is friction between E. E.
Byrd, labor representative on the au-
tomobile Labor Board, and the A. F.
of L. Also, recent elections have
shown that not more than 10 per cent
of the workers wish to be represented
by the A. F. of L. and it is suspected
that Mr.. Byrd is much more friendly
to the vertical idea Of unions than he
is to the A. F. Of L. plan of organiZa-
ton.
Auto Code in Peril.
But so far as the White House is
concerned, it has been placed in an
awkward position because Mr.. RooSe-
velt's efforts at conciliation or media
ton will have come to naught if the
A. F. of L. maintains its stand. There
is danger, too, that the automobile
code will go by the boards, for it
is up for renewal on Friday of next
week and, if labor refuses to abide
by the Presidents agreement, it may
mean the end of one of the most i'm
portant codes developed by NJ r. A.
Naturally the employers see no rea-
son for abandoning the agreement
which they Solemnly entered into with
the President of the United States Just
because labor leaders have not sue
ceeded in winning as many members
for their unionization drive as they
hoped.
The situation, of course, is that the
Automobile Labor Board has refused
to indorse any particular form of
unioniSm, simply accepting the prin-
ciple Of collective bargaining and
striving to make sure that workmen
are represented by spokesmen of their
own choosing.
Special Boards Created.
The National Labor Relations Board
and several special boards have been
created since the first Automobile La
Dor Board was set up, What the A.
F. of L. leaders want is to have the
National Labor Relations Board take
charge Of all disputes. But a prece-
dent has been set up in the steel and
textile industries for special boards
appointed by the President to handle
labor disputes. Mr.. Roosevelt also
made it clear the other day, in settling
the newspaper publishers controversy
over whether the National Labor Re-
lations Board or the board set up by
the Code Authority should have juris-
diction, that he felt the machinery
already provided by the codes should
be maintained
1t is believed that the A. F. Of L. is
trying to burrow its way into the
workers organizations in the automo-
bile industry and feels that in order
to carry on an intensive membership
drive or to threaten strikes it must
somehow disentangle itself from the
agreement 1t made with the President
last March.
Clash Seems Imminent.
Will the President accept such a Sit
uation without calling the A. F. of L.
to book? 1t begins to look as if the
long-expected clash has arrived be-
tween the administration and those
in the labor ranks who wish to have
all the advantages of collective bar
gaining without any of the disadvan-
tageS. Labor has managed to get con-
troll Of most of the special boards ap-
pointed to handle labor disputes. But
the one labor board that the A. F. of
L. doesn't control is the Automobile
Labor Board, headed by Leo Wolman.
This is because the neutral member
on it is really neutral and the labor
representative happens to have a diff
ferent idea than President Green Of
the value of the A. F. of L. craft
unions and the vertical idea.
The automobile industry has been
thriving under a period of relative
industrial peace. Will this be inter-
rupted? Not if the Presidents in
fuence for continued peace can be
applied. He is represented as being
ready to have the break with the A. F.
of L. come out in the open If negotia-
tions now being carried on should |
fail. Next week should be a critical |
one in the present era of employer |
and labor relations.
(Copyright, 1851