The Daily Alaska empire. [volume] (Juneau, Alaska) 1926-1964, 1937-06-28
The Flood of Strikes
New York Tines


A recent dispatch from Washington set a back
ground for the strike which has dominated the
headlines during the past week. 1t cited Government
figures to show that during the same month in which
the Wagner Labor Relations Act upheld by the
Supreme Court there strikes in the United
States than have occurred in any month since the
World War. Almost a third of million workers left
their jobs, and the number of man-days of employ
nent lost in consequence of industrial disputes was
we'll in excess of three million
To extent the present trend can be explained,
however disturbing it may be- a natural phenom-
enon of the recovery movement marked upturn In
business activity, occurring simultaneously with an
advance of prices and rise in the cost of living, is
Usually accompanied by increase of industrial con-
roversy This is because labor seeks, at such time
either to retain the high purchasing power OF wages
received during the period of depression or to share on
rising scale in the larger earnings of business during
period of greater prosperity. What has happened
before in this respect is now happening again. But in
The present case the trend toward strikes is greatly
accelerated by the influence OF two addtonal factors
One of these is the adoption by Congress of the very
ac-the Wagner Labor Relations Act-which was spe-
officially intended according to its own title to DIM
1ish the causes of labor disputes" Senator Wagner
msef frankly expressed the opinion that labor diff
uties have been increasing mot in spite Of bat
largely because of" the enactment OF the law which
bears his name 1t is entirely natural he asserted,
hat labor should be moved to assert its rights,
,nce these rights have recognized by law AS Mr.
Wagner sees it, the real responsibility for the ensuing
disturbances rests with the employers who are unwilling
o bargain collectively and effectively, with their en-
oyees Others will dispute this view. But in either
ase the Wagner act embodyng the Administrations
promises labor has Enthusiastically stimulated the de-
| nand for union recognition-and the Governments
wn records that strikes now being called
an attempt to force union recognition than for any
| ,ther purpose.
The other new factor which has been introduced
nto the present situation is the split in the ranks
the labor movement Taking the field in open rivalry
% the American Federation of Labor the CLIO is under
onStant pressure call strikes This pressure develops
n two ways. The high command of the CLIO. is ag-
ressvey seeking recruits and in order to increase
is membership rapidly has been driven into staging
series of spectacular strikes in the s-producton m
usries At the same time the whole CLIO. has been
1ut together hastily that the high command itself
acks effective of the fringes of the movement
Hence the succession of unauthorized strikes which
nave followed in the wake of CLIO, and such fool
hardly demonstrations of power the capital of Mich
ran witnessed last week.
1t remains to be whether the present leaders
# the CLIO will be able to retain command of their
own movement 1t also remains to be whether the
industrial unionism' sponsored by the CLIO. will in
he end prove to have greater staying qualities than the
craft unonism" of the AT. of l.. At the moment the
rend to strongly in favor OF the CLIO. But
before concluding that the present trend permanent
it would be we'll to remember that before in the
years from 1870 to 1890 American labor experimental
| With industrial unonism and that the experiment
hen ended failure 1t ended in failure because this
| ype of unionsm did not give sufficient autonomy to
he various trade crafts because internal dissensions
arose in consequence of this and because the inclusion
If great numbers of unskilled workers union
anks weakened the movement financially 1t was this
experience which led the shrewdest leader that Ameri
labor has had thus far Samuel Gompers to nsls5
hat the future lay with the craft unions Time itself
must show whether conditions have changed unda-
mentally as to prove Mr. Gompers prophet without
| honor.