Evening star., 1937-04-18
LABOR MAPS TTSFUTURE
AFTER WAGNER DECISION
Unions Begin New Drives for Members
and Seek to Consolidate Gains Won
in Important Court Ruling.

pOpuIaLlOn whose interest nOmtn8lly
lie with the cause OF labor, but who
are still inclined to take 4 neutral
attitude.
Basis for this type Of defense, Of
course, is the fundamental argument
IN support Of unionization; namely,
the need Of economic strength through
collective action In protection Of work.
ing standards. Secondary are such
benefits as the sponsorship of social
legislation, most Of which has been
enacted by Congress only at insistence
OF or with support Of organized labor.
Labor also plans to emphasize the
values which have accrued to industry
IN those fields where unionization has
been nearly complete over a period Of
many years. Such industries are the
printing, garment. mining and rail-
road industries, where contractual re-
lationships growing out of real COL
lective bargaining have made the
cause OF labor and capital a common
one. Strikes have been few and op-
Grafton as continuous as market de-
mands permitted in these lines, . cir
cumstance beneficial to both labor
and management.
Issue of Incorporation.
Judging by the quantity of editorial
support, it is indicated that labor's
greatest defensive battle may be fought
over the issue of Incorporation, the
contention of advocates of this devel-
opment being that there is q parallel
between profit-making business enter
prises and n-profit-making labor
unions and that such incorporation
would impose a responsibility on unions
comparable to that placed upon busi-
ness enterprises.
A special committee of the United
States Chamber of Commerce has in
dorsed such proposal, although word
has leaked out that the issue aroused
a terrific committee fight with a new
battle looming at the chambers con-
vention.
In addition, it is rumored that the
legal advisers of another powerful in
dustry group have advised their men,
bership to tone down on the incorpora-
ton idea, citing among other things
the extreme doubtfulness OF getting
any court judgment against q union
because one or more of its members
decided not to work. Although this
may be looked upon as left-handed
confirmation of the right to strike, it
Is the contention Of the legal depart
ment referred to that there are no
legal grounds on which man may be
forced to work, nor any legal expecta-
tions that union could be held ac-
countable for such a decision on the
part Of a worker.
1t Is further pointed out, both by
labor spokesmen and those Of indus
try who are talking down the incorpo-
ration idea that such agitation takes
no cognizance Of the fact that business
enterprises are not forced to incor-
porate and that they do 50 principally
as a means Of limiting rather than es-
tablishing individual responsibility and
as a means of making possible the
financial participation Of great num-
Der of small investors; that such in
corporation not only is not forced upon
business enterprises, but neither Is 1t
forced upon such non-profit-making
enterprises as fraternal orders, mutual
insurance companies. co-operatives,
churches and political parties.
Unions Held Suable.
As to the legal responsibility OF
labor unions, the Supreme Court ruled
in the Coronado case that unions are
suable in Federal courts. And in
many States unions already are
suable for damages under the laws
relating to voluntary unincorporated
associations. Yet only in isolated in
stances have employers brought such
suits.
Supplementing these and other
arguments, Of course, labor must shape
its conduct IN such way as to avoid
public antagonism by ILL
advised tactics
Along these lines Of defense will
come the real test Of labor's leader
ship, where suhtlety will be matched
by subtlety, where the public temper
will be gauged to a nicely and where
excesses Of arrogance that might be
advantageous on the of1ense would
prove disastrous.
And upon this leadership and the
whole labor movement rests q re-
sponsibility much more genuine than
that imposed by laws.