The Waterbury Democrat., 1937-03-17

aYA studying the record to find out how fast the car will go, how well it steers, and whether 1t has any brakes.
 Threat to Leadership
 yt would be hard to overemphas- ise the spontaneity of the sitdown strikes. It is extremely doubtful that the Lewis directed CIO actual " planned the auto sitdowns as and when they occurred.
 No Lewis leader has ever off, cially sanctioned the sitdown strike as the CIO tactic, and the A. F. of I. has mildly deplored its use as a frequent negation of the rights of tho majority, as 3 threat to dis cipline and contractual relations, and as srnacking of Communism" :" Nevertheless many A. F. of L.. unions have been as quick to seize on the sitdown technique locally, observing that, regardless of fine spun argument, 1t worked.
 In many of the widely scattered sitdowns, no recognized labor lead- CTS appeared at all, or certainly not until the strike was well under way. Given a single example, workers all over the country instantly saw the possibilities, and acted.
 In fact, the very simplicity of the sitdown method constitutes an in- direct threat to union leadership. Take the example of a "standup" strike iy, a Cleveland restaurant. The waitresses were not, and are not unionized. They just "got to- gether," appointed a temporary spokesman, and stood by their ta- bleS, leaving meals unserved until an agreement was reached on their demands. Within Is minutes they had the management's agreement to negotiate demands.
 Such simplicity as this, with no walking delegates, no permanent officers. no perpetual dues deduc- tions. Is scarcely pleasant for pro- fessional union leaders to contem- plate.
 Contracts Endangered
 Similarly, the very volume of the strikes has embarrassed labor lead- CTS. They were ill-prepared and ill., equipped to handle the flood.
 Tn some cases, as when John Lewis ordered the Uniontown min- CTS out of the mine tunnel where they had "sat down." the very ease of starting sttdowr initiated against discipline and even against con- tracts.
 Many leaders of large unions found that once they had signed an agreement, local units which never would have dared declare an ortho- dox strike without the national unions backing did not hesitate to "sit down" on the job at some mi- nor displeasure, thus jeopardizing the stability of the national con- tract.
 The nasty and impromptu nature of most sitdowns has showed the Wagner act into the background. Neither employers (who often ques- ton the constitutionality of the act) nor organized workers (who feel that the acts machinery is too slow and uncertain compared to the di- rect action of quick sitdown) have made use of the Wagner Act ma chinery of late.
 The procedure of holding an elec- ton in an appropriate division of industry and allowing the winner to bargain for all has gone by the board in the furry of sitdowns.
 -SsikuaiiOF, G.han1eR
 President Green of the A. F. of L. finds himself in a curious po- sition. A year or more ago he worked for passage of the Wagner Act.
 At the time he was hoping that his auto union. the United Auto Workers. would achieve Q majority in the auto plants and thus ex- clude from bargaining such minor tty units as the Mechanics Educa- ton Society, the Dlngmen's Well fare Club. the Metal Polishers. the Society of Designing Engineers. and the like. Today. with the United Auto Workers gone over to Lewis CIO. and approaching a majority Green minds his AF'L unions in a small, taeing the prospect Of being barred from bargaining should Lewis United Auto Workers deinon- efreke a majority.
 ugren la not % siiFe. now, about exclusive bargaining rights for q