Evening star., 1937-01-10
Lewis Now Fighting
Vital Labor Battle
BY OVEN L. SCOTT.

khOAlGllo W uCCCIllllLc LllS 1OI1k
rection Of the American labor move
power both in politics and industry, or
as just another labor leader who took
his chance and lost.
The stakes are high, the adventure
tempting, the danger both to the coun-
try and to the unionists is enough to
hold the close attention of the White
House and of leaders in Congress. Mr..
Lewis and his lieutenants, who seek to
organize the masses of this country's
unorganized workers, possess a new OBJ
jective, a new technique and are count
ing on a new ally in the Government
itself.
AS result, importance is added to
questions like these:
What is this labor leader after? What
inspires him to action at this particu-
lar time? Why has the automobile in
dustry come in for first attention? How
will the Federal Government fit into the
picture? What are the new methods Of
the unionists and what their differences
from the old?
Search for an answer to these ques-
tions traces back to N. r. A. That act
threw Government projections around
the right Of labor to organize. William
Green, president Of the American Fed
Grafton of Labor, hailed 1t as magma
charta for workers and predicted TO-
100000 union members. Then his craft
unions started to squabble about who
was to exercise jurisdiction over the
prospective members and their dues, with
the consequence that there proved to be
few new members and few new dues.
But John Lewis and group Of other
heads of unions organized on an indus
try-wide basis jumped at their oppor-
tunity and soon had their industries
completely organized. They were not
long in realizing that these gains could
hardly be held unless workers in COM
peting and allied industries were union
lied at the same time.
4 + -
There followed the creation Of the
Committee for Industrial Organization,
headed by Lewis and pledged to a drive
for unionization Of mass production in
dustries, hitherto largely unorganized.
This committee threw itself into politics
back of President Roosevelt. It's leaders
created labors Non-Partisan League-a
new labor political organization. About
100000 was raised and spent by the
Lewis group in the interest Of the RooSe-
welt candidacy.
Today the c. I O. is ready to cash in
on victory. Its leaders want to act be-
fore the Presidents indebtedness to them
is forgotten and before the Supreme
Court determines the legality of the
Wagner labor relations law, which
throws Federal Government power back
of the right of workers to organize into
unions and bargain with their employers
free from employer interference. They
picked General Motors as a first OBJ
jective because leaders of that company
openly opposed President Roosevelt.
Their strategy calls for an attempt to
keep other automobile companies operat-
ing so that the auto-buying public need
not 60 without new cars.
But the other sections of the automo-
bile industry, along with steel and coal
and textiles, are down on the organizing
schedule. with late March set as the
probable date for a showdown in steel
and coal.
AS the lines draw tighter two factors
enter to make the situation less COM
Portable from the point of view of the
employers.
One is the latest technique Of striking.
This technique calls for relatively few
workers in production line to "sit down"
at their machines, thereby halting opera
ton of the whole line. After the sit
down. these workers "stay in" thereby
complicating the problem of replacement
with other workers.
The automobile industry is particularly
vulnerable to this type of strike, as shown
by experience Of recent weeks. Its parts
are supplied by key plants in which pro-
duction is highly geared to machinery.
Shutdown strikes of workers in these
plants can quickly strangle operations in
the big assembly lines. After sitting
down, the workers stay with their ma
chimes. To displace these workers, en-
ployers must use force. Yet the use of
force may have profound influence on
public opinion and may be difficult, oW-
ing to the healthy regard that local Off
cials now have for the voting power of
labor.
In the past striking workers have left
their plants. depending upon picket lines
to keep other workers from moving in.
Employers readily found ways to pene-
trate the lines. They find it less simple
to displace strikers who occupy their
property and refuse to leave unless
thrown out.
The second factor Of vital Importance
Is the Government itself. Previous pc
riods of widespread labor trouble have
found employers enjoying wide legal pro-
tectionS. They had ready access to State
and local police forces and to the courts
for injunctions. But today Federal
Court injunctions are difficult to obtain.
Local sheriffs and police officers are not
so interested in enforcing court orders
If ways can be found to evade enforce
ment The Federal Government throws
the protection of the Wagner labor re-
lations act about the workers. A COM
mittee of Congress is on hand to inveSti-
gate employer espionage and to disclose
employer preparations for trouble. Facts
concerning the income of company Off
cials can be made public to influence
sentiment.
But Government power at this time
can go much further in providing pro-
lection for striking workers. Mr.. Lewis
expects that w. P. A. rolls will be open
to strikers who can qualify on the same
basis as other unemployed persons for
relief jobs. The policy of the Federal
Government has been not to distinguish
between persons in need. Yet, at the
moment, the President is striving to re-
duce relief rolls and quotas are filled in
most States. Any rush Of striking auto
mobile workers to get w. P. A. Jobs