Evening star., 1937-06-26
MediatOrs' PROPOSAL.

Mediators' Proposal.
The mediators in the steel strike, ap-
pointed by Secretary Perkins of the
Department of Labor with the approval
OF President Roosevelt, have proposed a
course of action to the steel companies
and to the union which decidedly has it's
points. First, the mediators advise the
making and signing of contract be-
tween the operators and the union. This
contract is to become effective, however.
only II the union wins an election in the
plant IN question. The election is to be
held by secret ballot, under the direction
OF the National Labor Relations Board.
The agreement will call of the strike
without further delay and provide for the
return of all men to work. The agree
ment will 60 into effect if the union wins
and will be torn up If the union loses.
The mediators, in their statement of
the situation, say that the companies
rejected the proposal. They add that
they believe that the union would ac-
cept 1t or some variation of it, Certainly
the union should be able to say whether
1t would accept or would not accept such
a proposal. In this part of their state
ment, the mediators are apparently seek
ing to give the impression that the union
is willing to enter into plan to end the
strike while the companies are not.
If the mediators are correct in their
summation of the situation, the inde-
pendent steel companies are unwilling to
enter into any agreement with the Clio.
at any time, maintaining that the 10.
is an irresponsible organization and that
it does not represent the great ma ajoritv
of their employees. The operators do not
wish to have their employees forced to
join the c. I. o.
The Wagner labor relations act is the
law of the land. 1t insists upon collec-
tive bargaining. That is the law whether
employers like it or not. The workers
are entitled to choose their representa-
tives for collective bargaining The pro-
posal advanced by the mediators in the
steel strike is that secret ballot election
be held in the plants, conducted by the
National Labor Relations Board. That
seems fair enough. There should be no
coercion Of the workers. If the union
wins the election then under the law it is
entitled to represent the workers in COL
I'm nf hoy
il the union loses then it will not have
the right to represent the workers, and
that is that
The proposal of the mediators puts the
cart before the horse 1t suggests first
that contract be entered into with the
union and signed. Why sign q contract
in advance of determining whether the
union is to have the right to represent
the workers? To do so naturally would
be an advantage to the union in the
election which is to follow particularly
workers. If an agreement is to be made
it should first provide that an election
be held to determine whether the c. I. O.
union is to represent the workers or not.
Perhaps If that proposition was advanced
the mediators would find the union
ready to reject 1t as quickly as did the
operators the first proposal of the me-
diators.
The country would like to see peace
full settlement of the steel strike There
has been bloodshed, loss of wages and
of business. The mediators have de-
clared they will continue to do all they
can to bring about a settlement One
of the difficulties they have faced was the
refusal OF the operators to meet in joint
conference with the mediators and the
representatives of the union. In this
the operators, however much they may
dislike the representatives Of the C.. l.. O..
are clearly making mistake. To con-
Ter is not to yield or to agree To refuse
to confer, however, Is 70 make impossible
any kind of an agreement Public
opinion is decidedly favorable to the plan
Tor conference. Public sentiment has
been more and more aroused against the
G. I. O. strikers who have caused riotinp.
interfered with the United States mails
and prevented men who desired to work
from working. The steel operators are
making an error when they refuse con-
ference. Such an error has been made
before-recently enough for the steel
operators to remember-by the head of
great motor corporation.
Public Clock.