The Waterbury Democrat., 1937-11-30

ing on Craft.Industr al
 Union Split.
 Washington, Nov. 90. - The Na- tional Labor Relations Board, cre- ated to enforce labors right to or- gani2e freely and bargain collective ly through It's own selected agents Is under attack--eSpecially by the American Federation of Labor which charges 1t with favoritisni toward the 0. I. o. On that charge the Federation largely bases It's ops position to the pending minimum wage-maximum hour bill.
 Counter.eharge is brought that the A. Y. of L., officially main. talnlng that the 0. I. o. is on out. law, dual union group, actually ls stabblng at the board because it ls not perslstently partial to the A. F. of L.
 Meanwhile 1t has gone almost unnotieed that on NLRH decision involving on A. ?. of L.-C. I. o, fight has just revealed the boards first split and first dissenting opin- lon, with Q 2 to 1 vote in favor of c fundamental A. r. of l., principle.
 Cite Two Decisions
 The board defends itself against charges of favoritism. The c. l. o. defends itself against charges of lawlessness or responsibility. The A, Y. of L. defends itself against charges of forming "semi- company unionS." And various employers defend themselves against charges that they have coerced em- ployes Into joining A. r. of L. un- Ions in violation of the act.
 Meanwhile, it is instructive to examine two recent decisions of the board which have held In ef- feet,
 That imposition of an A. r. of l.. union on employees by action of employers K no more legal than imposition of . company unlon."
 That craft unions should Do per- mitted to carve themselves off from industrial unions, even in predominantly industrial produce ton plants.
 Ban "Fav0red" Union
 The board recently ordered tho Consolidated Edison and affil- ated companies in New York not Ia alsIa affaat "a aa.a Aua ata ..,lAla tIaA International Brotherhood of Elec- trical Workers "A, r. of L,) which gave that union exclusively col- leetive bargaining rights, to end It's alleged use of labor spies, to cease perSuading employees to join tho fBEW, to cease discouraglng employees from joining tho United Radio and Electrical Workers of America Co. I. O. and to rein- state six employees allegediy fired for union activity.
 The board concluded that tho companies had engaged in unfair labor practices by interfering with, restraining and coefeing their employees; that the grant- ing of the IBEW contracts was . part of the employerS' unlawful course of conduct and that sho contracts were hence invalid.
 Chairman Floyd Carlisle oi Cosolidated Edison branded the findings aS utterly unWarranted' and promised to observe tho con. tracts until c federal court invali. dated them, fl ever. President Dan Tracy of fBEW said the boards action was "biaSed, b!got. cd, illegal and dictatorial," ane Green said "the decision outragei tho provisions of the Wagner act" Permit Union Split
 Now it's the 0. I. o.B turn te holier. h tho Allis chaimeri case involving 10000 automobile company workers tho NLRD, with Member Edwin 6. Smith dissent. ing, has held that two groups oi employees may vote separately whether they wish to Do repre- serted As A. y. of L. craft unitt or by the United Automobile | WVFheTb w AI M AVcul SVVUEHHE tho whole plant. Tho two fedora. ton unions arc the fBEW and tho Brotherhood Of Tiremen and oil. CTS, Although the JAW k conceded to have . na ajorlty Of ell employees among its members, those unions appear te have majorities in their own crafts. Craft union claims ag to four other units were dlsal-
 lowed 0n the ground that their evidence of membership was un. substantial.
 Smiths dissent held that the majority decision vested in c small empioye group choice Of determining whether, in Q mass production plant, e complete in- dustriai bargaining unit or one from which one or most crafts had been severed, was the more appropriate to promote collective bargaining.
 The decision had been left to Q group known to be hostile to in- dustrial organization, he said, and wishes of the great majority were ignored. Small craft groups, he said, would be enabled to throw thousands out of work by strik- ing and hamper majority attempts to achieve stable employment through collective bargaining.
 Copyright, 1897, NEA Service, Incl