Evening star., 1937-01-11
Labor Unions and Law
Wagner Act Is Not Accomplishing Declared Objective
of Diminishing Cause of Disputes.

OtucT uQlOu Ol VIC ~. l. W., d plcUlSCltt
was eventually held. after q strike Of
considerable violence. Nine thousand,
seven hundred, fifty-two employees
were declared by the board to be
eligible to vote, and Of these only 3,016
voted for the union, but the board
called that majority, because they
represented q majority Of those who
voted at all! There Is nothing in the
act that 80 defines majority. The
company ignored the unions claim
on the basis Of this Interpretation Of
the plebiscite to act as the sole bar
gaining agency for all 5000 men. and
it now remains for the courts to de-
eide, If the union takes the issue there,
which 1t has not yet done.
Not Demanding Ballot.
In Detroit the union is not de-
manding ballot Perhaps it remem-
bers that in the Fall Of 1884, when the
N. r. A. was functioning, the larger
section of the motor industry was
polled. At this time the American
Federation of Labor was actively or
ganizing in the field. encouraged by
section IA A threatening strike was
averted by the Presidents automobile
settlement. and the appointment of
the Automobile Labor Board. This
board supervised a poll which resulted
in 68.6 per cent voting for no union at
all, 1873 per cent for the employees as
sociations (so-called company unions)
and only 1919 per cent for any A. F.
of L. union. So per cent Of the ballots
being blank or void. The A. F. Of l..
unions formed at the time eventually
revolted from their parent and joined
Mr.. Lewis c. I. o.
The chief problem Of the trade
unions Is not the employers, but the
workers. The unions claim intimida-
ton and espionage on the part Of the
employers. Some Of their accusations
in some industries are justified. The
racket Of the labor spy has already
been commented on in these columns,
and law should abolish a practice not
tolerated anywhere else in the demo-
cratic world. But the apathy of Amer
lean workers toward unions Is not 50
simply explicable.
Revolutionary Tactic.
Failing strong numerical support
Of the workers, the union naturally
tries to establish itself under the more
ambiguous portions of the act, de-
pending upon the good will OF the
board and upon the unions political
influence with the administration
which it helped to elect-as large en-
ployers have, in the past, counted on
their political influence with other
administrations. And depending, also,
upon the good old strategy of force.
The sit-down strike furnishes them
with remarkable instrument. BY 1t
handful of men can disorganize an
industry. Its emergence is historically
significant, for it Is essentially a revo-
lutionary tactic-that of the coup
d'etat. as opposed to the process of re-
form and change by persuasion-the
essence OF revolutionary action being
to capture situation by a disci-
plined minority. For the EMPLOYERS.
II the strikers harden, it Is q most
embarrassing tactic to meet. The
forcible election of the sitters means
violence; violence means the infiam-
nation OF public feeling. Therefore
the better strategy for the company
Is to close the plant. Workers on the
streets may be more susceptible to or
ganization by the union or they may
not. The course Of the war will de-
termine that.
One thing, though, is clear. The
labor relations act is not accomplish
ing its declared objective of "dimin-
ishing the causes of labor disputes"
No law will accomplish that purpose
which does not more clearly define
rights plus procedures, ideas plus
plans, and which does not also clearly
define and limit the powers of the
board which administers it, so that
the board is tribunal and not a leg
islative body.
tCopyright. 1877