Evening star., 1938-12-27
Burke Sees Changes
In Labor Ad as Vital
To industrial Peace
Nebraska Senator
Contends Attitude of
Board Fosters Strife

Contends Attitude OF
Board Fosters Strife
The hope for industrial peace IL
the United States lies in making
vital changes in the National Labo
Relations Act and striving toware
complete voluntary collective bar
gaining, Senator Burke, Democrat
of Nebraska said last night in tn
Radio Forum. The Forum, arranged
by The Star and broadcast over 6
National Broadcasting Co. network
Is heard locally over station WMAL
The text of Senator Burke's ad,
dress follows:
Almost a year ago, I was priv.
ileged, through the courtesy of the
Washington Star Forum, to address
an appeal over this station in be-
half Of industrial peace. 1t seemed
to me then-and increasingly so as
the events of the year have devel.
oped-that vital changes in the Ma
tional Labor Relations Act, and in
the board which enforces that stat
ute, are essential. Today, with Con-
gress on the eve of convening, there
Is an almost universal demand for
action that will put an end to in
dustrial discord. 1t is true that the
board itself opposes any change. A
certain national labor organization
that has greatly profited by board
favoritism would also like to have
things continue as they are. The
Secretary of Labor Is reported as
saying that she sees no need to alter
the act. These supposedly RESPONSE
BILE advocates are joined by that
small but blatant minority which
openly seeks to supplant the Amer
lean system of free enterprise with
some form of collectivism. Ger
tainly they have at hand no more
effective weapon than to continue,
and if possible to accentuate, the
discord that prevails in the labor
field.
Recently, the International Labor
Office published the statistics of
labor disputes in 10 countries
during the past year. Do you know
that report discloses that in number
of disputes, in the total of workers
involved, and in work days lost, our
country exceeded in each of the
three particulars the combined totals
of the other 18 countries under ex-
animation? Is it any wonder that
there Is so great a demand for a
change? Such a record under a
statute the declared objective of
which is to diminish the causes of
labor disputes! BY a board with all
the forces of the Federal Govern
ment behind it, operating at enor-
nous cost to the Government, and
at staggering expense to the individ-
ual citizen!
Peace Of Immediate Concern.
This is the Christmas season.
"Peace on earth, good will to men"
Is the prayer on the lips and in the
hearts of all right-thinking Ameri-
cans. Peace in industry, good will
between workers and management
Is our immediate concern. May we
not agree that the test of salts
factory labor relations policy is
whether 1t is such as to foster good
will between those who toll in the
workshops of this land and those
who make that labor possible by
furnishing the service of manage
ment and the essential capital?
Since that must be so, it is clear
that the fatal defect of the present
policy is that, instead of good will,
1T has created strife and promoted
discord.
I do not hesitate to charge that
the Labor Board on the record has
SO used its tremendous powers as
to harry and harass every employer
of labor in the country that it has
been able to bring within its reach.
Through its decisions, and by the
active interposition of its agents,
1t has fomented strife in institutions
where industrial peace has long pre-
vailed. It has set workers at each
others throats and erected barrier
between honest labor and well-in-
tentioned management. It's policies
have been such as to strangle indus
trial development and deprive un-
numbered thousands of willing
workers of the opportunity to secure
useful employment. In attempting
to remove recognized evils, we have
fastened upon the country vicious
practices far more devastating in
their harmful effects.
May we now unfold the Labor
Relations Act and examine the con-
duct and decisions of the enforcing
agency. We find at first glance that
the law Is based upon the false
premise that the blame for indus
trial disputes rests solely upon the
alleged refusal of employers to
recognize collective bargaining. So
a panacea was offered. Specify in
a law everything that wicked en-
ployer might do in the way of inter-
ference with the workers right to
organize for collective bargaining.
Place enforcement of that law in
the hands of fanatical agency
freed from the necessity of observ-
ing any of the established rules of
evidence and procedure. Let it de-
termine what kind of an organiza-
ton all industrial workers should
embrace. Send it forth to persuade,
coerce and compel all employees to
join the union so favored. Was
there ever a chance that such a
program could bring peace in indus
try? Vain hope!
Each a Co-WOrker.
Effective collective bargaining
must rest primarily not upon stat
utory compulsion but upon the real
ization that there is unity of pur-
pose between workers and employ
ers. That they are engaged in a
common task which can never be
successfully accomplished unless
each side deals with the other not
as a natural enemy but as a CO.
worker. There is nothing in the
present act or in the conduct of the
board to advance the cause of mu-
tual understanding and co-opera-
ton.