The potters herald. [volume] (East Liverpool, Ohio) 1899-1982, 1938-08-04
BIENNIAL WAGE CONFERENCE SCHEDULED FOR SEPTEMBER ID
Brotherhood's Collective Bargaining
System Makes Hit At Northwestern
President Duffy Explains
Arrangement At Round
Table Discussion
MAKES MANY FRIENDS

MAKES MANY hlE.NOS
Prominent Plant Owner Says
That He Would Embrace
Sirnilar System
Outlining the system of collective
bargaining used with such great sue
cess by the National Brotherhood of
Operative Potters and the United
States Potters Association, President
>IIames M. Duffy of the Brotherhood
was generally conceded to have put
forth the ablest views on the general
subject, "Basis of a Sound and En-
lightened Labor Policy for the United
States" when he addressed the Labor
Round Table Institute of Public Prob
lens during its two-day meeting at
Northwestern University last Monday.
President Duffy made many friends
for true collective bargaining sys-
tenn at the meeting and was after
wards told by Chairman Spencer Mill
er, Jr., that prominent manufacturer
stated to him that he could find moth
ing wrong with Mr.. Duffy's arrange
ment and, if given the chance, would
not only accept it, but embrace it.
Joseph M. Wells, chairman of the
Labor Board of the United States
Potters Association, was scheduled to
speak the second day of the meeting,
but was unable to attend. Matt Woll,
vice president Of the American Fed
Grafton of Labor gained national at
tention when he gave parts of his ad-
dress, made the last day of the meet
ing, over a nationwide radio hook up
Tuesday night.
President Duffy returned with great
praise for the Institute and believes it
is destined to bring about much bet
ter understanding between labor and
capital.
The round table system allows each
speaker twenty minutes for the pres
entation of his ideas and the follow
ing ten minutes for discussion. A gen
eral discussion is held at the close of
the meeting.
President Duffy's speech follows:
Collective wage agreements entered
into voluntarily by parties involved can
be made workable for all practical
purposes in an industry. Such con-
tracts can afford to management every
opportunity for efficiency in maximum
production, quality and the greatest
economy in the cost of production.
This can be attained and still pay to
labor fairly high wages. To accomp-
lish these objectives the greatest in
telligence must be exercised by both
labor and management in the approach
to their adjustment of any grievances
that might arise. There must be in
evidence at all times tolerance of each
party's views regarding any question
at issue so that patient and painstak-
ing efforts will be put forth to develop
merit in any claim for the preserva-
tion of mutual respect and confidence
to the end that reason will be the basis
of any settlement.
would have much greater value to
capital, labor and the general public
than a similar contract on individual
plants because this would centralize
the responsibility in the chief au-
thorities of the two parties, who would
be deeply conscious of the necessity
}, of making fair decisions in the inter-
Tests of perpetuation of the relation
ship. Much could be said in support
of voluntary collective employer and
employe contracts on a national basis,
going into the details of which time
does not permit, but which hope, at
least in part, will be developed in the
general discussion to follow.
l feel sure of what l here assert
because of nearly fifty years Of sue
cess in the dinner ware, hotel and
restaurant chinaware divisions of the
pottery industry. Since 1890 this re-
lationship has been in existence, with
only two major labor disturbances,
one in 1893 and the other in 1922. On
each occasion the question Of wages
was at issue and the cessation Of work
hperiod lasted about ten weeks. The
nature of our industrial problems is
such that we have many delicate,
minute and exacting questions to solve,
hence the remarkable accomplishment
of this long era of practical labor
employer relationship.
Our system provides for confer
ence, composed of representatives of
the two parties, which meets biennially
to formulate wage contract, covering
a period of two years, with sixty
day reopening clause permitting the
employees side to present request
for an increase in wages if cost Of liv-
ing increases or if conditions warrant
same. The employer has the same
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