Evening star., 1939-01-09
A. FL. Plans 10 Ask
Changes in Power
OF Labor Board
Federal Agency Predicts
Peace With c. |. o.
This Yeur

While the National Labor Rela-
tions Board was reporting to Con-
gress that the A. F. Of L. and the
c. I. o. may patch their difference.
this year, the A. F. Of L. today pre-
pared for submission to Congress
amendments to the labor relations
law which would effect nine changes
In the authority Of the Labor Board
The boards forecast OF possible
peace, made in its annual report
was, officials said, based In part on
conversations with the rank and file
OF both organizations. Meanwhile
Senate critics of the board said they
were withholding possible legislation
until they found what course the
administration planned to take.
The recommendation which the
A. F. L. is expected to press most
vigorously is that the Labor Board
be deprived Of its power to desig-
nate craft Of industrial unions as
bargaining agents. Spokesman for
the Federation said they expected
that legislation covering this and
their other demands would be in
troduced this week, but declined
to say who would sponsor it.
Mediation 'Distasteful."
The necessity Of mediating A. F..
OF L. and c. I. o. disputes has been
q "distasteful" task and has "ab-
sorbed a disproportionate part OF
the boards time and energies" the
annual report declared. The board
disclosed that in the fiscal year
1898 it disposed of 1851 labor cases
involving 1,845,818 workers. Only
8 per cent of the cases required
issuance of board decisions and Or
ders. The remainder were with
drawn. settled or dismissed.
During the year. the report said
the board noted with satisfaction a
growing tendency" of labor to use
the Wagner Act instead Of strikes
to settle industrial disputes. After
the Supreme Court upheld validity
OF the act, 1t said. thousands OF
workers turned to the board for re-
dress OF grievances centering around
the issue of the right to belong to-
and function through, a labor or
ganization."
The A. F. Of L.. which supported
the principles OF the act establishing
the board, has objected strenuously
to. its administration and COM
planned the board was biased In
favor of the c. I. O. The A. F. OF
LIS October convention at Houston
laid down nine subjects which it
said should be submitted to Congress
as basis of amending the act, and
its attorneys have been drafting
these in bill form. The proposals,
in brief:
Make 1t obligatory on the board
to grant craft or class the right
to select its bargaining representa-
tive by majority vote.
Curtail the boards power to in
validate contracts.
Give every interested party an op-
portunity to appear In any case.
Permit Intervention by interested
parties as a matter Of right rather
than discretion.
Require definite qualifications OF
examiners.
Clarity and liberalize the power Of
issuing subpoenas.
Lift the secrecy Of files to the
extent that all persons may examine
a record containing material on
which decisions are made.
Conduct elections within 80 days
from filing Of petition.
Decide all cases within As days
after the close Of testimony.
Also the A. F. L. said, the board
has assumed mediation and con-
ciliation powers not intended in
the act. In this connection, the
board claimed 1t had averted many
strikes.
Would Go Further.
Discussing the A. F. L. sugges-
tions, Senator Ellender, Democrat,
OF Louisiana, member of the Edu-
cation and Labor Committee, said
he was interested in going even fur
ther in preventing discrimination
between unions.
Il think we should specify that
there should be no discrimination
against local unions which are
formed on a legitimate basis" de-
clared Senator Ellender. II don't
mean company dominated unions,
but unions which may be formed
In three or four plants, but which
have no national status" he added.
Senator Ellender said the Labor
Board in some instances appeared
to have Disseminated against local
unions in favor of national unions.
Representative Ramspeck, Demo-
crat, of Georgia, member of the
House Labor Committee, charged
that the Labor Board had "misin-
terpreted" the law to deny employ
ers the right to invoke the board S
jurisdiction. He contended that the
act did not prevent such a course,
but that the board had laid down
the rule.
While Mr.. Ramspeck said he be-
lieved the law must be Clarified
in a number of important essen
tials," Chairman Norton, Democrat,
OF New Jresey. said the House
committee would await Senate &C.
ton.
New Post for Smith Seen.
Senate critics of the board are
prepared to attack the board in
hearings on the confirmation OF
Donald Wakefield Smith, board
member. Mr.. Smith was given a re-
cess appointment, but his name was
not included in the list of nominal
tions sent to the Senate last week by
President Roosevelt.
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