Evening star., 1939-04-14
BY JOHN c. HENRY,

The National Labor Relations
Board today informed the Senate
Committee on Education and Labor
that 1T was maintaining an open
mlnd" Oh four pending proposals
for amendment of the Wagner Act
or revision of administrative regu-
lations.
The four propositions follow:
uJ That employers be permitted
to file petitions for certifcation of
employe bargaining representatives
CD That further statutory guild
ance be written for determination
Of the appropriate bargaining unit;
80 That additional safeguards
TOR preservation anu clarification of
contracts be written into the law, but
that the power to invalidate con-
tracts not be removed from the
board;
"a That at least 10 days of grace
be allowed between issuance of a
board complaint and the holding
OF hearing, the present time factor
is only five days.
Submit 360-Page Analysis.
The boards position was made
known through a 360-page analysis
on its record and of proposed amend
ments to the law now pending be-
fore the Senate Committee. In the
process of holding public hearings
on the question of revising the act,
the committee some weeks ago asked
the board to submit its views.
While plainly indorsing a compre-
hensive study of the act and all
pending suggestions for it's revision,
particularly the four mentioned, the
board declared fatty that it ''is not
persuaded by its experience or by
any arguments which have come to
its attention that the act requires
amendment at the present time"
And aside from the four sug-
gestions on which further study is
invited, the board informed the
committee that the remaining pro-
poSalS are definitely OBJ
jectionable. Many are not only in
conflict with the basic purposes OF
the act but would, taken singly or
in combination, effectively nullify
the rights of self-organization and
collective bargaining which the act
is designed to protect. Others, while
not striking at the root of the act,
would drastically curtail the rights
now guaranteed by the act or sub
stantially impair its effective admin
iStration.'
Four in A. F. of L. Proposals.
1t is interesting to note that all
of the four conditionally accepted"
contentious are embodied in the
American Federation of Labor
amendments sponsored by Senator
Walsh, Democrat. of Massachusetts,.
with all except the third being also
included in the amendments offered
by Senator Burke, Democrat, of
Nebraska.
In the summary of its analysis
the board spoke as follows on these
four points:
Both S. 1000 (Walsh and S.
1864 (Burke) propose that employ
ers should be granted the right to file
petitions for certification of repre-
sentatives. We are of the
opinion that to permit employers
the unlimited right of filing such
petitions would open the election
machinery of the act to possible Sc
rious abuse. Nevertheless we be-
lieve study should be given to the
feasibility of granting the right Of
petition subject to specific safe
guards.
Both S. 1000 and S. 1864 include
proposals to amend section 8 (b) Of
the act, which authorizes the board
to determine the appropriate bar
gaining unit. Although in our opin-
ion there are fundamental objec-
tions to these proposals as written.
we believe that the committee
should consider whether it
is practically possible to devise leg
islation which will assist in resolv-
| ing the undoubtedly troublesome
question of the bargaining unit.
Sees obstructive" Features.
IS. 1000 contains several proposals
dealing with the power of the board
to invalidate contracts between an
employer and labor organization.
Again we consider certain features of
these proposals not only inadvisable.
but destructive of the basic prin-
ciples of the act. However, we think
- requirement that all parties
to contract be given notice and the
opportunity to participate in any
board proceeding involving the con-
tract merits the consideration of
the committee. We also think it i'm
portant to consider the advisability
of clarifying the status of contract
where a majority of the membership