The Tacoma times. [volume] (Tacoma, Wash.) 1903-1949, 1939-06-13

ing stringent laws cufOlng IN
with sharp pressure being put
by business men for the modifiC
1t IL four years this month since
congress passed the Wagner act
with 1t. arsenal of provisions in
tended to protect labor in its rights
to organize, but today q nation
wide survey by the American In
stitute OF Public Opinion shows
that the average American wants
some changes in the relations Of
labor and business and labor and
the public.
The institutes survey shows:
I. The great majority Of
Americans are In favor OF labor
unions and believe In labor's
right to organize.
Z. In spite OF the victory Of
John l.. Lewis and the United
Mine Workers In winning the
"union shop" In the soft coal
fields Of Pennsylvania, West
Virginia and Kentucky, the
general public has not yet ac-
cepted the principle Of either
the "union shop or the closed
shop.
3. Tired by repeated strike
troubles, the great majority Of
Americans favor an automatic
federal mediation system for
all disputes between employ
ers and organized labor. such
rs Is now In effect In the rail-
way and maritime Industries.
Finally, recent surveys show that
although the public approves the
aims of the Wagner act, there is
substantial sentiment for revising
the act to make it fairer to bust
ness. Only one person in three
says it should be left unchanged.
The public's attitudes go a long
way toward explaining the severe
ldDOT CUR Us tHdt nave btcii Vh-
acted in recent months in half a
dozen states. And just as the pub
lies reaction to the sit-down strikes
sit down legislation of 1889, so
today's survey may indicate some
of the future directions Of U. S.
labor policy.
8sss FAVOR
MEDIATION
The idea Of automatic federal
mediation before q strike could be
called has had the backing in re-
cent weeks Of Senator Wagner Of
New York and William Leiserson,
newly appointed member Of the
national labor board and former
head Of the railway mediation
board.
To test the support for the idea
throughout the country the insti-
tute asked q carefully selected
cross-section of American voters
In every state:
Would you favor 4 law re-
curing employers and unions
to submit their differences to
. federal labor board before .
strike could be called:"
More than eight persons in every
ten with definite opinions answered
Yes" The vote is:
FAVOR MEDIATION .s6%s
OPPOSE MEDIATION ..I4es
Support for mediation comes
from persons in the lower income
groups As well as from the mid
die class and from the upper in
come levels. Only IL persons In
every hundred, on the average, say
they have no opinion on the SUBJ
jeet.
Mediation would call for all par
ties In q labor dispute TO submit
their cases to a permanent federal
board. II the board could suggest
no way out Of the disagreement.
an investigating committee made
up of citizens and experts would
be appointed by the White House
to study the case and make public
report.
II an agreement did not then fol-
low, . strike could still be resorted
to, but not before a warning and
waiting" period had elapsed.
PUBLIC NOT FOR
CLOSED SHOP
The institute survey also asked
the voters their attitudes toward
the closed shop. the union shop and
unions In general. The actual votes
are:
"Are yeu In favor Of labor
anIsns:"
yEb .......s.......I bo
No .,,s..,, SbJe
Are you In favor NJ the so
called closed shop - that IL,
hiring only persons who are
already members Of the
union: ?"
YES ...............f%
NO ...............7s%
-Are you in favor Of the so
called union shop-that Is, re-
curing every worker to Join