The potters herald. [volume] (East Liverpool, Ohio) 1899-1982, 1939-11-23

of the unit rule destroy one union IN
favor of another, but it could destroy
all unions in favor of company-dom-
mated unions. So those who drafted
the provision in the New York Act
followed the philosophy Of the Rail
way Labor Act and gave to craft
groups the right to vote for repre-
sentative and determine whether or
not they wanted to be represented by
their own craft union, or whether they
wished to be merged with the So
called industrial unit. The American
Federation of Labor proposes the New
York rule for the nation.
Right of Individual Craft Worker
Must Be Protected
"Now, before we get away from the
subject, we have enlarged upon the
unit rule to overcome other decisions
of the Board. You will recall that last
year | discussed the Finch case. In
that case the Board held that a lone
carpenter could not be constituted a
unit for collective bargaining. Then
instead of leaving him alone they said
he was to be bargained for by the G..
| |. o. In all of the explanations, squlrm-
| ing and TRADES on the part Of the
Board personnel and other organiza-
tions opposed to the American Fed
Grafton of Labor, not a single word OF
justification has ben uttered in favor
of the Finch decision. Even Edwin
Smith, who endeavors to explain some
of his decisions, failed to comment on
the vicious decision in the Finch case.
eve set forth in our amendment
that if one man craft worker, such as
maintenance carpenter or electrician,
wants to stay with his union and be
represented by his union, he shall
have the right to be so represented.
Amendment Will Prohibit Coastwide
Unit
owe have also endeavored by our
amendment to prohibit the Board from
setting up a coastwide unit as it did
in the Longshoremen's case, or as it
did in the Aston Coal Company case
when opposed by majority of employees
of any employer. All that our amend,
ment provides is that the Board shall
not have jurisdiction to go beyond the
boundaries of single employer un,
less a majority of the employees OF
each employer vote for the same bar
gaining representative.
81 have now given you a complete
analysis of our amendment pertaining
to the unit rule. 1t is the most I'M
portant of our amendments. 1t Is
based upon the decisions of the Board
the members of which criticize ONT
another respecting the outrageous use
of this amendment. In the presenta
ton of our amendment we say merely
that craft group shall have the righ
vote whether it wants to remain ;
to determine for itself by majorit!
craft group and be represented by it
craft union, or whether it wants t.
merge with all production workers il
the entire plant. ''' ""'''3
Congressman Ramspeck Protests
Boards Construction of Act
"When the unit rule and our amend
| DlcIlJ WcIc uli>CuSSctl DtlOlC VIC Soili
mittee of the House of Representa-
tives, Congressman Ramspeck, VIII
!, was a member of the House when tn
, National Labor Relations Act wa
before it, was startled to learn of tn
Boards decision and the perversion o
the true meaning of the Act Let m
read to you what Congressman Rams
peck said.
"'That gets back to the basic prin
ciple on which Congress enacted thi
law, to give freedom Of choice for tn
worker. And want to say this 70
the record, that | think the Board
decision in this case not only violate
the basic principle for which this ac
- was passed, but it is a deliberate kout
ing of the intent of Congress as eX
pressed on the floor Of the House an
in the conference report"