The potters herald. [volume] (East Liverpool, Ohio) 1899-1982, 1939-01-12
MALADMINISTRATION OF THE LABOR
REI.ATI0NS ACT

MALADMINISTRATION OF THE LABOR
RELATIONS ACT
DEFINITE evidence that the National Labor Re-
- latons Board has far exceeded it's statutory
authority in administering the National Labor Re-
lations Act and usurped power to determine the
structure of the American labor movement was
presented by the Executive Council of the Ameri-
can Federation of Labor to the 1888 convention of
the Federation and approved by that body.
In it's indictment of the National Labor Rela-
tions Board the Executive Council said in part
"On May Is, 1885, Senator Robert F. Wagner
arose in the Senate and said of the National Labor
Relations Act:
"'Anyone familiar with these laws will rec
ognize at once that there is nothing in the pending
bill which places the stamp of governmental favor
SKad ' the National labor Relations Board con-
strued and administered the Act in the spirit and
on the basis of the foregoing declaration, would
not now have occasion to submit the following re-
port. Instead of report of justified criticism we
would be submitting report of unqualified appro-
val of the Board and it's administration
1T is with deep regret that frankness impels
us to report to you that the National Labor Rela-
tions Board has administered the Act contrary to
Its letter, spirit and intent, with manifest bias and
prejudice against the American Federation of La
bor and in favor of dual and rival organizations
Our resentment has been aroused and your officers
have publicly and officially in most vigorous terms
condemned this unholy alliance between a Govern
ment agency exercising quasi judicial jurisdiction
and the c. 10.
"Increasing Importance which attaches to the
action of the National Labor Relations Board is
evidenced by the fact that the three years of it's
existence the Board has handled 16,5OO cases in
volving almost 100000 workers. AS the work of
the Board grew so did its tendency to go beyond
the direct Congressional mandate and gradually to
apply it's decisions not to the question of Labor
basic rights which the Wagner Act had been de-
signed to protect but to the problems of form and
structure of the labor movement itself.
"That a three-man board, composed of men
with no direct labor experience, should undertake
Ito shape the form and structure of labor move
ment through decisions clothed with judicial au-
thority, aroused among our unions a growing feel
ing of apprehension and Indignation.
Aware of it's solemn responsibility to preserve
and perpetuate the basic democratic principle of
the entire membership of the American Fedora
tion of Labor has united in it's protest against this
unWecOme intervention in LabOrs internal prob
lens by Government bureau.
'"The American Federation of Labor is aware
that problems which have emerged and developed
over period of fifty or sixty years-prOblems
with which Labor has struggled for several gen
erations- cannot and should not be settled by snap
judgments of outsiders no matter how well-inten-
toned or learned they may be.
ut is with this invasion of LabOrS democratic
sovereignty that we have found fault and not with
the principles and purposes which the Act embod-
lies and which will always have our unyielding sup
port.
"The Board has exceeded it's public purpose
and has Vitiated the procedure delineated in the
Act in three respects
First in large number of instances it's
agents have shown gross favortsm and bias in
the handling of cases, furhering the objectves of
union against another and favoring form
of labor organization.
Second, by administrative fiat the Board has
set aside legally valid and binding contracts
tered into in good faith by bona fde unions and