Evening star., 1940-03-19
Labor Board
Of 5 Approved
ByConmittee
Creation of New
Agency Rejected
by Close Vote
BACKGROUND

BACKGROUND
By 3-2 majority special House
committee Uhich has been inDes-
tigating National Labor Relations
Board since last fall urged 21
changes in Wagner Act. includ-
ing creation OF neW three-man
Labor Board Which Would sit only
as Judge, 1Dith nelD adninistrd-
tor handling complaints and pros
ecutions. Amendments 1Dere re-
terred to House Labor Commit
tee, 1DhOSe chairman, Representa-
the Norton OF Ne,D Jersey, said
the proposed changes Would
practically repeal the laW."
BY the Associated Press.
The House Labor Committee
voted. IA to 3. today to recommend
to Congress that the National Labor
Relations Board be increased from
three to five members.
Chairman Norton announced the
decision at the end of tWo-hour
closed committee meeting. She said
1t was decided "by a close vote" to
reject proposals to abolish the pres
ent board and create new one.
Committee members, studying the
Wagner Labor Act, section by sec
ton, decided against any changes
in the declaration of policy which
had been recommended by the spe-
cial House committee investigating
the act and the board.
Discussing the increase in the
board membership, Mrs. Norton
said:
This step seems absolutely neces-
sary.
Board Deadlock Seen.
"A great many people take the
position that if two more members
were added to the board, lot of
other complaints would 60 out the
window. That seems to be where
they all start.
apparently there has been more
or less of a deadlock in the board,
and by adding two members we GER
tainly would destroy the effect of
that, If there is such thing"
Meanwhile, William l.. Leiserson
accused his two colleagues on the
Labor Board of upsetting rather than
encouraging collective bargaining
relationships by one of their de-
CiSionS.
Leiserson Dissents From Decision.
Mr.. Leiserson dissented from a
majority opinion ordering the Nc
Quay-Norris Manufacturing Co. of
Indianapolis to incorporate in a
signed agreement with the United
Auto Workers &C. 7. o. a clause
giving the union exclusive recogni-
tion as bargaining agent for all
production employees in the plant
The board majority-Chairman j
Warren Madden and Edwin S.
Smith-held that the company had
failed to engage in collective bar
gaining as contemplated by the
Wagner Act through refusing to
write such clause into the agree
ment. The unions majority status.
they said, was conceded by the COM
pany.
The two board members said the
company agreed in 1888 to a con-
tract clause recognizing the union
as sole bargaining agent for its men,
bers. and promising to deal with no
other agent except individual or
groups of employees.
U. A. w. locals from McQuay-
Norris plants in st. Louis and Con-
nersville. Ind, who took part in the
negotiations. accepted this clause
and signed an agreement. Officers
of the Indianapolis local demurred,
however. pending board action on
their complaint.
Mr. Leiserson expressed the
opinion that the complaint never
should have been authorized by the
board and should be dismissed.
Regional Chief Overanxious.
The indianapolis local, Mr. Leiser-
son said, would have been satisfied
with the recognition clause accept
able to the employer if it had not
been for "overanxiety" of the board S
Indianapolis regional director to
settle moot question of the word
ing of the recognition clause"
Mr.. Madden and Mr.. Smith said
the company refused to agree to
an unqualified recognition clause
for fear it would incur "reprisals'
from an A. F.. L. union.
The majority held that the issue
over the recognition clause was not
"a technical or trivial one" 1t dis
puted Mr.. Leiserson's contention
that the union would have been
satisfied with the recognition clause
offered if the board and it's agents
had not injected itself into the case.