Evening star., 1941-10-21

United Automobile Workers Of
America &C. I. o., it reads as
follows:
ANY employe whose conduct or
action on company time or property
Is such as to interfere with the
harmonious relationship between
company and union shall be sub
3ect to discipline by the company.
This is a new wrinkle in the drive
to get the closed shop principle ap-
piled in American industry. 1t
means that not only workers who
are not members of the union can
be coerced now but also members
who may seek to overthrow the
existing officers. The clause would
make it possible for the officers of
the union to report to the manage
ment any employe, whether union
member or not, who seems in their
Judgment TO be interfering with the
harmonious relationship between
company and union and the en-
ployer would have to take action.
II he failed, he might subject him
self to charge of breach of contract.
Has Deeper Meaning.
On its face, the clause looks in
nocuous and that's why the gullible
Mediation Board doubtless accepted
1t. But the clause has more mean
ing in it than appears on the sur
face. 1t is being proposed in the
Middle West by the unions them
selves as a substitute for so-called
union shop and union security
clauses because it is better for them
than any previous phraseology.
The new provision figures in the
latest controversy between the In
ternational Harvester Co. and its
employees in three plants in and
around Chicago, where, incidentally,
the Defense Mediation Board is
again being taken for ride by
shrewd labor strategistS.
The United Automobile Workers, ,
aircraft workers and farm equip /
ment workers, which is a G. I. o. .
union, has had a protracted negotia- (
ton with International Harvester'S
management at three plants at .
Springfield, Ohio. and the case
is before the Defense Mediation
Board. Having heard that the dis /
pute had been certified, the rival .
c. I. o. union at Chicago, nkown as
Farm Equipment Workers Organiz-
ing Committee, decided that 1t, too,
must get before the Mediation Board
30 advantages given to one should .
not be lost by the other. The latter .
organization had been conducting /
collective bargaining elections with /
the Harvester Co., and there was /
no dispute over recognition involved. |
Yet if the true intent of the Wag- |
ner law had been observed by the
union, the negotiations would have
been concluded in good faith. The
desire, however, to prevent another
union from getting advantages
caused the national president of the
farm equipment C. I. o. union at
Chicago to threaten a strike and to
issue suddenly new demands that
had never been part of the nego-
tiations. The confessed object was
to get the case before the Mediation
Board. where it was assumed that .
In this as in other cases the board
would naturally decide the union
maintenance issue in favor of the
union.
No Real ProvocatiOn.
The unions attitude is revealed
In public statements which present
q curious contradiction Not many
months ago, before the Russians en-
tered the war, this same organiza-
ton criticized the Harvester Co.
for making munitions of war. To-
day, the same union issues a criti-
cism because it alleges the COM
pany is not properly cooperating
with the Government in speeding
up defense contracts. At the time
Of the former case, the Commu-
nistic argument everywhere was
sgainst war and American involve
ment but now it has been reversed.
Here is an instance, therefore, in
which a union desiring to perpet-
uate itself has threatened to call
strike without real provoCation just
TO get its case before the Mediation /