The voice of labor. (Cumberland, Md.) 1938-1942, 1941-07-17
The Gun
At LabOr's Head
A report by JOHN T. JONES, Clio
Legislative Representative, before the
CIO Legislative Conference on July 7.

For the last six months there has existed danger
hat another of the anlabor proposals would
be enacted into law. The regular legislative procedures of
announcing the introduction of BILL holding adequate hearings
concerning its merits and dement's before the
nee and providing for adequate debate the floor of
Congress have been largely done away with Antiabor leg
aton has been introduced amendments and riders to all
Of legislation These actions taken without advance
notice with no hearings. and with little debate
By these procedures has been steadily leveed
The head of labor Capitol Hill Isolated strike
you know have been used by all the anabor forces of
propaganda to create state Of irrational hystea In
opinion those who have succumbed the quickest this hystea
have been the Congressman.
While have had close calls in the past months and
while there have been times in which seemed impossible for
avoid definite Congressional action, face
what critical and challenging situation. | must warn
against interpreting the that the Vnson Bill has
been sheved meaning that this danger has been eliminated
In frankly reporting the problems have faced in
attempting to prevent the OF anti-labor legislation
during this session of Congress- compelled to emphasize
the significance OF the attitude OF the majority leadership in
both the Senate and the House The attitude of the Demo
cratic leadership these included actual promotion
of anabor and unspoken but clearly implied
support other Above ALL there has been
tendency the part of party leadership take ama
tive stand the defense of abors basic right There has been
little effort utilize the party machinery bring party
bers in crucial roll calls the party Whip the
defense of abors interests
Majority Position
Perhaps it would be well for be specific and to
tell you briefly the action of the majority leadership toward
sentative the Majority Leader. John Mccormack the
sponsbe spokesman for his group Time and again Congress
Mccormack has told representatives Of my Office that
he could speak against the Vnson Bill He has used his
the fact that he Majority Leader This in itself
illustrates the lack of positive position Of protection Of labor
rights the part of the Democratic majority
On June 1871. during the debate the million dollar
Army Appropriation Bill various antiabor amendments
offered by Congressman Stanes and Smith. In the of
the debate various called for and clear that
with the support of the majority leadership all such proposals
he in
on the Smith amendments Mr. Mccormack forward.
announced his unequivoca support of amendment be
offered by Congressman Case which completely eliminated the
right a strike and imposed compulsory arbitration upon all
defense industry. Mr. McComacks action completely dis
rupted the forces that had been opposing the anabor
with the result that the Case amendment passed in
the House.
Support Of the administration for the Vnson Bill has become
increasingly apparent Majority leaders have refused
press any opposition the publicly Privately Con-
gresham Mccormack has conhded that he favors cooling off
period More direct responsibility for the revised Vnson bill
however be found the fact that this revision drawn
Hman Harry Mills chairman of the National Labor Relations
Board Dan Tracy, assistant Secretary of Labor and William
II. Davis chairman of the National Defense Mediation Board
Congressman Vnson the sponsor of this BILL referred by
President Roosevelt these representatives for
the purpose of revising his original bill Indeed the
revised version written by William Davis chairman of the
National Defense Mediation Board.
A.