Evening star., 1941-12-22
industrial Deadlock

| common war against AXIS dgRTcSSlOu.
Industrial Deadlock
The Presidents industry Labor con-
ference, called to work out formula
to prevent strikes for the duration Of
the war is reported to be deadlocked
on the issue Of extending the closed
or union shop.
AS the dispute shapes up, according
to reports emanating from the con-
ference, labor is willing to refrain
from strikes provided that all dis
putes involving the closed or union
shop be submitted to conciliation,
mediation or, in last analysis, to
binding arbitration. The industrial
representatives, it is said, are willing
to accept conciliation and mediation
services in such disputes, but have
refused to agree to arbitration. The
resulting deadlock presents situa-
ton which should be examined
through candid eyes.
Labor's position is based, in the
first place, on the assumption that it
is entitled to some compensation in
exchange for agreeing to refrain
from strikes for the duration of the
war. But this assumption is not a
valid one. The right to strike, like
the right Of free speech, is not un-
limited. It is privilege derived from
the fact of living under a democratic
form Of government, and 1t may not
be exercised in such manner as to
destroy the source from which it
comes. Thus, when the Nation is
fighting desperately for its own
preservation and to preserve for the
future the fundamental rights of the
people, including the right to strike,
labor's freedom to strike necessarily
ceases to exist for the duration of
the struggle. To contend otherwise
is to argue that labor must be granted
the privilege of destroying itself as
we'll as all other component parts OF
our democracy.
From this, 1t follows that labor in
refraining from strikes, is not making
any sacrifice or concession which en-
titles it to quid pro quo. On the
contrary, it is merely acting in its
own selfish interest, for it is perfectly
clear that If the war should be lost
because Of strikes, American labor,
like German labor, would be de-
priyed of the right to strike as we'll
as all other rights
1t is desirable, however, to 60 a step
further and examine the character
Of the compensation which labor is
reported to be demanding. To this
time labor has been unable to win
the closed shop, either by its own
organizational efforts or by strikes,
in many OF the major industries. In
other words, so far as the bulk of
American industry is concerned, la
Dor has not been able to get a closed
shop and had no immediate prospect
OF getting it when war was declared
Thus, with regard to the closed shop
labor, by insisting on arbitration, is
attempting to set up an arrangement
whereby it might gain something
that it has not otherwise been able
to get, but under which it could lose
nothing. The unreasonableness Of
this demand may be best illustrated
by applying 1t in reverse. Suppose
the employers, with regard to estab-
lishments in which the closed shop
has been granted, were to come for
ward with proposal to refrain from
lockouts for the duration OF the war
provided efforts to abolish these
closed shops were to be submitted to
binding arbitration Labor, of course,
would spurn any such suggestion and
1t would be promptly rejected by
public opinion. Yet it is not essen
TALLY different from the demand
which labor is making.
For the duration of the war, labor
has no reason to expect more than
an arrangement which would permit
continuation OF voluntary organiza-
tional efforts but in which there
would be no element of compulsion.
The unions will stand or fall with the
rest OF the country and, as long as
their basic position is protected, they
have no right to call any strike or
take any other action which in any
way lessons our chances of winning
the war. This is war in which the
sons Of working men as well as the
sons OF employers will die on the
battle fronts. These losses will be
relatively large or small in direct
proportion to the extent Of support
they receive from those engaged on
the home front. If q voluntary
agreement to insure a maximum of
this support cannot be worked out,
it will become necessary at once to
enact legislation designed to accom-
plish that result.
Sweet news for Cuba is our an
nounced intention to scrap the re-
| Stricted gu0ar quota from that