Evening star., 1941-08-23

q. r. M. IOT lHe DaFid Lawrence
reopening of existing agreements.
The difficulty may be traced to
the mistake made by the National
Defense Mediation Board, which
gave the strikers who defied the
Government in the North American
Aviation Co. dispute just about 100
per cent of their demands, including
the modified closed shop which
guarantees the unions that the en-
ployers will dismiss any worker who
attempts to resign from union or
who doesn't pay his dues.
Before the Mediation Board
acted, there was a chance of labor
tranquility, but since that time the
o. p. M. has agitated for 8 stabi-
lisation agreement and, of course,
This has introduced the question Of
making all plants on the Pacific
Coast accept the closed shop and
Union maintenance plan.
Contract Value Questioned.
There would be no difficulty in
adjusting wages or working condi-
tions. The employers have not
taken any adamant position on that
point. but they now are asking
what good are the written contracts
they already have with industry
when Sidney Hillman of the o. P M.
Is condonng the reopening of con-
tracts that have many months be-
fore expiring. Aircraft makers also
are asking what Value there is in
master contract covering a series of
plants when the same sort of
master contract covering So ship
yards was totally disregarded with
the full moral support of the Ma
tional Defense Mediation Board in
connection with the dispute at the
Kearny IN. j. Shipyards.
The American people are being
told that the word of the Defense
Mediation Board is final and that
refusal by either party to a dispute
to heed the recommendations sub
iects a plant to seizure But what
isn't being clearly explained is that
the Mediation Board as at present
constituted is really not a panel of
three disinterested persons at all
but a panel of partisans
Thus, in the controversy over the
shipyard at Kearny, the secretary
general of The C. I. O. was member
of the panel of three and yet no.
body representing the shipbuilding
company in any such close con-
nection was permitted on the panel
The employer member did dissent
from the findings. but the public
Is told that majority of the board
decided against the company. 1t
isn't told that of that majority of
two. national officer of the C. I. O..
which has vital interest in closed
shops and union maintenance agree
ments cast one of the two ballots.
OneMan Decision.
As for the third member, the
panels contain only persons known
10 be friendly to unions and to the
principle of unionization. Thus is
Americas labor policy decided at
this time by one man. Vital ques-
tions affecting the future of Amer
lean workingmen's relations to their
employers are made by one individ-
usl in panel who has no respon-
sibility with the public by elected
Office and who does not serve the
Government except in casual
capacity.
The compulsory unionization plan
whereby the employer becomes re-
sponsible for the policing of the
unions is something which even the
National Labor Relations Board has
never ventured to impose by any of
It's rulings or decisions. Only this
week the labor board in case where
collective bargaining demands in
cluded a preferential closed shop,
handed down an opinion saying the
employer could lawfully refuse to
accept such proposal and yet not
violate the Wagner Act or his obli-
cations Hereunder.
On UnsOund Grounds.
In other words, the tribunal or
board created by Congress to deal
with the all-important subject mat
ter of labor relations and collective
bargaining does not impose a closed |
shop or modified union shop or any
other kind of shop. and holds that |
the employer may refuse to grant |
such demands and be innocent of
snv unfair labor practice charges.
The National Defense Mediation
Board has gone farther afeld and is
down decisions telling what !
Industry must do. Since the Presl-
dent mistakenly committed himself /
In advance to the idea that the rec
concentrations" of the mediation |
board should be accepted he now
finds himself in the position of hav-
ing to use decisions that are not
sound with reference to labor rela-
tions precedents as basis for plant
seizure. Clearly a recasting of the
whole mediation machinery to pro-
vide that only Government officials
may mediate or that a panel of three
be selected from the Federal judges
OF the country would probably bring
industrial peace sooner than can be
accomplished by board which has
two of its three members in every |
panel with direct interest in
the dispute.
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