Evening star., 1941-04-06
Labor Excesses
Likely
Strong Action
Strike CIimox May
Bring Safeguards
For Business
Special Dispatch to The Star.

upon the current wave OF strikes IN
defense industries as a constructive
development from the point of view
of business profits and of the secu-
rites markets, according to sur
Strikes, of course, are expensive.
Plants and machines must remain
idle when they might be operating
profitably. Subsequent operations are
burdened by higher labor costs re-
Sulting from wage increases obtained
by strikers.
But If, as appears to be the case
now, labor over-reacheS itself, the
ultimate effect of the current wave
of strikes may be the adoption of
measures to prevent further plant
shutdowns during the emergency.
In that event, wage increases may
also be curbed somewhat. Certainly
the more acute the situation be-
comes now the more stringent will
be the controls over labor later
adopted.
Public Opinion Powerful.
Now, when the newspaper head
lines are again filled with strikes, is
a good time to recall what happened
in the spring of 1887. Labor was
feeling its oats then. Business in
dexes had been moving upward, and
rising production had increased the
demand for workers. The Wagner
Act had been upheld by the Su-
preme Court-in April, 1937-and
labor looked on 1t as charter to
organize all industry and to insist
upon all kinds of concessions from
employers-on everything from wage
rates to union control over the rate
of factory operations.
Various State and Federal Gov
eminent agencies were making
meaningless gestures toward con-
ciliation or mediation but refraining
from the use of governmental au-
thority to enforce the law of trespass
against sit-down strikers.
1t looked very much as If there
were no power anywhere TO prevent
an widening scope of labor
troubles and labor demands Just
when prospects looked worst, how
ever. the Little Steel strike was
broken and the strike wave died out
Expenses Opposed.
Why was the Little Steel strike
unsuccessful after General Motors
and other large automotive COM
pahies had been forced by sit-down
strikes to grant concessions and
after Big Steel had given in to the
C. I. o. without strike? There
were. Of course number of fac
tors involved-the determination OF
management. the stiffened attitude
of legal authorities, including the
Governors Of several States, and the
beginning Of a downturn in business
activity.
The basic factor in ending the sit
down strike troubles in 1887. how
ever. and perhaps the major factor
in the changed attitude of State
and Federal Governments toward
the strikes was the revulsion in pub
lie opinion against the eXcesses of
labor.
AS long as it appeared that labor
was struggling to obtain from en-
plovers the right to collective bar
gaining guaranteed to it by Congress
and the courts, public opinion was
willing to condone certain excesses.
When it became evident that what
some labor leaders had in mind was
not equalization Of the bargaining
power of labor and management, but
rather sacrifice by management and
ownership of all rights. public
opinion revolted, and the politicians,
as usual. followed public opinion.
Jurisdictional Strikes Differ.
A clear distinction is beginning to
emerge in the public attitude to-
ward normal" strikes-for higher
wages, vacations, or other changes
in working conditions - as dis
tinguished from jurisdictional and
organization strikes.
Neither jurisdictional nor organi-
zation strikes are new development.
Union leaders long ago learned that
it was easier to organize workers in
plant closed by a strike than in
one which was operating and pay
ing regular wages. Union leaders
also learned long ago to be jealous
of their prerogatives; every time
union gave in on a jurisdictional
dispute, it gave up potential jobs for
it's members and potential dues for
its treasury.
But jurisdictional disputes con-
Germ only the question of allocating
work between two groups within la
Dor, and whatever the outcome it has
no effect on the position Of labor as
a whole And organization strikes,
while often a preliminary to wage
and other demands do not in them
selves, whether won or lost. bring
any tangible benefits to any lat
union officers.
AS far as organization strikes are
concerned, moreover, there is far
less excuse for them than there was
before passage of the National La
Dor Relations Act and creation of
the N. L. r. B. under it. Organizers
may now work in perfect freedom,
with a friendly authority to appeal
to if employers attempt to interfere.
Except to speed up the organiza-
ton process and force a separation
of the sheep from the goats by see
ing who will follow the leaders in
strike, there is nothing gained by
halting work. And If union is con-
fident it has a majority, it does not