Evening star., 1941-01-02

up of our defenSeS.
The strike at the International
Harvester Co. plant at Fort Wayne,
Ind, is case in point. 1t illustrates
the unfortunate fact that the ma
tional leaders of the c. I. O., who
are processing cooperation with the
defense program, really may not
control their own unions. 1t en-
phasizes that official Washington,
while accepting the assurances of
the higher-upS in national labor
organization, is avoiding the un-
pleasant truth that the. right to
strike is being abused by local lead
ers who may care more about
feathering their own nests and
unionization politics than they do
about defense of their country.
For more than six months Inter-
national Harvester has been dealing
with the C. I. o. union. which won
the collective bargaining election at
the Fort Wayne plant. Compliance
with the law is not an issue. Three
or four times the company has made
important concessions and it was
believed an agreement was about to
be made. only to have new and un-
disclosed demands introduced to
muddy the waters.
No Legislative Check.
Collective bargaining has been
heralded as magma carta for
labor, but nobody has yet come
forward with a plan to make it an
instrument of good faith which will
not place unequal economic power
in the hands Of few men who have
no interest but their own selfish ends
in mind. There is at present no
legislative check on such abuse and
the Federal courts under the New
Deal are more and more disregard
ing judicial checks.
The Harvester company strike
presents a convincing illustration OF
why there is beginning to be talk
In Congress of legislation to limit
the right to strike in plants with
defense contracts. In the first place,
there has not been during the sew
eral months of negotiations any
issue relating to general increase
In wages. The Harvester company
either has paid in some instances
better wages than the rest of the
auto industry or, in other depart
ments, just as good wages. Conces-
sion after concession and compro-
mise after compromise have been
made by the company to hasten
agreement but each time new de-
mands. are trumped up.
The latest demands are significant.
The union demands s25 a week for
all employees who may be called into
selective service by the Government
This is not question which has
been generally agitated 1t is not
4 matter on which the national Off
GERS Of the c. I. o. have passed.
But yet local union leader can
Introduce such a demand and tie
up $500 workers by injecting it.
Broad Question Of Policy.
Just why the national officers of
the c. I. o. have not let their locals
know that trumped-up reasons for
strikes are not in the interest of
good lnionism is not known, if in
deed the national labor executives
have any control over their locals
on such matters. It would seem
that Phil Murray and Sidney Hill
man, who are prominent in labor
matters at the National Capital,
fo1t 1off VIII, ie
member Of the National Defense
Advisory Commission and has just
been made associate director of the
ONCE for Production Management,
would have enough influence to pre-
vent plants from being closed down
until such broad questions of policy
could be ironed out not merely for
one plant but for all workers. Ger
tainly there is no reason why the
International Harvester Co. should
be singled out to be forced to pay
the wages of men who are called to
the draft.
The Federal Governments own
conciliation service has had a man
on the job trying to settle the strike.
He came into the situation recently
and before he has had chance to
work things out, the strike is called.
Another example of the same thing
was the Vultee aircraft strike, about
which nothing has been done to
prevent a recurrence.
When the Federal Government
own representatives are flouted,
then legislation alone can bring a
remedy. The Harvester company at
the moment is engaged in a vital
piece of truck engineering. In the
next 80 days it must get its develop
ment work on multiple wheel drives
ready for Army inspection in order
to accelerate its part of the program
of trucks for Britain and China and
for the United States Army Closing
down the plant at this time is
strategic interference with the de-
Tense program which, it can we'll be
imagined, will please the friends of
delayed defense.
If legislation is not Immediately
In order, then Congress, through a
new committee, might well start an
Investigation of the abuses of collec-
tive bargaining to see what limita-
tons can be imposed to prevent sab
otage of the defense program.
Many OF the maneuvers Of these
strikes are not made by the men who
had them or by those who them
selves may be merely preoccupied
with labor union politics. Their own
patriotism is not being questioned.
But behind the labor front are sabo-
teurs who know how to needle the
labor leaders and also how to build
up strong minority groups within
the labor union membership so as to
threaten local labor leaders Jobs. It
Is this angle of labor politics and
subversive activities on. which COM
plete investigation Is needed.
The conduct Of legitimate union