Evening star., 1941-09-16

strike is that OF
the 5000 hard David Lawrence.
coal miners in Pennsylvania who
forced a shutdown several days ago
of collieries in protest against an
increase in assessment by the union.
Here is something with which the
employer cannot possibly have any
thing to do as it is strictly matter
for the union to decide, but the
company suffers and so does the
Nation.
These miners belong to the c, I. O.,
which has closed shop and check
off whereby the employer agrees to
deduct dues from the weekly wages.
The workers up to now have allowed
themselves to be ruled by an oil
garchy of labor leaders and now they
see clearly that their pay can be
diminished by an arbitrary rise in
assessments.
What the workers do not realize,
however, is that they have a far
more effective way to obtain their
rights and to prevent any increase
in dues from being applied against
their will. The employer can be sued
and so can the union for cOnfiSCating
any part OF the workers wages with
out his specific consent. Nobody has
a right to take any of the laborer's
wages if he does not wish it. The
check-off is legal only insofar as
every union member gives his con-
sent. The fact that the parent
union which exercises Jurisdiction
nationally makes contract with all
employers does not bind the local
workers nor does it give the employer
the right to sign away the wages
of his men.
Written Into Contracts.
It is true that the Wagner law
gives the local union or the national
union, as the case may be, the right
to represent the workers in bar
gaining for a contract, but when
dues are increased this means
blanket increase for which each in
dividual worker must give his spe-
cific consent or the employer is
liable.
Usually labor unions which apply
the check-of take the precaution
to make it part of contract which,
when ratified by the men, consti-
tutes an agreement binding on the
workers. But it is not likely that
this would apply to any increase in
dues amounting to a deduction of
wages during the life of the con-
tract. If 1t does, then it means that
the parent union can change the
wages at will in any local union
and apply increases in assessments
up to any percentage of the total
The calling of a strike to get rid
of an increase in dues is rare but
1t Is indicative of what the Nation
has in store for it if it allows the
closed shop and check-off to be
imposed on the workers. In the
Kearny IN. j. Shipbuilding case,
the National Defense Mediation
Board has approved the first step
toward complete closed shop and
check-off. The employer was asked
TO agree to dismiss any workers
who already were members of the
union or who became members of
the union in the future in the event
that dues were not paid.
This makes the employer respon-
tible for dues collection even though
the check-off is not specifically
mentioned.
Workers Left Helpless.
With the administration support
ing the method of employer respon-
sibility for dues collections, the
workers are left helpless. The case
of the hard coal miners illustrates
the dangers of the National Defense
Mediation Boards recent blunder in
agreeing to a union-maintenance ar
rangement. More and more the
labor union leaders are developing
methods of tyrannical control over
the wages of workers and the fact
that one group struck in protest
against higher dues may lead to
other strikes because strike after
all is the only way protest can be
made If the courts are not resorted
10 by the employees. For in con-
certed action lies the protection for
the workers. Individually if they
protest against dues-paying they