Evening star., 1941-11-20

ana uIlIOll dIlt bliC 4OPiS
made by Mr.. Lewis, which he
chooses to call personal opinion.
The correspondence, however, is
very enlightening. 1t reveals some
things about the labor problem OF
which the public is hardly aware
and some regrettably enough on
which Mr.. Roosevelt himself has
been misinformed.
First, the President asks the steel
company executives to write a letter
to their employees which, under past
rulings of the National Labor Re-
lations Board. has been construed
as a violation of the Wagner Labor
Relations Act. Mr. Roosevelt asks
the employers to give notice TO
each of their employees that. they
are not opposed to union organiza-
ton or collective bargaining and
that they do not wish to discourage
or stand in the way Of any emplOye
who chooses to join the United
Mine Workers Union. If the en-
ployers could legally write such a
letter, they could legally write
letter saying they did not want
their workers to join union. The
law forbids both expressions.
Second. Mr.. Lewis tells the Presi-
dent that no officer or representa-
tive of the United Mine Workers
OF America possesses any grant of
authority to execute an open shop
agreement for any period whatso-
ever"
Postponed Strike.
Since Mr. Lewis insists that even
the maintenance of the status quo,
namely no closed shop for the dura-
ton of the emergency, is in effect
an open shop agreement, then he
plainly has violated his own in
structions already from his own
convention. For in the last few
weeks, Mr.. Lewis has twice post
poned a strike and permitted the
captive mine employees to operate
without a closed shop contract and
under what he terms is all open shop
arrangement.
Mr.. Lewis was being very tech
nical, perhaps only as a means of
emphasizing that he isn't the die
tator he is reputed to be and that
all these matters must be passed
upon by the convention. But that's
carrying it too far, for it certainly
Is unthinkable that a labor union
should assemble in convention once
every two years and adopt resolu-
ton which is so binding that no
policy committee or group of repre-
sentatives can alter it in the mean
time.
If labor unions are taking such
adamant positions, then the right
to strike becomes so absolute that
any labor union can tie up produc-
tior indefinitely and its officers can
claim that their hands are tied. 1t
would mean that only a vote OF
the membership can end strikes or
order them.
Must Mean Lack of Power.
What Mr.. Lewis letter must mean
when he says that no offlccr or
representative of the United NINE
Workers possesses any grant OF au-
thority to execute an open shop
spreement"-is that no one man mas
such power and that presumably
the Policy Committee which meeIs
next Saturday in Washington mas
that power.
Mr.. Lewis gives valid reasons lof
opposing arbitration. He thinks the
issue already has been decided oy
the President and the Defense Me-
diation Board against the cloSeo
shop and that any umpire Woulo
decide likewise. So the only thlhe
which the Policy Committee can
accent is the Presidents first alter
native namely to allow the closed
shop in the captive mines to remain
in status quo for the period OF the
national emergency, all other parts
of the Appalachian agreement ap-
plying
But in accepting that suggeSuoh'
W. limited Mine Workers Policy
Committee has 1t in its power 10
seize upon the Presidents mistaken
Interpretation of the Wagner Ia"
end force it home. 1t was legal 1of
The Mediation Board to urge the D
ner cent who are non-union to JON
the union. 1t was legal 1of the
president to write such letter NM
.e,f to each of the $500 employees
affected. but it is not legal for 'the
enonlovers themselves to do II
Mavbe the President will write tht
letter himself and the employers VIII
mail it to their employees
Caused Trouble Previously.
y will be recalled that employer;
who have tried to mail to thei'
employees copies of speeches IN Con-
rress have been subjected to charge'
Of unfair labor practices under
the statute.
II the Policy Committee OF the
miners union does force the ISSUE
and the 5 per cent non-union work
ers in the captive mines do JOIN Sc
that almost 100 per cent are mem
bers of the union, it still would no
be a victory for Mr.. Lewis, fol
while he has pretended that th'
closed shop in the captive mines Il
what he wanted, he really was ate
a declaration by the employers which
would aid him and c. I. O. union
In advancing the closed shop in th
tt1