Evening star., 1941-03-08

4ONSs
On February David Lawrence.
, William Green, president of the
A. F. of L., issued a public state
ment which was widely printed in
the newspapers of the country de-
claring that A. F. of L. claimed il
had a majority of the workers in
the three big Ford plants in Mich
igan.
On February this correspondent
referred in these dispatches to Mr.
Green's statement as an evidence of
a conflict of interest between the
A. F. of L. and the c. I. O.. which
also claimed a majority and hence
the right to sole bargaining power
for all Ford workers.
On February 81 news came of the
formal filing with the Michigan
Mediation Board of an intention
by the c. I. o. to call a strike in
the Ford plants. This correspondent
wrote on that date: The C. I. o.
claims a majority of workers in the
big Ford plants and so does the A. F.
of L." and added that it was up to
the National Labor Relations Board
to bring about an expeditions elec-
ton.
Error Charged.
On March the director Of in
formation of the Labor Board wrote
a circular letter to the newspapers
IN which he said: Mr.. Lawrence's
statement that the American Fed
Grafton of Labor claims a majority
of the workers in the big Ford
plants is another error. We know
Of no such claim"
But it develops that on March
Harold A. Cranefeld. regional di-
rector of the National Labor Rela-
tions Board, with offices in Detroit,
Mich, addressed letter TO all
American Federation Of Labor
unions having workers in the Ford
plants and also to Mr.. Green, for
mally notifying the latter that the
c. L o. had claimed majority and
asking if the A F. of L. wished to
dispute the claim in formal pro-
ceedings.
On March s Mr.. Green wrote to
the Labor Board declaring that
the A. F. of L. did claim an interest
in the election. He said: we will
gladly submit evidence in support
of our claim of interest in the repre-
sentation of the employees of the
Ford Motor Co. at its Lincoln plant
in collective bargaining" He added
that he was inclosing a copy of a
statement to the press, in which
the A. F. of L. chieftain made this
further comment:
I'VE will welcome this opportunity
to intervene and we sincerely hope
that an election among the employees
of the Ford Motor Co.'S Lincoln
plant will be held at very early
date. The American Federation of
Labor will steadfaStly maintain the
right of the American Federation
of Labor Federal Union established
at the Lincoln plant of the Ford
Motor Co. to represent said employees
as their collective bargaining
agency.
Ready "At Any Time"
we are ready for an election
at the Lincoln plant Of the Ford
Motor Co. at any time. We seek a
determination of the issue raised by
the representatives Of the C. I. o.
as quickly as possible"
1t will be noted that the A. F.
of L. does not ask that there be
an adjudication of any alleged un-
fair labor practice charges pending
against the Ford company before
the election is held, but that the
A. F. of L. is ready for the election
now. Will the Labor Board delay
the election or will it follow the
procedure it has often insisted upon,
namely, that unfair labor practice
charges must be disposed of first
before there is an election? This
procedure sometimes takes as much
as two years.
Just why the National Labor Re-
lationS Board refused in its letter
to the press on March to take
CogniZance of the A. F. of L. claims
Is somewhat of mystery. 1t might
be that the board doesn't consider
a claim exists unless it formally is
filed with the board, but this writer
on February 27 was discussing what
was a widely known fact, namely,
that the A. F of L. and c. l. o. were
each claiming the right to represent
Ford workers as the sole bargaining
agent.
Should Act Speedily.
The point was made that the
Labor Board ought not wait for
a lot of red tape to be unraVeled,
but should act the moment public
claims of a majority were made by
conflicting unions. Evidently the
regional director of the Labor Board
in Detroit knew on March l what
the A. F. of L. claimed or he would
not have written to all the A. F..
of L. unions and Mr.. Green on that
date asking them to offer evidence
to Substantiate their claims. 1t may
be, of course, that the Office of in
formation of the N. L. r. B. here
did not know what was happening
in it's Detroit office or that it didn't
read the front pages of the news
papers of February 2 when Mr..
Green's first claim was published.
1t would appear that the letter sent
out on March by the Labor Board
was a serious miSstatement on a
question of fact which could not but
be regarded as publicity unfavorable
to the A. F. of L.
In view of President Roosevelt's
statement that the Nation would not
countenance jurisdictional strikes
called as a result of conflict between
two unions working on defense con-
tracts, it would be regrettable if the
c. I. o. now went through with its
announced intention Of calling a
strike at the three Ford plants in
volving some $4,000 workers without
giving the Labor Board a chance to
order an election. But it is, on the
other hand, true that the board does
not feel compelled to order an elec-
ton until unfair labor practice