Evening star., 1941-03-31
Refusal 10 Bargain
Blamed for Bloody
Little Steel Strike
Senate Civil Liberties
Committee Says Stond
Threatens Our Security
BACKGROUND

Sh'h'its@S S1JS @AAha
Threatens Our Security
BACKGROUND
Little steel strike OF 1887 opened
May 2S aOith 1UdIkout at Re-
public'S NeWton plant in Monroe,
Mich. 1t soon spread to YoungS-
to1Cn, Warren, Canton and
M1SSillon, Ohio. and JohnStoUn,
Pa, in organization driUe By
Steel Workers Organizing Com
n1ittee. Each locale 1UaS marked
by r1oting and bloodShed. Strike
ended July II after three strikers
iDere killed at MaSSillon By police
bullets.
By the Associated Press
The Senate Civil Liberties Com
mittee today blamed the bloody
Little Steel" strife of 1887 on the
'uncompromising refusal" of the
independent" producers to bargain
with workers.
The committee further declared
that any company which today de-
clines under all circumstances" to
enter into a signed bargaining con-
tract is "endangering the national
security"
Reporting an its protracted study
of the stubbornly-f fought strikes in
the plants of the Bethlehem, Re-
public and Youngstown Sheet &
Tube companies almost your years
ago, the committee told the Senate
they had a peculiar relevance to
the problems of industrial produc-
ton and national defense which
challenged the Nation today"
Could Have Averted Strikes.
The committee held that the Lit
tie Steel" strikes might easily have
been avoided and then stated
Certain it is that the Nation
cannot permit these companies to-
day to take the same attitude they
took in 1887 with the same inevitable
consequences of interrupted pro-
duction.
ANY company which today stands
up and fatty refuses to enter into
a signed bargaining contract under
all circumstances, and any employer
association which supports and
assists it in such a position, are
endangering the national security.
Such conduct not only threatens
the vital continuity of production,
but it challenges the Nations
domestic authority, weakens respect
of labor for the national aims. and
destroys the sense of unity and COM
mon effort"
Urges Speedier Settlement.
The report, signed by Senator La
Toilette, Progressive, of Wisconsin,
as chairman, and Senator Thomas,
Democrat. of Utah recommended
speedier adjudication and settle
ment" of court and Labor Board
cases involving collective bargaining
issues to avoid resort to novel sub
stantiative measures"
The benefits to be gained by COL
lective bargaining in this period of
defense activity" it said, may
evaporate before the present pro-
cedures of the Labor Board and the
courts have reached final ad-
judication of the rights involved.
Under the present circumstances,
neither the ALLEGATION of Govern
ment contracts nor the existing
procedure under the National Labor
Relations Act provide wholly ad-
equate remedies.
"a necessary prerequisite to the
settlement of any industrial con-
troversy involving an alleged refusal
to bargain collectively under the
defense program is the prompt and
authoritative determination of the
respective rights of the contending
parties under existing law.
"Wholehearted and prompt COM
pliance with the mandate of the
National Labor Relations Act once
1t is interpreted and applied should
be sufficient to avert Interruptions
of production in such cases."
Study Is Limited.
The committee limited its study
TO strikes in the plants of the three
companies at Monroe, Mich;
Youngstown, Warren, Canton and
Massilon, Ohio, and Johnstown, Pa
It mentioned a fourth company
Inland Steel-only incidentally by
quoting from report of a Fedora
mediation board and said:
mo agreement of any kind wa;
reached between the Steel Workers
Organizing Committee &C. I. o. anc
any of the companies involved ex-
Cept in the case of the Inland Stee
Co., where the Governor of Indians
brought about an amicable settle.
ment without deciding the issues II
dispute"
The bloodshed, bitterness anc
economic disorganization of com
munities resulting from the Littl,
Steel strike might easily have beer
avoided" the report said, had tht
companies conformed to the laws o
the United States, instead O
ranging their combined economic
strength and the prestige and influ
ence of their employer association
in opposition to collective bargain
ing.
Their determination to fout tn
law, and their efforts, through /,
careful campaign of propaganda, t,
enlist local communities to assis
them, must be condemned as dan
gerous to lawful Government"
Youngstown to Pay $4,000
J. 1907 Gil