Evening star., 1941-08-19
An important Issue

The issue underlying the costly de-
Tense strike at the Kearny, N. j., yard
of the Federal Shipbuilding and Dry
Dock Company is an important one,
despite the fact that it has been con-
siderably confused by claims and
counter claims.
A strike was called at the yard on
August by local of the Industrial
Union of Marine and Shipbuilding
Workers of America, c. I. O., in vio-
lation of an agreement outlawing
strikes for two years. AS result,
some 1900 men are idle and all
work has stopped on $493 ,000,000 of
defense contracts.
It Is clear that the immediate
cause of the strike was the refusal
of the company to accept recon-
mendation by divided panel of the
National Defense Mediation Board
that it agree to union security"
clause. L. H. Korndorff, president of
the company, has said that accept
ance of this clause would amount to
the granting of a closed shop and
that, as a matter of principle, he
would prefer to have his shipyard
taken over by the Government.
William H. Davis, chairman OF the
Mediation Board, has denied that the
recommendation calls for a closed
shop.
It is on this question, then, that
the Presidents decision for or against
taking over the plant will turn, and
1t Is desirable that the union security
clause be fully understood.
Under this provision the company
would obligate itself to discharge
any employe who, belonging to the
union or voluntarily joining, failed
to maintain himself as member in
good standing. In other words, the
employer Is required to guarantee
that the position Of the union shall
not be weakened, although 1t may
be strengthened, and the individual
employees who are members or who
become members are deprived of
their right to resign during the life
of the contract.
This, obviously, is something that
goes far beyond anything contem-
plated by the Wagner Act. Under
that statute the employer is forbid
den to interfere with union organi-
zation, but it is something else again
for the Government to insist that he
become the club whereby a union is
enabled to maintain membership
that might deteriorate If the indi-
vidual members were permitted to
retain their freedom of choice.
This issue Is not new In the set
tlement of the recent North Ameri-
can Aviation strike, for example, a
similar clause was insisted upon.
And yet that was an unauthorized
strike, called in defiance of the ma
tional union leadership and main
tanned under Communist influence.
So far as the local union was con-
cerned. its utter irresponsibility was
conclusively demonstrated, but new
ertheless the Government stepped
into the picture and insisted that the
employer compel union members who
were opposed to the outlaw strike to
maintain their memberships or for
felt their jobs. This, surely, is a
policy which tends to put premium
on union responsibility and which
promises to be a. potent source of
industrial trouble If 1t Is to be gen.
orally applied.
In the Kearny case, the President,
whatever his personal feelings, is
faced with hard choice. Union lead
ers already have served notice that
they expect the Government, if it
takes over the plant, to grant the Sc
curity clause, and have said that the
men will be urged to seek work else
where" if this is not done. The Gov
eminent, however, has no such
agreement with its own employees,
and the granting of it in this case
under what amounts to threat OF
continuation of the strike might give
rise to serious repercussions. On the
other hand, it is difficult to see how
the President can fail to support the
Mediation Board, now that the rec
ommendation has been made. But,
If he decides to uphold the board in
this instance, it is to be hoped that
he will use his influence to discour-
age further recommendations of this
sort, which make no contribution to
national defense and which have no
relation to legitimate labor demands
In time of national emergency.