Evening star., 1941-09-01

most lnQlSCreei. #:#$5 -
The typical La %AE8s
Dor Day state David Lawrence.
ment gives far more consideration
to what is politically desirable or
tactful than to what happens to be
the outstanding fact of the hour.
Today, for example, labor rela-
tions have reached almost the point
of chaos. The friction between man
agement and labor is growing. The
great Magma Charta" Of labor-the
Wagner Act-has served only to in
tensify the cleavage and as for the
patriotic impulses that are sup
posed to prevent work stoppages,
this is the merest hypocrisy. There
have been more man hours lost
due to strikes in 1941 than in the
corresponding period of 1910. All
the optimistic propaganda and
pollyanna pronouncements from
Government officials and Congress
men seeking to curry favor with
labor to the effect that strikes are
few and far between and hence re-
strictive legislation is unnecessary
have been proved baseless. Despite
protestations to the country, man.
agement and labor are farther apart
on the fundamentals of labor re-
iations in the operation of the de-
fense program than they we're in
time of peace.
Political Approval.
The reason for this conflict is to
be found in the political approach.
The present administration owes It's
third term to the votes of labor.
Hence, even when the Nation is in
peril, the administration considers
It far more important to accept the
plain defiance of labor unions which
go on strike than to speak plain
words about the artificially stimu-
lated wave of strikes which man
ages to interrupt work in shlpyards,
in aircraft manufacture and in the
DIOQuCllOIl
materials vital to defense.
Instead of reprImanding labor for
It's refusal to obey the request of
the President of the United States
that there be no work stOppages
while mediation machinery is put
to work to settle strikes, the admin
istration actually rewards the fac
tions and unions which ignore its
pleas. Thus when last June a
strike was called by c. I. o. union
In California at the plant of the
North American Aviation Co., when
the Attorney General publicly said
Communistic elements were at fault
and when the nationanl officers of
the union deplored the strike and
for several days we're unsuccessful
In persuading the local leaders to
stop the strike. the administration
through its National Defense Me-
diation Board rewards the striking
union and it's leaders by giving them
the biggest concession the United
States Government has ever made
to labor union-sanction for a
modified closed shop"
Chaotic Condition.
Today the entire aircraft industry
on the West Coast is demoralized by
that decision. The labor relations
problem hangs over it with threat
ening clouds and throughout the
shipyards of the East where the De-
tense Mediation Board has gone on
record as favoring a modified closed |
shop also, the instability has spread
to shipyards generally.
Such a chaotic condition in the |
labor world is due largely to the |
administration inclination to cater |
to the political Side-to favor labor |
unions irrespective of their behav- |
ior. For obviously if the strikers
at the North American plant who |
disregard the request of the Pres
ident Of the United States so that |
he had to send troops into the plant, |
there is not likely to be any disci-
pline in the labor movement gen.
orally.
None of the statements on Labor |
Day recites the above facts nor do |
they refer to the gradual imposi-
ton of the collective system which
is involved in a Government-ap- /
proved closed shop, Yet these un-
pleasant facts are what the people |
ought to be told on Labor Day if,
indeed, it is true as the President |
says that national defense is vital |
and that America is in danger. Some
day some courageous labor leader
and outspoken employer will get |
together a statement to debunk all |
Labor Day statements and the Ma
ton will be the better for 1t.