Evening star., 1941-11-18

by the steel companies which are
not covered by the agreement.
In Britain, sympathetic strikes
are illegal. Congress is believed to
be ready to pass similar legislation
here.
But the manifestation of con-
certed power in defiance of the
Government transcends all other
aspects of the labor crisis. Will
Congress sit by and see the plea Of
the President ignored and the Gov
ernment rendered helpless to ad-
vance the defense program?
The whole country is watching
Washington, where the New Deal
has coddled labor unions to the
point that some Of their leaders ex-
hibit no respect whatsoever for the
administration that has given them
more. benefits and privileges than
any administration in all American
history.
John L. Lewis has said he had no
authority to agree to anything but
the closed shop. Hence, before the
conferences which were held over
the week end, it was apparent that
there could be no collective bargain
ting in good faith.
Webster Case Cited.
CuriouSly enough, the National
Labor Relations Board, in an i'm
portant decision in the so-called
Webster case, said that the Wagner
law holds an employer to be guilty
Of an unfair labor practice If he
sends into a collective bargaining
conference any one who isn't able
10 negotiate or whose hands are tied
on pending demands before the con-
ference starts. This is called failure
10 bargain in good faith.
, :: Mr.. Lewis. by his own public ad
mission, did not bargain in good
faith as the term is used under the
: Wagner law rulings, but there is
nothing In the statute to punish
any labor leader or union which
does not bargain in good faith. The
Wagner law penalties only the en-
ployer. The unions can commit any
Of the "unfair labor practices listed
an the law and go scot free. but the
ernplovers can be penalized for
'svery one Of them.
There used to be a penalty against
wildcat or outlaw strikes IN the coal
mines. But Mr.. Lewis succeeded
this year in getting all such penal
ties eliminated from the Appalach-
Ian agreement. Miners can now
walk out spontaneously" as they
. are doing in various commercial
mines, and suffer no penalty. The
National Defense Mediation Board
passed that contract and the ad-
ministration used plenty of pressure
TO have this penalty clause removed
10 that there would be no strike in
the coal mines last spring.
Today it is apparent that on
labor policy generally, the President
has been deceived and betrayed by
his own friends in the labor move
ment. He has been urged and
persuaded to appoint men who
would be friendly" to labor. He
has allowed his whole administra-
ton to be permeated with men who
would rule in favor of labor and now
IN time Of q critical national emer-
eency, labor union leaders in the
c. I. o. have deserted the admin
astration.
Congress Timid.
The convention of the C. I. O..
at Detroit is giving lip service to
national defense and is proclaiming
that 1t is in favor OF the Presidents
foreign policy, but strikes are
coming from the C. I. o. on de-
mands that have nothing to do
with wages or hours or working
conditions but have everything to
do with the gaining Of the monopoly
shop at the expense Of the general
public and the national defense
program.
Congress has. been timid and
seemingly afraid to. offend the
C. I. O. It. has succumbed to
threats again and, again. Not long
ago, when the Smith bill proposing
amendments to the Wagner Act
was before Congress, the labor lobby
threatened Congress and the bill