The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1941-11-20
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~ III
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Last FEBRUARY l nCrOQuCeQ Dill III
congress to establish a clear-cut labor
relations policy for this defense emer-
gency, providing that, rather than
stopping production, both employers
and employees should utilize all exist
ing government agencies of concilia-
ton, mediation, and voluntary arbi-
tration, with definite procedures estab-
fishes, to settle their differences.
It was my belief then that such a
measure would in the long run be to
the great advantage of the labor
movement, the overwhelming majority
of which wanted then and still wants
to cooperate in defense and avoid all
production stoppages possible. 1t ap-
peared to me inevitable that if stop
pages of defense production continued
inevitably public pressure would build
up to the point where it would force
enactment of legislation cracking
down" on labor and penalizing the
labor movement.
If the opinions I heard expressed
time and time again on my trip last
week around Minnesota are any indi-
cation of what people generally in the
nation are thinking, my opinion OF
last February is already proved cor
rect.
As a matter of fact Minnesota has
had far less than its proportionate
share of production stoppages and
strikes because of the operation OF
our Labor Relations Act and the con-
fidence in that law of both employers
and labor. Despite this, public SEN
timent against labor unions in the
state, particularly in the rural sections
is terrific.
Simply a fair labor relations Law
designed to eliminate the great ma
jority of these stoppages would no
satisfy many of the people with whom
I talked now. They want something
much more drastic They would ik
to see strikes prohibited completely, al
strikers jailed, closed shop contract
declared illegal, and all union activi
ties vigorously regulated by the Gov
eminent.
It is my conviction now, as it wa
in February, that a vicious, crack
down statute would defeat its owl
purpose and create greater industrial
strife than we have now. I still be
lieve a sane, fair law will accomplish
far more than statute drawn TO
punitive purposes. know that 80 t
e5 per cent of organized labor is co
operating and wants to cooperate il
defense, and to crack down on tn
entire movement because of the grasp
ing for power of a few misguided O
selfish leaders and local groups woul
be tremendous mistake.
The fact that about half of a
strikes in defense industries are fo
the closed shop and another substan
tial proportion are over Jurisdictions
disputes constitute a severe indictmen
of the leadership of the labor move
ment. I have not met a single respon
sible labor leader who does not agre
privately that strikes for either Q
these purposes are wrong and actual
hurt labor in this emergency, yet thes
leaders seem powerless to stop them.
John L. Lewis, whose arbitrary, die
tatorial, public be damned" attitud
has done more than any other thin
to crystalize public opinion, has don
irreparable injury to the whole labo
movement And the resignation 9
Murray and Kennedy of the CIO fror
the National Defense Mediation Boar
in protest against its refusel to gran
Lewis demand for closed shop an
check-of in the captive mines is t
my mind a betrayal of the dmeocrati
process which labor should be most in
terested in preserving.