Evening star., 1941-12-04
Proposes Plan 10 Save
Labor's Right to Strike.

To the Editor Of This Star:
Some proposed restrictions on the ac-
tivities Of labor unions during the ma
tional emergency. /. O.. those making
unlawful jurisdictional and sympathetic
strikes, providing for cooling of period,
and compulsory arbitration, deny or
abridge the right to strike.
Are such restrictions and controls
necessary or desirable?
The National Labor Relations Act
guarantees the right Of collective bar
gaining II it be desired to amend this
law to change some Of its pro-labor
provisions, should not this be done di-
rectly and not indirectly?
What are the conditions that make
such legislation restricting labor unions
seem necessary? There is q small mi
nority in both labor and industry that
Is working consciously or unconsciously
to bring about a socialistic state. One
wants the seizure OF plants regardless
OF the rights Of property owners: the
other wants to take away labor's funda-
mental rights. Neither side realizes that
to have plant seizure implies conscripted
labor and that to have conscripted labor
implies plant seizure. 1t is impossible to
have free enterprise without free labor.
The majority in labor and manage
ment do not want strikes and indus
trial disputes, and public opinion is
against subversive activities which slow
up defense production. But the public
cannot tell which strikes are legitimate
and which are illegitimate.
Strikes cannot be successful without
the support of public opinion. Is not
the answer to this problem: factual pub
licity. the truth about strikes, so that
the force Of public opinion can be mo-
bilized in support Of legitimate strikes
and against those elements and individ-
uals in labor and management that are
fomenting strikes for their own selfish
and shortsighted ends?
In place Of the proposed legislation now
being debated in Congress. it is sug-
sested that what is needed is a law pro-
viding 4 certain procedure to be followed
that will give to the public, employees
and stockholders Of corporations the true
facts about each strike before it is called,
and making unlawful and punishable by
hne and imprisonment the calling Of
strikes until this procedure has been
followed out. and also making unlawful
the Willful failure by the officers or
agents OF the union or OF management
to follow out the prescribed procedure.
This procedure should embrace the
following:
1. Written demands by the officers or
agents Of the union. stating the name
and membership OF the union. and the
authority Of its officers or agents to act
for the membership The precise nature
Of each demand and other necessary
facts for clear intelligent presentation
Of the unions demands, but without the
inclusion of evidence in support Of those
demands.
2. Answer In writing by management
within the space of two or three DAYS
to each Of labors separate demands,
thereby setting up a number OF issues
Of fact or law for future agreement or
determination.
,. Posting on a bulletin board in the
plant OF the union demands and manage
ment's answer.
I. Publication OF same in newspaper
for two or three consecutive days.
s. One copy Of demands and answers
to be sent to the Secretary Of Labor in
Warrington for inspsctien by the public.
Such . procedure would involve no