Evening star., 1941-03-24
New Mediation Board
Expected 10 Iron Out
Problems Of Policy
foced With Decision
On JurisdictionuI Tieups
AS Defense Barriers


Mediation Board meets here tomor-
row morning for the first tirne it will
have number of important general
policy problems to solve before it
can begin its specific task of trying
to untangle strikes in defense in
dustries.
The members of the 11-man body
recently created by the President
must decide, for example, if it is
desirable to follow the precedent set
by the National War Labor Board in
1918 and adopt a few fundamental
principles by which it expects to
operate
Developments since the World
War may have dated such 1913
adopted principles as equal pay for
equal work by women" basic work.
day limitations and maintenance
of established safety precautions and
regulations. But how about organ
national and iurisdictional strikes?
Will the new board recognize their
validity as possible handicaps to the
defense program? This problem was
lOIStIlOSG Ill l1llllNlS VI OhJSNA ~ -
here yesterday.
A number of Labor Department
officials have expressed the opinion
that the board should and almost m
evitably will work out a few oblec-
tives, or statements of general policy
In its initial sessions.
Hillman Fights Restrictions.
.. H1rppt
general of the Office of Production
Management and several OF those
working under him repeatedly look
on such action with diSfavor. They
take the position that adoption OF
any policy principles in the begin
ming might restrict the board S work
too much later on.
Another matter of intense interest
to many observers, particularly IN
Army. Navy and defense production
and labor circles, will be the new
boards strictness of Interpretation
of the clause in the President's exec
utive order which specified that the
board would handle only strikes
certified as unadjustable by regular
conciliation services Of the Labor
Department. No employer or group
of employees, even acting Jointly.
could take dispute directly to the
mediation board. The executive
order stipulates that any labor con-
troversies brought directly TO the
attention of the board must be re-
ferred to the Labor Department.
Suppose that the War or Navy
Department and the o. P. M. in
sist that strikes holding up vital
production of defense materials are
obviously "unadjustable" by the La
bor Department, but the Labor De-
partment disagrees and postpones
certifying them over TO the media
ton board. What then?
Serious Disagreement.
At least one serious disagreement
OF this nature is known TO have oC-
Cured already between the Offices
of Mr.. Hillman and Secretary of
Labor Frances Perkins
And there are some who maintain
that the board should be able to
handle strikes in crucial defense
industries in their early stages and
not be subject to possible delays
while Labor Department concilia tors
struggle with disputes.
Still another procedure problem
that the board may have to deter
mine was expressed by one prom
nent labor official as follows:
They've got to make up their
minds whether they are going to be
a sort of sounding board of a real
supreme court for settlement of de-
fenSe strikes. If they interpret their
functions in fact finding and pub
llclZing of issues and recommended
tlonS as the best way of handling
tough cases and resort to the pres
sure of public opinion time and time
again, they will come to be regarded
as a form of Government infOrma-
ton and promotion service. That is
all right as far as it goes, but it
would be better if the board kept
Itself and its internal operations
out OF the public eye as much as
possible and concentrated on having
employers and employees concerned
settle their differences quietly. In
that way they could save the force
OF public opinion for the extraor-
dinarily difficult strikes and at the
same time build up for themselves
the kind of prestige that the United
States Supreme Court has. Of
course, the mediation board would
deal with findings of fact and not
legal interpretations"
Labor Staff Discussed.
There has been considerable
speculation over the extent to which
the mediation board will utilize the
labor division staff built up by Mr..
Hillman, first under the National
Defense Advisory Commission and
as of a transfer last week under
the o. P. M.
The Presidents executive order
stated that through the Bureau of
the Budget. the o. P. M. shall fur
nish the board with necessary ex-
perts, assistants, officers and en-
ployes and make provision for the
necessary supplies, facilities and
services"
While the o. P. M. labor division
has other important functions,
many of the some "a principals in
the division believe that they will
either be transferred to work di-
rect(y with the board or be aSso-
eiated with it closely in their pres
ent capacities.
On the other hand, some Govern
ment officials think the o. P. Ms
connection is primarily a budget
arrangement and that the board
will insist on recruiting an almost
entirely new staff of examiners and
Investigators.
Incidentally, while the boards
initial meeting is being held in con-
ference rooms of the o. P M. at the
Social Security Building, at present
there is no space in the building for
any permanent board offices.
That's another headache, but the
aspirin In this instance might be