Imperial Valley press., 1941-03-30
If Farmers Should Use Union Tactics
Resultant Furor Would be Heard
Over Nation, Farm Expert Says

hot cargo" provisions is now pend
ing before the State Legislature and
II will be interesting to see just
how the lawmakers face the issue
If the situation were reversed, and
farmers were employing the sec
ondary boycott" in an attempt to
break labor unionism, there would
be little doubt of the outcome.
There would be such hue and cry
against the practice that the vote
would be virtually unanimous. And
farmers will watch with interest
to learn whether their rights will be
championed with equal vigilance.
There are two bills to outlaw
the secondary boycott, which far
mers should note and keep tab on.
They are Senate Bill 877, by Sem
ator Gordon and two others, and
Assembly Bill 1866, by Assembly,
men Millington and Phillips.
The two bills declare use of the
secondary boycott and "hot car
CO. weapons unlawful
Hot cargo is defined to include
any combination or agreement re-
sulting refusal by employees to
handle goods or perform services
for their employer, because of
dispute between some other en-
ployer and his employees or labor
organization.
Secondary boycott is defined to
include any combination or agree
ment. Cd to cease performing
services for any employer, Or 90
to cause any employe to cease per-
forming such services, or go TO
cause any loss Or injury to such
employer, or (4) to cause any loss
or injury to his employees for the
purpose of inducing or compelling
the employer to refrain ID from
doing business with another en-
ployer or CD from handling the
products of such other employer,
because of a dispute between the
latter employer and his employees
or a labor organization.
Under the bills now pending,
combinations or agreements to in
duce violation of the statute or TO
injure anyone refusing to violate
the statute, are also outlaWed.
If these bills are not enacted,
any California farmer, at any time,
may be threatened with the loss of
his entire crop and his whole
years income. if he doesn't |
knuckle-under to some city labor
boss who has the power to declare
his crop hot cargo" For under the |
existing law, and recent court in
terpretations, labor can picket and |
boycott any farm, anywhere, any
time, for any reason, or for no |
reason at all. That intolerable con-
dltion puts the farmer, who feeds |
and clothes the nation, at the |
mercy of every labor racketeer in |
the country. 1t gives labor unions |
the power to bludgeon and bleed |
the farming industry.
Every farmer who values his |
right to stay in business, and who
believes he is just as entitled to his
right to earn a living as the work
er who belongs to union, should
get in touch with his legislators and
advise them of his attitude. And
when the vote is finally taken he
should keep a record of how his
local lawmakers voted-for future
reference.
There is no doubt in this writer's
opinion, of how the people of Cali
fornia would vote on this question
if it were presented to them, for
the voters, in most instances, are
quick to crack down Oh unfairness
and discrimination. The secondary
if the issue is submitted |
to the people will be outlawed.
But there should eb no need TO
take the question to the people.
The Legislature should prove to the
farming people of California that
it is just as quick to protect theiI
rights, and their interests, as those
of labor or any other branch of the
community.
AT one of the recent legislative
committee hearings in Sacramento
on these bills, labor leaders arro-
gantly served notice on the Legis-
lature that if the secondary boy
cott' is outlaWed they will still
continue to use it. They bluntly
stated that they will ignore any
ban the Legislature may place on
this outrageous practice. When any
group in a democracy considers
tself above the laW-and openly de-
clares its intention to flout the
aW-then, certainly, the time has
5ome to act. The Legislature should
;all that bluff. When the Legisla-
,ure has outlawed the secondary
ooycott', it will then be time for
our courts to demonstrate equal
enforce the ban to the
INIT.