Evening star., 1942-05-12

may lccl tIley now are DelnG QraWn
by governmental agencies into doing
something of a quasi-political ma
ture for there is no less logic in ask
ing the employer to deduct money
from payrolls to maintain men,
bership In the Democratic or Re-
publican party than to maintain
memberships and collect the dues
for any labor union.
The National War Labor Board,
In a recent decision in White Sew
ing Machine Corp. case, admits
that the union never has had any
difficulty collecting dues or main
tanning memberships, because all
but four Of the $50 employees of the
company are members in good
standing. The board says that re-
lations between the union and the
company have been cordial and
there Is no claim made by the
union that the company has in any
way sought to undermine it, nor is
there any competing union in the
picture. - The union asks for q
straight checkof arrangement"
Other Deductions Cited.
The board then makes the fol-
lowing comment in its decision:
"The company presently makes de-
ductions from the pay of its en-
ployes for the following other pur-
poses: Social security, insurance.
disqualification, defense bonds and
membership dues for social
club.
AFTER listening to extended argu-
ment and discussion on the entire
issue Of union security. the panel is
unanimously Of the opinion that
no hardship would be entailed If
q provision were included in the
contract providing for a voluntary
and revocable dues assignment"
The War Labor Board, therefore,
decides the issue not on the princi-
pie involved but on whether it would
be practicable from a bookkeeping
standpoint to grant check-of.
There never has been the slightest
objection to a check-off by employ
ers on the ground that it would
actually be inconvenient to COL
lect such dues. On the contrary,
It Is conceded that there is virtually
no hardship involved and never has
been. The objection goes rather to
the fact that when an employer col
lects dues for the union, the en-
ployer is placed in the position of
indorsing the union, supporting it
and actually keeping it going
financially.
The next step then is the closed
shop, whereby the employer must
agree to accept the wishes Of the
officers of the monopoly in his plant.
They may then tell him whom he
may or may not hire or else they
tel him that he must advise any
one he does hire that membership
in the union is compulsory at the
end of 80 days or so.
The Wagner labor relations law
was heralded as a Magma Carta of
labor on the ground that company
financed unions were hereafter to
be taboo. But now 1t appears that
the company can grant financial
favors to a union If the union hap
pens to be affiliated with a national
organization and is in active politi-
cal alliance with the administration
that is in power.
The principle that the union
should stand on its own feet. collect
its own dues and maintain its own
membership on its merits as bene-
fetal labor organization has been
discarded. Instead, the union now
leans on the employer, who is COM
PEELED by the United States Gov
ernment itself to act as a collecting
agent for private organizations.
Uniformity Spread.
The checkoff originally was de-
Tended by the War Labor Board. as
was maintenance of membership
on the ground that unions might be
undermined by employers Likewise
1t has been contended by the board
that it was not applying any general
policy, but was deciding each case
on it's merits. Yet in the White
Sewing Machine case the union de-
mands, as set forth by the board
itself, state that the union has
called attention TO contracts with
other companies in the area call
ing for some form Of union security
Thus is the policy of the labor
board made uniform by the demand!
of labor union organizations. Also
since the record shows the COM
pany has been admittedly immune
from any charge of trying to under.
mine the union, the reason giver
several weeks ago for granting
union security and checkoffs ha!
disappeared. The truth is the Wa
Labor Board is not operating on an!
general formula or principle excep
one, namely, that labor unions mus
be coddled and given almost every
thing they demand, because other
wise they would not cooperate IL
producing goods in the war effort
The inference is that the unions
presumably would defy the Govern
ment and the board and that, to b.
kept in line, their demands in tn
main for union security must b
met. This is not an enviable posi-
ton In which to place trade union
ism In America during the mos
critical war in our whole history.
0eproduction Rights Reserved.)