Evening star., 1942-07-07

ployerS VINO nave David Lawrence.
war contracts and the President has
backed up the board in this usurpa-
ton Of power never granted by Con-
gress, the extension of the boards
authority to include all businesses
means that all employers, even
though not engaged in war work,
must accept the decisions Of the
WLB.
The Importance OF this step is not
merely related to employers. 1t may
mean a virtual scuttling Of the Wag-
ner law, which created q separate
board, known as the National Labor
Relations Board, to deal with dis
putes in industry generally.
But the NLRB never had any
power of compulsory arbitration. 1t
never even had powers Of mediation
or conciliation. Labor unions gen.
orally have applauded the Wagner
law and supported the NLRB
against attacks on the ground that
the law for the first time legalizes
collective bargaining and compels
the employer to negotiate in good
faith with the bona fide representa-
tives of the workers or their unions.
No Need Of Conflict.
Now it develops that the NLRB
either isn't doing its job-which is
wrong assumption-or that it is do
Ing its job too well, which means
that labor unions are beginning to
undermine it because they cannot
control 1t. The latter assumption
arises from the fact that labor
unions apparently are maneuvering
to bring all kinds Of disputes before
the War Labor Board rather than
before the Labor Relations Board.
Strictly speaking, there ought not
be any conflict between these two
boards, as each has separate func-
tions. In addition, the NLRB has
behind It a specific statute Of Con-
rress. Yet there are labor unions
which insist that they must exercise
their right to strike even in wartime,
and even against employers engaged
In war production. because the lat
ter allegedly are refusing to bargain
In good faith with their employe
organizations.
It had been supposed that the
NIRB would take care OF such
things and apply proper penalties
against violators Of the Wagner law.
Resolutions adopted by the Amert-
can Federation Of Labor's Central
Labor Union Organizing Committee
at Omaha, Nebr., recently have been
sent to all national and interna-
tional unions afnliated with AFL IN
Nebraska and to President Green OF
the AFL.
These resolutions set forth that
powerful anti-union employers
whose employees have been organized
into AFL unions, in spite OF most
vicious opposition, prove conclusive
ly by their actions that they intend
to take every possible unfair ad.
vantage under protection Of the ma
tional defense program" and that
these employers refuse to bargain
fairly and in good faith with thu
union chosen by their employees ant
persist in defying the rights Of or
ganized labor by definitely refusini
to give just consideration to th'
workers involved"
Law Supposedly "Cure."
It is precisely the foregoing typ
Of charge which the sponsors OF tn
Wagner law said would be cured b
the enforcement of that statute
Here, however, labor unions in tn
midst OF war are threatening
strike and thus will get their case
before the War Labor Board instea
OF the Labor Relations Board. Pre-
sumably, the latter process take
longer and also the strike weapo
or the threat of a strike Is power
full instrument Of campaigning fc
members or the maintenance {
membership in unions.
The WLB has shown its READINGS
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