Evening star., 1942-08-26
Nelson Calls Par|ey
To Hear Grievances
OF Labor Leaders
Demands for Greater
Role in WPB Also
Will Be Discussed


Role in WPB Also
Will Be Discussed
Labor's grievances against the
War Production Board and de-
mands for a greater voice in its
operation were slated today to be
threshed out later in the week at
intimate conferences between
Chairman Donald M. Nelson and
small committee Of labor lead
erS.
The parley was arranged by Mr..
Nelson after stormy session yes
terday between anf AFL-CIO dele
cation and WPB men concluded two
days of meetings to discuss short
ages of materials. The union lead
ers withdrew bitterly worded state
ment condemning conduct of the
war effort after Mr.. Nelson asked
them to name committee to meet
with him for ''the frankest kind of
talk"
The labor men are demanding
direct representation on WPB and
other measures designed, they said,
to bring about more effective use
OF skilled workers and greater CO.
operation among all elements re-
sponsible for the war program.
Shorn from the final draft of the
labor statement by Unanimous
vote" Of the delegates was the hotly
Worded preamble which charged that
If the production program contin-
ues as In the past, in six months we
will have ships without engines,
tanks in the snow without guns.
troops without guns and tanks, steel
mills operating at three -fourths ca
pacity."
Hits at Executives.
The preamble charged further
that "the WPB itself has in effect
signed away to the services MANY of
It's most vital and strategic produc-
ton controls-especially the all-im-
portant control over procurement;
that key positions in WPB are filled
with corporation executives who es-
tablish guarantees that manage
ment interests and attitudes are
taken into account in policy making
and administration" that by rele-
eating labor to single division WPB
perpetrates what amounts to "a pub
lie fraud" in that it gives labor
responsibility without representa-
tion."
Union representatives selected the
Labor Policy Committee of WPB as
their committee to talk with Mr..
Nelson and discuss proposals of yes
terday's statement. The group is
composed OF Clinton Golden, John
Green and Walter Reuther of CIO:
John Frey, Frank Fenton and
George Masterton of AFI.
The labor leaders mapped an
eight-point program and asked that
the following steps be taken to
achieve the objectives:
Il. A war production board with
direct and effective representation
OF the Nations organized workers in
the boards membership.
Ask Planning Authority.
Z. A production planning and CO.
ordination board with authority to
plan, coordinate and integrate all
phases Of the war production pro.
gram with direct representation os
organized labor.
3. Representative joint policy
committees of labor, MANAGEMENT
and Government In each of the
branches and divisions OF THE war
Production Board established to as
sure realistic formulation and speedy
and effective execution of the War
Production Boards plans and poll
cies In the various industries.
a. Elimination of overlapping
jurisdiction and conflicting func-
tions of the several Government
agencies responsible for war produc-
ton and integration in the Labor
Production Division of the WPB of
procedures related to labor policy
in war production"
In the elght-point program labor
called for. among other things:
A procurement and subcontract-
ing policy to make maximum use
of all available facilities and man
power and provide full utilization of
small plants; all-out expansion in
production Of critical materials;
conservation Of materials through
revision of military specifications
and elimination of non-essential
uses; and all-out scrap collection
program to replace existing half
way measures; a wage stabiliza-
ton program designed to achieve
uninterrupted maximum production
and the smooth flow of manpover"
into the most essential areas and
industries.
In his statement, Mr.. Nelson said
| that ever since he became head of
WPB he has believed "in labor
participation in the task of winning
the war" He pointed out steps
taken to bring about that partici-
patton. He said: Lets not bubble
over generalities. We are trying to
win a war. Let's see how we can
do it-together.
Mr.. Nelson declared firmly that
"AAJ wal plOQuCJlOn
program must be the Governments
program. He said suggestion of
either labor or management could
not be adopted "in toto" without
weighing 1t in the balance with
all the other relevant factors we
have before U.S." Nor can the Gov
ernment, he continued, make up
its own program without weighing
all factors, ideas and counterideas
I'VE need ideas here-and we need
men," Mr.. Nelson said. "All I ask
is that the ideas and the men be
good ones that will help us win the
war. I don't care whether they
come from management, from labor
or from some other source. If
they're good, We'll use them"
Earlier, Mr.. Golden, assistant to
the president Of the United Steel
workers of America, issued q press
statement charging that organized
labor in the steel industry had been
denied constructive participation in
the war effort.