Evening star., 1943-05-17

he resumed "un- sss&$8
der arrange David Lawrence.
ments to be worked out by the par
ties Jointly in consultation with a
division of the War Labor Board"
1t has not been clear why If the
parties to a controversy are ordered
to resume negotiations and bargain
collectively there should be any
need for working out any agree
ments in advance with the War
Labor Board.
This point may have been in
serted to force John L. Lewis or
some representative of the miners
union to come before the board
Or it may have been technical
proviso to insure that the parties
would get together. In any event,
1t has seemed unnecessary for the
consultation to be anything but
perfunctory meeting to arrange
a date for the parties to meet with
each other.
Ickes May Act.
The impression over the week end
was that if the parties didn't get
together for resumption of collec-
tive bargaining under the auspices
of the boards order, Solid Fuel Ad-
ministrator Ickes might bring the
parties together in his office and
start the ball rolling. In any event
there is no likelihood of any strike
when the present truce expires. An
extension of the present arrange
ment during which resumption OF
direct negotiations could be made
Is now in order.
The War Labor Boards formal
review of the case thus far is en-
Tightening. 1t will answer the
superficial comments of those who
have been ready to believe that the
only thing involved in the contro-
versy was Lewis stubbornness or
his alleged willingness to hurt the
war production program.
Too many people have allowed
emotions to interfere with reason
and have started name-calling.
Even those who. pleaded for a fair
deal for all and pointed to the ad-
ministration's clumsy handling of
the problem were accused of being
just anti-Roosevelt, which, by the
way, Is a convenient device to pre-
vent criticism so that the Ameri-
can people will be kept from know
ing how to help along their own war
program.
The War Labor Boards published
review confirms everything that has
been said in these dispatches about
the Governments confused approach
to the coal control ersy. The board
now says that there was no collec-
tive bargaining between the opera
tors and the miners union, that the
operators didn't make single con-
cession or proposal but simply stood
still with the expectation that the
dispute would be certified for settle
ment before the War Labor Board
Ignored Other Remedies.
The board also criticized Lewis for
insisting on the 50 raise in wages
and modification in the Little
Steel formula without exploring
the possibilities of increased income
through other channels that would
not be in violation of the formula.
Thus, the board points out, the six
day week and the portal to portal
methods Of compute ton were exam
pies of what might have been agreed
upon and can yet be used as
means of relieving the plight of the
miners with respect to cost of living
and Increased income.
But the most significant statement
Is that collective bargaining wasn't
pursued. This is an important
Judgment. 1t explains why Lewis
didn't want to go before the board
He knew the Little Steel formula"
was frozen and he also knew that
the operators were not making any
concessions. In other words, if all
labor disputes are to be settled only
by Government order and the par
ties are to use the fact of reference
to WLB as means of avoiding
direct bargaining negotiations, then
the question turns on whether the
board does or does not have any
fexibility in deciding wage issues.
So far as the coal controversy is
concerned, the board has indicated
in It's memorandum how this row
can be settled. It has pointed the
way to larger income for the min
ers-something which Lewis has
wanted all along. He and the oper-
ators now should concur in the
findings and work out a settlement.
The main criticism of Lewis. which
will rightly be made, is that he
didn't carry his case to the court of
public opinion vigorously before he
allowed as a last resort the expira-
tion of the old contract and the in
terruption of work In wartime. He
had a good case. Work stoppage
could have been avoided.
The Axis Is watching you; keep
'em signing while you keep buying
War savings stamps.