The CIO news. (Cumberland, Md.) 1942-????, 1943-06-21
LOOKING AHEAD
By Len De Caux

~ Vie Smlth-Connally Bill Is one OF the WOrloS
u worst phoneys.
It Is called an "anti-strike BILL" Yet It actually
encourages strikes.
It is supposed to be directed against John L.
Lewis Yet it was promoted by the political clique
with whom Lewis is keeping house. It hurts
millions more than 1t hurts Lewis and he was
more responsible for Its passage than anyone else.
The bill claims to strengthen the War Labor
Board. Yet it actually cripples Its functioning,
encourages court attacks on its decisions and In
vites disobedience on the part Of employers.
1t purports to be WAR Labor Disputes Act"
Yet it includes completely irrelevant provisions to
deprive workers Of their democratic political rights.
1t claims to aid the prosecution of the war. Yet
1t follows the Hitler fifth column pattern for Gre
ating internal disruption by destroying labor unions
and demoralizing production.
X X 4
The Smith Connally Bill undermines labor's no
strike stand by actually outlining procedures under
which strikes may be called.
1t tempts union-busting employers to use pro-
vocateurS to cause stoppages, so that heavy civil
damage suits may be brought against the unions
The bill revives the vicious doctrine of "crim-
inal conspiracy" against labor unions-whch was
used for so years 10 destroy the right to organize
until removed by the Clayton and Norris-L <iuarda
acts.
BY stating that decisions of the War Labor
Board must comply with the Price Control, Labor
Relations and other acts, and by barring labor
members from sitting on cases in which they have
"a direct interest," the bill exposes board decisions
to endless court attack by employers.
The claims of the bills sponsors that it will bar
maintenance of-membership or other union security
awards by the War Labor Board should not stand
up in any fair court. But they will furnish pre-
text for countless legal attacks decisions favorng
union security.
A complete give-away of the ant-democratic
intent of the SmithConnally Bill is its ban politi
Cal contributions by labor unions
This is a gross class discrimination against the
political rights of the workers. For the ban is not
applied to any other kind of unincorporated associa-
ton. whether business, fraternal church or farm.
Furthermore individual members of wealthy
families still contribute large to political
campagns-which have tOtaled from so to 100
thousand dollars from single family In one
campaign.
But the workers, under this BILL are denied the
right to pool their meager resources through their
unions to Offset the political influence of the wealthy
X X
The Smith-Connaly Bill is misbegotten mon
strosity whose couldbe fathers are legion.
Immediately recognizable are the union-bustng
features of the Natl Assn. of Manufacturers whose
bills Howard Smith has sponsored for years.
The bill is named for two polltaxers and sup
ported by the whole polltax gang in Congress- which
constantly seeks to knife labor and the Admins
tration and which hates democracy more than 1t
hates Hitler.
1t was passed by a combination Of polltax DEM
ocrats and reactionary defeatist Republican pals
Of John L. Lewis.
Lewis himself was the strike-provocateur who
opened the foodgates for the anti-labor deluge.
And lurking behind the scenes Is the sinister
influence of the Axis itself
The recent praise for Lewis in Hitler's press
should not be overlooked. Nor should 1t be for
gotten that the Nazi fifth column helped to destroy
FRANCE from within sir