The potters herald. [volume] (East Liverpool, Ohio) 1899-1982, 1943-09-23

1
Wayne l.. Morse, public me
wrote the opinion, in which the boards
unanimously refused to take jurisdic
tiOn of Il dispute between the MOrenci,
Ariz.. mine of the Phelps-Dodge Corp.
and the Clifton Morenci Metal Trades
Council, AFL. The dispute arose over
the certification by the NLRB of the
International Union of Mine, Mill and
Smelter Workers, CIO, as the eXclu
sive bargaining agent for the approx
mately 1000 employees at the mine.
Loser In Case Is Nation
The AFL objected to the NLRB
election because it was on an industrial
basis instead of on a craft basis. The
CIO organization won, with 941 votes
out of the 1000 employees when the
AFL Metal Trades Council ordered its
10 members not to vote. After the election,
)jthe AFL asked for reconsideration of
the NLRB decision. The petition was
denied. On q strike threat, the case
was certified to the War Labor Board
Board Member Watt, in Il special
concurring opinion, said he agreed that
the findings of the NLltB and thus he
agreed with the boards unanimous
decision He added, however, that he
believed the findings of the NLRB
utterly unwarranted on precendent or
merit, wrong in principle and destluc-
tive in consequence The loser in this
case is the nation"
Watt asserted that the NLRB's find
ing lis an invitation to discord in an
industry so vital to the war effort that
thousands of workers have been fur
lOughed from the armed services to
work in the industry of which this
unit is one of the biggest and most
productive.'
I'm this case. the National Labor
Relations Board ordered an apprO-
pirate bargaining agency on an indus
trial basis on the allegation that the
craft union assumed an Industrial
character because the local units held
membership in Il local Metal Trades
Council" he asserted.
All Jumped Together
The NLRB decided, he said. that the
'few men who operate 100000 ma
chimes. the several hundred unSkilled
laborerS who operate 81 ShovelS, the
Carpenters. Painters, BlackSmiths,
Boilermakers, Plumbers, TeamSters,
Electrical Workers. Operating En-
gineers and other craftsmen should be
Jumped into Il polyglot unit in which
the unSkilled workers would by sheer
numbers have a ma jority.'
He asserted that the skilled work
ers showed their contempt for this
finding and refused to participate in
the vote. In normal times the finding
would be Il farce The skilled workers
would simply strike or quit. The mines
could not operate with the unSliilled
laborerS."
THE responsibility of the National
War Labor Board to maintain unin
terrupted production is only ii part of
governmental policy which should
guide the decisions of other agencies
which have any role in labor rela
tonS." Watt said. Il find it difficult tc
discern any evidence of such considera
ton in the finding of the National
Labor Relations Board in this case
No Explanation For Decision
Il have found no explanation as t,
why the National Labor Relations
Board should have ignored its OWL
standards, and the obvious preference
of skilled craftsmen for craft repre-
sentation in this case. If the Nationa
Labor Relations Board took this course
for the purpose of experimenting with
the destruction of craft unions they
are pclpetrating an theological eNcur
sion which is ineNcuSable during Il
national emergency in Il nation at war
- Il regret that the members of the
National Labor Relations Board die
not show the same respect for jullS
dictional standards which compelS the
members of the National War Labor
Board to refuse to treSpaSs.'