The potters herald. [volume] (East Liverpool, Ohio) 1899-1982, 1943-06-17
From Capitol Hill.
BY EARL r. LEWIS, M. C.
18th Ohio District
LABOR LEGISLATION

LABOR LEGISLATION
In view of the nationwide concern
over war production which has been
intensified recently by the coal strike
and the strikers in the rubber industry
at Akron, it is appropriate to discuss
and analyZe the situation.
Last Friday the nations newspapers
carried the word that the House of
Representatives had passed an "Anti-
Strike bill, known as the "COnnally-
Harness. Smith Bill" There is much
confusion as to what Congress has
done, and little wonder! The Senate
"Connally Bill" was completely laid
aside and a substitute measure, pro-
posed by Congressman Harness: of
Indiana, with amendments by Con
gressman Smith of Virginia., was
passed by the House in haste, without
a printed copy of the bill before it. $,
Now, neither the ConnaIly Bill nor
the House-apprOved substitute measure
would deny the right to strike. Both
bills contain provisions giving legal
authority to the War Labor Board.
which was originally set up by Execu-
tive Order, and fix penalties for any
one attempting to interfere with the
operation of war plants in the hands
of the Government. This provision
would properly give the government
the power to continue the production
of war materials where the Govern
hfnv 70, <.,l,, ~
plants to keep them in operation. II
would, of course, apply directly against
John l.. Lewis in the present coal con-
troversy. Both bills specifically leave
the individual worker free to quit his
job If he wishes to do so and the right
to strike against private employers is
left largely to the control of labor it.
self under the nO-strike pledge.
Sections 2, 3, and of the House Bill
call for waiting period before a
strike or lockout could be put into eff
feet, and for a secret ballot among
workers within unions proposing Il
strike; individuals violating these pro-
visions would be deprived of their
standing as collective bargain n g
agents. The inclusion of these prOvi-
SiOnS, in effect, sanction strikes in war
plants under certain conditions and
conflict with later sections of the bill
giving the War Labor Board authority
to order a cessation of strikes and pre-
venting employers from changing con-
ditiOns of work while their cases are
being adjudicated by the WLB. The
House Bill proposes compulsory regis
tratiOn of labor unions and the filing of
data regarding union dues, union con-
stitutiOns, union officers and their
salaries. 1t amends the Corrupt Prac-
tices Act to forbid unions to make
political contributions, all of which
under the terms of the bill would ter
the war.
In testimony before the House Mill
tary Affairs Committee, which held
hearings on the bill, officials from the
War Department, the Navy Depart
ment, the Maritime Commission, the
War Labor Board, the National Labor
Relations Board and the Department
of Labor, which are the Governmental!
agencies most directly interested in
wartime labor problems incident to
war production, all opposed the Con
nally-Smith Bill and testified that pass
age OF such bin would make more
difficult the handling of situations and
would slow down rather than speed up
war production.
The substitute amendment proposed
by Representative Harness, Republican
from Indiana, contained rather simple
provisions for a thirty-day Cooling
off" period before strikes could he
called in war industries, Il secret ballot
by workers before any strike could be
called and Il provision against political
campaign contributions by labor or.
ganiZatiOnS. Congress IN Smith
Democrat of Va. proposed several con
troversial provisions from its own
famous Smith Bill as a bulky amend
Inent to the simple Harness substitute
His amendments were adopted and
contained, among others, provisions foi
taking out of the control and manage
ment of private industry any plant
engaged in war work in which a strike
is threatened and substitute the Gov