The Waterbury Democrat., 1943-03-10

unity pact announced by the A. r. of l.. and CIO last December 2 is to tho effect that nothing in the peace agreement twill conflict with either party'S legal rights" and this per- mits continued union organization activities within the Kaiser plants under tho rights granted by the Wagner Act despite the fact that these Shipyards have A. r. of L, contracts.
 QUERY UNANSWERED
 The three A. Y. of l.. conferees of December 2, who accepted the secret clause. were directed Q short tlnSe later-after the ape parent meaning of the paragraph asserted itself - to get in touch with their CfO co"peacemakers and ask them point blank if they interpreted this legal rights pro- tection clause as authorization to continue raiding. That was early in December, i042. Three months have elapsed and nothing has happened except that the NR. tional Labor Relations Board counsel have presented their arguments against the Kaiser Company for It's alleged unfair md discriminatory labor prac. ticeB, and the hearings were first adjourned to March i6. and then t0 March %, when counsel for the Kaiser interests may present their arguments in rebuttal.
 Meantime, at an NLRB hearing in Portland, Edgar Y. Kaiser stat cd that if the NLRB nulllned the existing A. F. of l.. contracts, and forced new union elections 10 dc. termine which side should do the bargaining for tho Kaiser employees, the damage to working efficiency that would result would Do equiva- lont to q thirty day suspension of production.
 PLEA TO ROOSEVELT
 When tho executive council of the 4. r. Of l.. met in Miami. Fla, in fnid-January, it ratified the unity agreement Of Dec. 2, which had already been ratified by tho CIO executive council, But to make the agreement mean what tho 4. ?. of L. peacemakerS thought 1t was to mean, the 4. F. of L, executive council was fore ed to instruct it's peace committee to seek new agreement with CIO preventing "raiding" of establish | cd unions. At the insIstence of tho Metal Trades Unions the execu- tive council nbo sent Q telegram of protest to President Roosevelt, urging him to use his powers as comfnander-i chief to stop the NLRB from Interfering in the perfect cooperative relationship which has been established bc- tween labor and management at the Kaiser shipbuilding Company plants" Nothing happened in
 The CIo wasn't interested in further discussions. The national labor relations board went right ahead with it's hearings on CIO protests of unfaig labor practices in the Kaiser yards. And tho CIO now has 18 similar protests filed with the NLRB against shipyards having 4. F, of L. contracts.
 The Illegal rights" under which the CIo organizers take shelter is the National Labor Relations Act of 1885, commonly referred to hs the Wagner Act. which declares In Section [:
 "EmpIoyes shall have the right tO seIf-0FganizatlOn. to form, join, or assist labor organizations, to bargain collectively through rep. Feaentatlves of ther own chO0s.
 Ing. and to engage in concerted
 activities for thc purpose of col.
 Iective bargaining or other mutual aid Or protection"
 If this section iN interpreted to mean that labor unions shall have the Tight to raid each other for members, instead of stabilizing labor conditions, the net effect will bc to guarantee continued disruption and leave employers with no assurance whatever that when they sign Q contract with one union 1t will continue in force for the period specified or be worth the paper on which 1t Is written.
 Tn Washington, this situation raises again tho question 0t irn- mediate Tevlsion of the Wagner Act to make it cover jurisdIctional rows between unions and to meet ' .,.~u kfs.aa aassSfklaaan n1aus Aaaa a d fa