The union times., 1944-06-03
Labor Draft. Legislation Believed Out
Brewster-B Bailey Bill Seen As No Answer To Man
 power Situation

Organized labor united this week in solid opposition to the latest version of ''labOr draft'' legislation, submitted to Con- gress by Senators Brewster of Maine and Bailey of North Carolina.
 Under the Brewster-Bailey proposal, all men between Is and 45 would be subject to conscrip- ton into industrial jobs, and if they refused to take work where ordered, they would be herded into military 'labor battalions.
 All labor grOups-the A. F. of L., the C. l. o. and Railway Labor Executives AssOciatiOn-have gone on record against the measure and this week they got chance to voice their views before the Senate Mili- tary Affairs Committee.
 At earlier hearings military officials made appeals for enactment of the legislation, but their arguments were demolished by the labor spokesmen. First of the labor witnesses to be heard was Lewis c. Hines, legislative representative of the A. F. of L. Others will follow
 Hines declared that, contrary to the claims of the military, the leg islatiOn will not solve manpOwer shortages or strikes, but will, in- tead, aggravate these problems and imperil the war effort.
 The record of Americas miracu- lous war production proves, he said, that far more can be accomplished by voluntary methods than by com pulsion.
 ''As a matter of fact, the un-
 ions have done more to meet
 manpOwer needs than all the
 government agencies put tOgeth-
 er," Hines asserted.
 Time and again the A. F. of L. unions have received "SOS" appeals from the War and Navy Depart mentS for skilled workers on vital jobs-and the men were supplied by the unions in short order. The work CTS responded voluntarily" Hines stressed.
 Enactment of this legislation will not add single plane, ship, tank or bullet to the nations war production but on the contrary, it will cripple the amazingly success full production program we are now carrying On," he said.
 ''Organized labor insists and de- mands that it be permitted to carry on its fight against enemy doc trines without being impeded and chained down by enemy methods"
 As for strikes, a 'labor draft" will not help one iota to reduce them, Hines declared.
 'sWhat's needed is not more
 legislation but a practical, conn
 mon sense approach to the whole
 problem of industrial relations"
 he said.
 Congressional leaders have come to the conclusion that all pending proposals for compulsory labor conscriptiOn are "dead ducks" for this session, at least.
 This was indicated after hearings opened on the new Bailey-Brewster work Or fight bill, which would make workers liable for penalty ser vice in work battalions" for failure to transfer to jobs in war industries.
 This latest dodge of the ''na- tional service" advocates received such a cold reception from the first group of witnesses to testify before the Senate Military Affairs Committee that it probably will be pigeOn-hOled in hurry.
 Expressing the policy laid down by the AFL Executive Council, Hines insisted that "free and voluntary service is far superior to coercion" He charged it was ridiculous to say that the bill ought to be passed to show the men in the armed forces that labor IS supporting them.
 ''Our boys don't need that kind of assurance,'' said Hines. ''What they need is the truth. When they get the truth about war prOduc- ton, they will know beyond ques- ion that we are backing them up.''