Imperial Valley press., 1944-02-01
CapitaI ak
bly,
Peter Edison


In good round numbers, there we're
an estimated 100000 labor disputes
in the United States last year which
required the attention and services
of government labor relations Off
cials to bring about settlement with
out strike. BY comparison, there were
approximately 300 actual strikes.
Final. accurate figures are not yet
available for the year, but this 200,-
900 estimate is an important figure
and is worth looking into.
The War Labor Board, through
its regional offices, handled an es-
timated 10000 voluntary wage ad-
iustment cases. The National Labor
Relations Board, administering the
Wagner Act, handled over 5000
cases, divided roughly as 5000 cleo
tionS for determination of bargain
ing agent and 5000 charges of UNI
fair labor practices.
The Wage and Hour and Public
Contracts Division of the Depart
ment of Labor, administering the
Fair Labor Standards and Walsh
Healy acts, made 10000 routine
/ Inspections of employers books,
! found 4l,000 violations, the result
of which was the restitution of
over $l6,000,000 in wages due en-
| ploycS.
$50. 600 DISPUTES SETTLED
The Cancellation Service in the
Department of Labor, under DR.
John r. Steelman, participated i'll
the settling of some $1,000 labor
disputes. OF these, 85 per cent were
handled without strikes. There
were 100 disputes settled through
arbitration. There were 500 cases
referred to the NLRB. There were
1900 cases certified to WLlB. There
we're 600 cases under the Smith
Connally War Labor Disputes Act
in the six months of the year this
anti-Strike law was in effect.
Cases handled by War Manpowcr
Commission in arranging for labor
supply, and cases handled by labor
divisions of War Production Board
or industrial relations divisions of
War and Navy Departments are not
included
This involved accounting for
more than 100000 U. S. labor dis
puteS which did not necessarily
end up in strikes is a necessary pre-
face to any consideration of the
1913 labor disputes which did not
involve strikes.
The Bureau of Labor Statistics
report for 19A3 will show there were
some 370O strikes. The Cancellation
Service can account for 1000 OF
them as having been settled by dl-
rect negotiations. without certiiica-
ton to NLRB or WLB. That leaves
17CO strikes still to account for.
BIS tries to account for every
strike involving six or more WORK
ers and lasting one shift, or one
day, or more. Approximately loUl
of the strikes reported can DC
classed as having involved such a
small number of workers that the
services of government medlatorS
were not considered necessary.
OF the other 700 strikes, it Is be-
lieved that about 100 can be ac-
counted for as strikes involving
some issue coming within the Jur-
isdiction OF NLRB or against some
action taken as a result cf NIKE
procedure. From 500 or 600 OF the
E strikes involved issues coming
under the jurisdiction of the Wal
Labor Board or against some actor
or delay in action by WLB. SOUNDS
ccckeyed, but take another look
FUNDAMENTAL DEMANDS
PROMPTED STRIKES
No official government rcpor
will ever show or admit there Wer'
strikes against a government agen'
CIV. If analyzcd, the reports OF
these 700 strikes in which the Con
cjliation Service could not brinI
about settlement by direct nego
tiationS and had to refer to NLRl
or to WLB would probably sho'
c that the causes of strikes were tn
f fundamental demands for wage IN
n creases, union recognition, mann
tenance of membership, change /
working condition. jurisdictional dis
! ,,Iitr and SO on But The undcrlyln