The potters herald. [volume] (East Liverpool, Ohio) 1899-1982, 1945-12-20
POST MORTEM OF THE
BOR-MANAGEMENT CONFERENCE

THE recently ended Presidents Labor-M Manage
ment Conference which was born in an atmos-
phere of skepticsm and cynicaly inferred by the
press before it's first week of exploratory discus
sion had ended has been denominated as a 'fail-
ure."
ference was not as great failure it was repre-
sented by superficial observers. Had certain ele-
mentS of management come down from their in
transigeant nonconformity, this conference would
have adjourned with all the aures of real success
crowning it's effort.
Organized Labor went to the conference pre-
pared and able to keep any pledges made by it's
representatives But industry members could only
speak for the individual firms they operated They
could not commit the basic mass industries like
steel, automobile, railroads, mines about which
most of the current industrial strife centers, to
anything
Moreover, while labor came to bargain in
good faith industry actually had couple of extra
cards in the hole in the shape of a reactiOnary
Congress sitting on the sidelines and hoping for
the worst in order that it could cook-up a valid
excuse for passing extremely repressive abor
legislation. Aware of this marked advantage, as
we'll as favorable "press" management played
these advantages accordingly, well aware that even
if the conference came to naught, it still would
come out of it a winner.
Parentheticaly, the disagreement upon inter-
pretations of policy by the three tOp-fight labor
Spokesman, AFL President William Green, United
Mine Workers President John l.. Lewis, and ClO
President Philip Murray was gleefully payed-up
by the dailies and the press agencies far beyond
it's real Importance. However, this much construc-
tive progress did eminate from the conference and
AFL News Service points out:
/. Labor and management spokesmen agreed
to resort to voluntary arbitration to settle disputes
involving interpretations of provisions of collective
contracts, and rejection of compulsory
arbitration in any form.
e. Sensible, cooperative measures to be follow
ed by unions and employers in negotiating first
contracts were formulated.
g. Recommendations for strengthening and
improving the U. C. Cancellation Service in order
that it can be more widely utilized for peaceful
settlement of disputes were agreed upon.
A. A standing committee was named, made upI
agement groups. They will meet informally FROM
time to time in an effort to reach further friendly
in the public interest
The fact that this group OF outstanding indus
try and labor leaders met each other as well asl
gathered together for the first time took each
others measure exchanged and debated ideas and
viewpoints, and left with better personal regard
for each other was wholesome accomplishment.
all of them even the consistent union
busters, doubtlessly learned something they never
knew before that they can talk to labor represen-
tatives will prove constructive in future labor
discussions.
Moreover, the fact that the conference ad-
jOurned in spirit of liberation if not cOrdlality,
and with the resolve to continue such gatherings
from time to time, is most encouraging. Compared
to the illstarred collapse of the first national la
parley in 1919 after World War
[, the current meeting has all the ear marks OF a
moderate success rather than the ghastly failure
that many superficial critics imply it was.