Evening star., 1945-06-21
Major Unions Voice
Protests on Plan for
industrial Peace
BY the Associated Press.

BY the Associated Press.
Labor opposition to the Ball-Bur-
ton-Hatch industrial peace" bill
multiplied today amid a protest it
would discard a decade of labor
relations experience.
The three Senators, Ball, of Min
nesota and Burton of Ohio, Repub-
licans, and Hatch. Democrat, of New
Mexico introduced the measure in
the Senate yesterday as the out
growth of 18 months study by
committee of 13 volunteers. The
committee was headed by Donald R.
Richberg. one time head of the
NRA and author of the Railway
Labor Act, which the new legislation
follows in many respects.
Sponsors said it was designed to
end "legalized civil warfare" in in
dustry in the postwar period.
Organized Labor Critical.
But organized labor was solidly
critical. The AFL, CIO and United
Mine Workers, piqued over not tsRetag
consulted. rallied to support 6sthe
Wagner National Labor Relatfuf1&
Act. Senator Wagner, Democrat, of
New York also indicated he would
try to fight off the amendments to
his act which the new legislation
proposes. ..>
Chief among these are plans to
supplant the National Labor Rela-
tions Board and the United States
Cancellation Service and to perform
duties now handled by the War
Labor Board through a five-member
Federal Labor Relations Board and
three-member unfair labor prac-
tices tribunal.
Knottiest disputes would be set
tied, as under the Railway Media
ton Boards procedure. by asking
the President to appoint a special
commission to arbitrate.
Preliminary examinations of the
bill brought unfavorable reaction
from the AFL, CIO and UNIV, while,
the Railroad Brotherhoods' paper,
Labor. prepared a highly critical
article for publication tomorrow.
Calls Bill Cumbersome.
A Government official in the labor
relations field, who asked that his
name be withheld, said that in his
opinion the measure was "cumber-
some, crazy quilt and a hodge
podge." He said it would reject a
substantial body of law built up in
the past eight or nine years and
turn instead into new uncharted
fields.
ut would sabotage a good bit of
the experience we have had in the
field of labor relations" he added
A provision that minority group,
as we'll as the ma ajority bargaining
agent, could negotiate grievances
| would simply invite jurisdictional
disputes" in this experts opinion.
And, instead of a national labor
policy with which to meet the criti-
cal period after wars end, there
would be 48 policies, because the
legislation favors promotion of State
and local jurisdictions, he said.
Says Laws Ignored.
Mr.. Richcberg in explaining the
purpose of the legislation asserted
that local, State and Federal gov
ernments have in the main acted
only as umpires of a continuing
battle royal. Formerly labor fight
ers we're often hamstrung by in
functions. More recently manage
ment fighters have been crippled by
restrictive laws.
But the right of both parties
to wage brutal war with little re-
gard for civilized ethics or for the
public welfare has been generally
accepted. AS result we find that
laws otherwise enforced against vio-
lence. intimidation, extortion, de-
struction of property, mayhem and
even murder, are ignored and treat
ed as dead letters in a labor dis
! nllteo