Detroit evening times., 1945-12-21

w Things are not what they
seem on labor legislation
The Truman fact finding
formula for strike settlements
has been thrown over by Con.
CreSS until after the holidays,
aS The unions wanted. although
he insisted on getting 1t before
Christmas.
The House beat goo 10 1927
a bllI 10 make unions stop po-
luCal contributions and live up
10 contracts without strikes
during contracted periods
These developments have
greatly cheered the union po-
htlco> and created a public I'M
preston that they are apt 10
continue IN command of the
legislative situation This IS
simply not true
The House >alvcd It's con-
science I'M an extremely minor
manner by passing the Hobbs
bill applying the anu-racketeer-
ing laws 10 unions As well as
other people This Nalve was
thin because the House has
passed the same bill several
times m previous sessions
4 LWAYS heretofore. the
n measure has died IN the
Senate where the union poll
uclanS have less numerical
strength than in the House. but
are aided by the loose Senate
rules. IN preventing action on
nearly anything they have
wanted 70 block Anyway. the
Hobbs bill affects only one
union. the TeamSterS. who have
operated cmbargoeS on truck
shipping
But there was a deep and
CompenSatlng trick about the
defeat of the other bill, the anti
politics and ontraCt-breaklng
measure Leaders for the meas
IRE committed a gross blunder
IN even pressing IT 10 a vote.
The House lS SWayed by
historic couTtcSicS which ical-
ouSly protect the activities of its
various committees
This bill happened TO come
out OF the military affairs COM
mittee which had no real right
TO handle labor legislation in
pcacctlmo, and was pressed to a
vote on the very day the labor
committee was taking up the
same question IN connection
with the Truman fact-hnding
proposal IT was an affront to
the labor committee. This point
alone SWaycd or excuse
enough votes TO furnish the
lS-vote majority for defeat of
the measure
THE VERY same proposals
L which were defeated IN that
measure are coniidentially cN-
pected by most house leaders
10 be adopted IN the Truman
bill when II comes up IN Janu.
any CanVaSSCI> show House
members are more aroused on
the question Of union political
activity than on the Truman
anu-Strlke proposition. The
strikes would not directly affect
their reelection next year, but
CIO-PAC threatens to.
Last year Congress passed
law preventing unions from
making political contributions
10 campaigns, but the Justice
department mlSIntcrpretcd ~
the way Mr.. Roosevelt desired
At that time, and arranged legal
escapes which permitted CO
PAC 10 operate effectively IN
politics. For these reasons lcgIS-
lation to hinder CIO-PAC
further IS considered 10 be al
most certainly a part OF the
coming faCt-fnding bill.
The measure also i likely 10
include some restraint on
strikes IN violation Of contracts
Other steps to establish union
responsibility are possible. 1t
may even include some re-
StruintS upon the organization
OF iorCmcn aS the congressman
arc viSlbly aroused over the
unionilatlon OF plant managers
IT WILL certainly not 20 As
far as the open shop but may
put legal restraints on violence
and coercion. A proposal for
G ompu sorry arbitration on
strikes IN public utilities viii be-
considered but IS not likely 10
be- adopted because both man
agcmcnt and labor are against
A. II Will also. Of course, con-
tain the taCt-tindlng and cool
ing off plan of Mr. Truman, inn
plementCd perhaps, stronger
than he wished.
II is not likely 10 include the
broad basic suggestions that the
unions sue and be- sued or made
subject 20 the ANTITRUST laws
or that union finances be sub.
Wlttcd TO income taxation
These recommendations have
strong support bat not Yet APP
parcntly a majorltyD
These prospects can be rather
definitely stated as far As The
House is concerned. but what
VIII happen later IN the Senate
iS-noi so certain Issues can be
forced 20 z vote ln The HOUSE.