Evening star., 1945-12-03
Text Of Trumon's Message on Labor
President Gives Congress His Recommendations
For Settling industrial Strife and Asks Legislation

tfloi Strife on0 ASKS Leg
sis. labor, management and the pub
lie have the same interest.
The reconversion effort Is now 60
ing we'll. The people have a right
to expect 1t to succeed. Specific OBJ
stacles that stand in its way must
not be allowed to defeat that expec-
tation.
Good labor relations are just as
important now as they were during
the war. They should be based Oh
justice, and not on tests Of strength
Any industrial dispute which de-
pends for settlement upon the re-
spective strength of the parties re-
suits In loss to every one; it causes
loss of wages to the worker and his
family, loss of dividends to the
stockholders and owners of the in
dustry, loss of goods to the public.
I regret that labor and manage
ment have not been able to agree
on machinery that would provide a
solution for existing strikes in some
of the major industries and for the
strikes which are threatened
Strikes already in effect may pos
sibly cripple our reconversion pro-
gram. Negotiations have broken
down in other industries, and stop
pages are threatened.
The American people have been
patient. They have waited long in
the hope that those leaders in
labor and management whose bust
ness 1t was to handle this problem
would be able to do SO in agreement
The Federal Government declined
time and again to make any sug-
gestion to the conference as to
proper machinery. All that the
Government did was to point out
the objective which the American
people expected it to attain.
Asks for Legislation.
Now that the conference has ad-
journed without any recommends
ton on the subject. it becomes the
duty of the Government to act on its
own initiative. Therefore, l now
suggest to the Congress that we'll.
reasoned and workable legislation
be passed at the earliest possible
moment to provide adequate means
for settling industrial disputes anc
avoiding industrial strife.
I recommend that for the settle.
ment of industrial disputes in i'm
portant Nationwide industries
there be adopted the principles un
derlying the Railway Labor Act
The general pattern OF that &C
is not applicable to small industrie
or to small local disputes in larg'
industries. But it would be ef1ec
tive, as we'll as fair. in such wide
spread industries, for example, a.
steel, automobile, aviation, mining
oil, utilities and communications
l do not intend to make this lis
exclusive. Nor do l think that loca
inconsequential strikes even within
these industries should be included
The objective should be to cove
by legislation only such stoppage.
of work as the Secretary of Labo
would certify to the President a.
vitality affecting the national public
interest.
In industrial disputes in such in
dustries, where collective bargain
ing has broken down. and wher,
the Cancellation Service Of the Fed
eral Government has been unabl,
to bring the parties to agreement
and where the Secretary of Labo
has been unable to induce the par
ties voluntarily to submit the con
troversy to. arbitration. recon-
mend the following procedure:
Upon certiIication by the Secre
tary of Labor to the effect that ,
dispute continues despite his efforts
and that a stoppage of work in tn,
affected industry would vital!
affect the public interest, the Presi
dent, or his duly authorized agent
should be empowered to appoint
within flve days thereafter, a fact.
finding board similar to the emer.
gency board provided for under tht
Railway Labor Act.
Five-day Cooling of.
I recommend that during these
five days after the Secretary OF
Labor has made the above Ger.
tificate, it be unlawful to call q
strike or lockout, or to make any
change in rates of pay, hours OF
working conditions, or in the estab-
lished practices in effect prior to the
time the dispute arose.
The board should be composed OF
three or more outstanding citizens
and should be directed to make a
thorough investigation of all the
facts which it deems relevant ir
the controversy. In its investigation
1t should have full power to sub.
poena individuals and records, anc
should be authorized to call upor
any Government agency for infor-
nation or assistance. 1t should make
its report within 20 days, unless the
date is extended by agreement OF
the parties with the approval of the
President. The report should in
clude a finding of the facts and
such recommendations as the board
deems appropriate.
While the fact-finding board is de-
liberating and for flve days there
after it should be made unlawful
to call a strike or lockout, or to
make any change in rates of pay
hours, working conditions or estab-
iished practices, except by agree
ment.
The parties would not be legally
bound to accept the findings or fol-
low the recommendations of the
fact-finding board, but the general
public would know all the facts. The
result. I am sure, would be that in
most cases both sides would accept
the recommendations, as they have
in most of the railway labor dis
putes.
I believe that the procedure
should be used sparingly, and only
when the national public interest
requires it.
The legislation should pay partic-
~ l11snl DnDR
TROUSERS /