Montana labor news., 1945-07-26
WLB CLASH WITH
.ITU Is FILLED
WITH STRIKE DANGER

WASHINGTON. -tFP) The National
War Labor Boards order cracking down
on the International Typographical
Union (AFLJ for insisting that TrU laws,
accepted in contracts with newspaper
publishers for more than 20 years, are
not subject to arbitration by the WLB
is filled with the ingredients Of strikes.
At a show-cause hearing July IA, the
WLB said that any contract made by the
TTU containing the disputed section con-
tinuing observance Of TTU laws will be
held to be in violation Of public policy
The WLB added that unless it could be
shown that the policy to which the WLB
objects has been revoked, the board will
itself determine th9 wage schedules and
conditions of e 5gpent in all TTU
/ newspaper dispute cases. It also directed
the Daily Newspaper Printing and pub
| fishing Commission Of the WLB to sus-
pend action on all voluntary applications
to which the ITU is a party in order to
find out if the voluntary agreements
were brought about under the traditional
rTU policy the WLB is seeking to break
Prior to the issuance of the VILE
order. ITU President Woodruff Randolph
Second Vice President Elmer Brown anc
Secretary Treasurer Jack Gill appeared
before the full board. Brown read Z
statement for the unions executive coun-
Gil answering the WLB complaint issueC
in connection with the lockouts tha
have closed the Bayonne Times, Bayonne
N. j. and the Jersey Journel, Jersey city
N. J. (TTU contracts expire soon in Phil
adelphia, Baltimore and Louisville, will
Chicago negotiations opening in Octo
ber)
Calling the situations lockouts, tn
statement said the ITU denied being il
defiance of labor's no-strike pledge
pointing to the pledge adopted by tn
AFL convention in New orleans in 1914
our no-strike pledge must not be use'
as a subterfuge to deprive us of lon
established rights and privileges"
The ITU council said it felt the essen
tials of its contracts are recognized b
all publishers, and are being enforced b
unilateral action in situations wher
publishers failed to include in the con
tract definite commitment of observanc
and operation Of the general laws Of tn
ITU."
Next the union statement said ut
: most urgently represented to the WI
= that the above stated policy and prac
- tice will continue irrespective Of an
e action taken by the newspaper commits
D sion, the WLB, or the publishers in tn
various cities involved"
2 Regarding the WLB move to rule IT
/ contracts in violation of public policy
0 negotiated with the controversial ru
2 covering the TTU laws, the union sal
= such a finding would be erroneous 6
/ to fact because we are not engaged in
a war industry, therefore the Smith-Cor
e nally act does not apply. We may al'
point out that the WLB has no author
e ity to interpret the legality or illegalit
|. Oi lUDOI ulllUli db4 SS4AANA4lo iva w mar
t ponderous pronouncements as to publ
e policy"
v The union statement next touched Il
d WLB plan to fix conditions and terms
- employment in TTU contracts unle
?. shown the policy had been revoked. 81
O this brazen and illegal declaration IL
It'll said. the executive council "herel
e replies that it will respect no such d
= cisions and that it will resist the appl
it cation thereof in any manner or by al
r means at its disposal. Any attempt
l. the part Of the board to pursue th
s course of action would inevitably disru
D the printing and publishing industry
,e the nation and the responsibility there
rests squarely on the WLB."
If WIB's proposal to knock out retroa
rs tivity in ITU contracts was dubbed 'fa
IT cistic" by the union statement whit
= warned such a policy would lead to II
ID Vulnerable strikes. Should such occ
J. the board may well be reminded that
will not be the members of the unit
that will appeal TO the board for al
N action whatsoever. 1t may be that b
m publishers themselves will be asking +
# reason and sanity on the part OF &
ff,onttnued on Page AZ