The Wilmington morning star., 1945-09-18
PRESIDENT PLANS
LABOR SHAKE-UP

nal for reorganization OF the La.
Dor Department to cope with
mounting labor troubles, it was in
dicated today.
Back from a weekend at his
home in independence, Mo-, the
President conferred with Congress
sional leaders and had lunch with
Secretary Of Labor Schwellenbach.
Schwellenbach, who has a reor-
ganization plan he believes will
strengthen his department, told re-
porters he expected further word
soon from the President. He added
with a note of jubilation:
IT think will be able to make
the statement have been wanting
to make
Newsmen took this to mean that
President Truman was approving
his plan, which was submitted TO
the White House Aug. 10 but which
has been delayed by opposition in
and outside the government.
, The action presumably W S
speeded by the weekend develop
ments on the labor front. which
saw more than 100000 workers
idle, threats of strikes at General
Motors which would throw another
325,OOO out of work. and the closing
Of Ford Motor Company doors in
Detroit to $4,000 employees as re-
suit of "bottleneck'' strikes in sup
pliers plants.
Spread of the strike threat to
Chrysler and all Ford plants was
limited by the CIO United Auto
Workers, who have pledged their
81, ,O0O, 900 reserves to obtain a 30
percent wage increase. CIO oil
workers, also seeking 30 percent
increase, threatened to shut down
that industry in several centers to-
day.
The auto workers move was sup
plemented by demands Of C1O-
Electrical Workers for $500 more
day.
Some AFL leaders expressed be-
lief CIO chieftains were seeking to
create a crisis which would force
the President and Schwellenbach to
abandon plans for immediate liqui.
dation of the War Labor Board.
The CIO has favored retention
of WLB for the critical reconver-
sion months ahead, but the Board
itself has voted 10 to 2 to limit
the disputes it will, take to. those in
which both parties agree to abide
by its decision.
Schwellenbach insists, however,
that any dispute which interferes
with orderly reconversion still
must be handled by the Board,
and cites a Presidential executive
order of Aug. 18 as authority.
The Secretary of Labor did not
reveal his reorganization plan
when he submitted it to the White
House. It was known, however, to
call for the liquidation of the War
Labor Board, str en- g hening
of u. S. Cancellation Service,
and for Labor Management con-
ference to devise some machinery
to take the place of the WLB and
the war time no-strike, no-lock-out
pledge.
The conference is to take place
Oct. 20 or Nov. S, according to
preliminary plans. Rep. Rich (R-
Pa) suggested in the House today
that it be called Immediately.
Under consideration, although
not part of the reorganization plan,
is a proposal to set up a mediation
board in the Labor Department,
incorporating the conciliation serv-
ice. Voluntary arbitration would be
special boards Of inquiry for those
disputes remaining unsettled which
are fraught with public interest.
Under the reorganization plan
the U. S. Employment Service and
Unemployment Com p en- o n
Agency would be put under the
Labor Department. The women's S
and children S bureaus of the La
Dor Department would be trans
ferred to a proposed welfare de-
partment or some other agency.
Opposition to transfer of the
U. S. Employment Service and un-
employment compensation was en-
countered within the admins
tration, on Capitol Hill and from
Estate control advocates who IA
vor immediate return of the en-
ployment service to the states.