The people's voice. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1939-1969, 1945-06-08
ATTACK ON NLRB
MENACES.
PRODUCTION

BACKGROUND: The National La
Dor Relations Act generally known
as the Wagner act), passed in 1885
after one of the hardest-fought battles
in the congress, is generally regarded
as labor's "Bill of Rights. 1t made
effective the right of labor to organ
ize and bargain collectively; outlawed
company unions, and provided for the
holding of elections in which labor
could choose without interference, its
bargaining representatives. The Ma
tional Labor Relations Board, (com-
monty referred to as the NLRB) was
created by this law to administer the
act Die-hard opponents of labor have
consistently tried in many different
ways to cut the heart out of this Act.
The importance of the NLRB to
development of constructive, harmon
ious nt-labor-community re-
lationships in large and complicated
industrial society, such as exists in
America, was never more apparent
than during these war years. NLRB
has played a major role in helping
labor achieve decent living standards,
and in helping keep production inter-
ruptions to minimum, this guaran-
teeing that America meet the gigantic
war needs
In this second phase of the war, and
in the coming reconversion and post
war periods, the NLRB will clearly
be Indispensable to effective labor
management cooperation to meet the
nations production obligations.
OFFENSIVE AGAINST NLRB: The
annual Bureau of the Budget requests
for government agencies have been
submitted to congress (since the fis-
cal year for government agencies be-
gins each July y. In connection with
the budget request for the NLRB,
the notorious anti-labor Cong. Howard
w. Smith 3D., Va.) and Sen. w. Lee
(Pappy) O'Daniel I'd, Tex.), supported
actively by spokesman for the anti
labor block in business, have initiated
a serious attack on the agency
through attempts to cut the budget
and to attach Gripping amendments.
They are fighting on the following
points:
1. A cut of 100000 from the appro-
priation. This would be a 22% cut
from even the modest budget re-
quested, and seriously cripple and
limit the work
2. Renew the so-called "Frey rider"
which anti-labor forces pushed through
congress last year. This prevents
MP from, cpandipo f,,nda II, op,,
case in which a contract has been
signed for more than three months.
1t thus protects contracts with min
GRITTY unions and unions assisted by
employers, thus contradicting the in
tent of the Wagner act.
8. Bar the NLRB from spending any
of it's reduced appropriation for any
case involving agricultural process
ing Canning, vegetable packing, etc. |
This is being pushed by the big pack
ing, canning and citrus interests. BY
keeping NLRB from handling agricul-
tural cases, the bargaining rights of
thousands of agriculture processing
workers organized in both ALL and
CLIO unions would be destroyed These
include processing workers in the
sugar beet fields, potato sheds, diaries
and fruit-packing houses as we'll as
canneries.
4. Prohibit the NLRB from handling
cases involving foremen, and thus bar
it from putting into effect new pol
icies regarding foremen and supervis-
ors. This is being pushed particular
ly by the Automotive Industry coun-
Gil