Montana labor news., 1946-03-07

BILL AS
VICIOUS MEASURE
WASHINGTON. u. c Condemn
ing the Case bill As a 'monstrous'
anti-labor measure. AlfI. President
William Green told the Senate labor
committee that the Federation would
oppose II "uneompromisinely with all
our collective and political strength
In a furious attack on the sponsors
of the legislation. which has been
passed by the House. Mr.. Green
charged that the same sinister inilu-
enccs which put the discrcditcd Smith
Connally act on the law books have
sought to inspire angry hatred for or
ganized labor.
Mr.. Green literally took the Case bill
apart. analyzinc it section by section
and demonstrating iorcciully how dan
ecrous and hypocritioal its provisions
are.
His testimony took immediate effect.
Senator James +. Murray. chairman
OF the Senate labor committee, pre-
dictcd the bill never would be reported
out Of committee. He said it was AN
extreme measure, designed to destroy
labor unions.
Secretary Of Labor Schwcllcnhach
followed Mr.. Green to the witness stand
and took a few powerful ticks at the
Case bill. He warned that passage of
the measure may well initiate an era
Of industrial warfare and called it an
ll-adviscd hodge podge.' he avily
weighted against labor unions.
In his analysis Of the bill, Mr.. Green
directed heavy fire against the section
attempting to ban b%oycotts.
This section, he contcndcd. was "a
flat and permanent prohibition against
the right to strike III usual and ordi-
nary circumstances" He commented /:
Consider. for example, the case Of
an employer having several plants. each
Of which works on or processes the
same items. Under this prohibition the
existence Of a board certificate and a
contract covering one plant would
make il unlawful for the employees Of
all the other plants TO strike for rccog-
milton, for higher wages or for any
other plainly lawful objective
! Mr.. Green declared that "irrcparablc
losses could be caused to labor unions
hv suspension Of their rights for 90
/, days to six months il found guilty by
the NIRB Of violating these provisions.
lie also criticized possible permanent
exclusion from provisions Of the Ma
tional Labor Relations act Of indIvid-
uals found guilty Of violating the pro-
visions.
He attacked section 4 Of the bill,
which would forbid strikes and lock-
outs for 30 days in disputes where the
proposed labor-managcment mediation
board assumed jurisdiction, and said
he wondered why there was repeated
emphasis on "cooling-oif' periods.
Il should have thought he assert
ed, that the ~farcical experience Of the
Smith-C onnally act was enough. The
implication that unions usually strike
in heated moments and in total disrc-
gard Of the welfare Of both their own
members and the public IS gratuitously
insulting and wholly unfoundcd.'
Concerning section 10 Of the bill. TO
authorize damage suits in either fed
eral or state courts Tor violations If
Notwithstanding agreements, Mr..
Green said
One OF the important objcctiyes Of
the Norris-la Guardia act was 70 re-
move from federal courts jurisdiction
that. under our federal system Of gov
eminent. properly belonged to state
courts. This provision would eliminate
that salutary effect OF the Norris-la
Guardia act.
Section II, which maintains a prohi-
hition against iniunctions affecting the
right to strike. peaceful assembly or
peaceful pickcting. but authorizes led
eral district courts 10 cnjoln force or
violence in a labor dispute, he charac-
,erized as apparently a violation OF state
rights. He added
But even more important is the
wholesale abuse this provision will in
cyitably create. tx parte restraining
orders will issue indiscriminately upor
the mere improved allegations tha'
unions are threatening violence.
Many federal courts will, as ha'
been aptly stated. see threats in :
picket's irowns and indictments to vio.
: lcncc in a union rally Government
; BIZ injunction will no longer refer to :
: by-gonc cra-it will become the ugly
:, living actually it once was.
Mr.. Green pointed out that a striker
provoked into committing a simple as
saul, would forever lose his status a
an employc under the bill. He added
Thu. the hateful blacklist is revive'
! and this time it would have the iorma
support OF the federal government
i He asserted that "in view of IN
whole tenor OF this monstrous bill
$ need hardly be remarked that violenc
committed or instigated by the EN-
y ployer is nowhere mentioned or pun
ished."