The potters herald. [volume] (East Liverpool, Ohio) 1899-1982, 1946-01-31
THE REAL ISSUES BEHIND THE
FACT-FINDING BILL

=
CONGRESS has returned from it's leisurely
Christmas recess in angry bood, ready tC
rush through curbs on labor. The fact-fndng bill
urged by the President is being pressed 1t is time
for to recognize clearly what this fact-findine
bill really means and how it can defeat the basic
purpose of collective bargaining.
decisions by outsiders. In collective bar
gaining, factfinding and decisions are kept in the
hands of those who know the business-manage-
ment and labor. The government boards proposed
in the bill on the other hand would bring in out
side fact finders who although highly trained
cannot know intimately the problems of certain
company as it's own management and labor know
them. Decisions would be made by outsiders, and
these decisions would have to be carried out by
and labor.
2-Politics brought into labor relations Gov
ernment boards are to be appointed by the Presi-
dent. Political pressures would have great weight.
In collective bargaining, on the other hand under
arbitration clauses in agreements, man.
agement and labor choose their own arbitrator.
Political pressures have no weight Efficient pro
duction depends on mutual understanding and
good will between management and unions Moth.
ing can quickly destroy this relationship as
political pressures brought from the outside Yet
higher living standards depend efficient pro-
ductiOn.
3-Collective bargaining frustrated The pur
pose of collective bargaining is to reach an agree
ment satisfactory to both parties. But if either
party thinks they can get a more favorable de-
cisiOn by bringing In a government board, col
ective bargaining will end. The dictates of al
government board will replace the effort to work
,ut mutually satisfactory agreement. Such pro-
,edure undermines the confidence between man.
agement and labor which is built up by collectve|
4-Strikes declared illegal. The bill makes
strikes illegal during the 30-day cooling off period
Any measure declaring strikes illegal endangers
workers. freedom.
5-Government dictates company policy Sec
etary Schwelenbach's Rules for Fact Finding /
,oards issued December 21, state that they may
ecommend wage increase on the basis that it
can be paid by the company. To decide what in
rease "can be paid means deciding what profit
company should be allowed to make, what re-
erves it should be permitted to set aside against
uture emergencies expansion and similar poll
cy questions. The government dictates policy but
will it guarantee company against the losses
which may result from carrying out that policy 2
his is dangerous tampering with private initia-
ive And labor knows that private initiative in
America has brought the efficiency that makes
ossible high living standards.
To sum it all up, government fact-findng as |
proposed in the bill now before Congress drives
wedge between management and labor limits
he freedom and responsibility of both and sub
titutes government dctation for the judgment of
hose who really know the business This is not
he way forward. Our free society can survive
nly if management and labor learn to work out
heir problems jointly, as equal partners. To bring
he government between them is highly danger
U.S. Since management and labor both oppose this
ill., it's defeat seems possible. Other anti-abOr
egislation even more vicious is also proposed, but
t present the factfinding bill heads the list for