Montana labor news., 1946-01-03
THE WASHINGTON
SCENE

WASHINGTON - FPl-A popular
misconcepiion about the Truman pro-
posal for the peaceful settlement OF
labor disputes is that il is merely the
extension Of the system long appIeo 10
the railroad workers INTO the industrial
field.
This false assumption IS encouraged
by many newspapers and by q gooo
many congressman in attempting to
! show that the measure is really mild
! and that labor's objections are not
soundly based.
As a matter OF TACT. the Norton bill
III. X. 490S), carrying the Truman
proposals, is a real threat TO collective
bargaining and serves as an invitation
TO corporations to decline to reach
agreements with unions-to wait until
fact finding boards are appointed.
Although management and labor were
not legally bound to arbitration under
the operation OF the National VA La
Dor board, they actually operated under
compulsory arbitration throughout the
war period.
The Norton bill differs sharply IRON
the railway labor act in that the railway
brotlperhoods lace no penalties ior non
compliance with its provisions. and the
Norton bill would subject industrial
workers To penalties provided in an
other federal law. although it avoids
naming specific penalties in its text
now before the House.
Most OF the difficulty with the Nor
ton bill springs from the provlso that
the iact-iinding boards shall not only
report their Findings OF fact in a labor
dispute. but shall also make their rec.
tons that give the bill the indirect
power to make arbitration compulsory
The railway labor act goes into par
ticular pains to exempt both sides iron
compulsory arbitration. 1t provides
that the failure or refusal OF either
party to submit a controversy to arbi-
wtratlun Shall not be construed as a VIOLA.
ton OF any legal obligation imposed
upon such party By the terms Of this ac
or otherwise"
There are other differences in thu
two measures one ut especial I'M
uurtancc being that the railroads arr
public utilities and operate as near
munopolics, while private industry lur
nishes an entirely different picture.
Railway unions are swidely represent
atlvc. we'll organized and deal withou
trouble with the carriers because tn
t roads have long ago excepted ~unioniza
! ton Of their employees. Svch is not tn
common case in private industry.
{ 10 withdraw the right to strike, eve
3 Tor 80 days, is 10 play into the hand
oi managcmcnt-tu permit the use {
: prcSsurc> and brides, or coercion an
! promlscs-in order To weaken the union
c position. l.abor's greatest weapon
s the right to strickland it isn't muC
:. good ii unions must give 30 days war;
= ing to the boss.
l. The railway labor act is dcsien'
10 use persuasion. while the North
l. bill employs a cops club.
70 In addition TO all this, President Jol
~ l.. Levi sol the United Mine Workc
ID Ounafiiliatcd) and President X.
Thomas OF the United Auto Workt
M C. i. o. have publicly stated that I
Is. railroad workers haven't enjoyed r,
bs wage benefits from the operation
sc the act.
N Figures Tor 1914 show that after
-cr wears oi operation under the railW
zee labor act tn cworkcrs are getting
average Of y cents an hour less +
10 their brother workers in industr
manufacturing plants. These l044 /
a. urcs show some 555.000 railroad wo
rv. crs were earning less than 90 &C
nd an hour and seem to prove I
on the operation OF the act has ser
IN mostly IL keep them from getting sor
needed pay boosts.
m Although Vruman's message to {
,r's gress mentioned that the proposal
md made should be confined to such ind
tries as steel. auto and electrical 60
az where disputes affect the public
~tcrcst. there is no such limitation in
Norton bill.
II. X. 490S is broad enough to co
almost any and all instances OF
putcs, simply requiring the secretary
labor to certify to the President I
the dispute is one in which the COVE
mcnt has not been able TO bring alb
voluntary arbitration, and that a str
WOULD seriously affect that "natio
publ cintcrest."
1t is wide open, and all work
should know it.