Proletarec. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1906-19??, 1946-11-20
The Mondufe on Labor

Senator Ball interprets the election IS d mandate to get on with the
COB of passing restrictive labor legislation. There is no doub3 that he viii
have lots of company, particularly if the threatened coal strike Of any
other big walkouts take place. Some Republicans r beginning to see
that a majority party cannot beat labor about the bush with the sans
gay abandon as in the days Of Us minority; for labor still has votes, and
a majority is still maintained by addition, not subtraction, of ballots
Nevertheless the pressure for a triumphant legislative chastisement
Of unions will be evident when Congress convenes.
Our advice to the authors of that pressure is not to push their luck
too far. Whatever the political consequences Of restrictive labor legisla-
strife cannot be removed by hitting unions over the head with a statute
book. Conceivably a harmless bill might be passed which would relieve
some pent-up feelings. But let's not kid ourselves that this is the way
10 solve the labor problem. a
Peter F. Quicker makes that point effectively in a trenchant analy-
SIS of industrial conflict in the current Harpers Magazine. Not even the
ultimate legal change of socialism, he points out, eliminates friction be-
tween labor and management. In this country, Mr.. Quicker finds, the
main sources of trouble re: managerial unfairness, o the appearance
IL IT, IN handling grievances and other contractural relations; the psy-
Geological effects of monotonous assemblyline work; the tendency to
organize work and pay scales in such a way as to set worker against
worker, isolate each from his fellows; and, finally, the overnanging
cloud of economic insecurity. %
AL of which gives point to a speech by Charles Luckman, president
OF Lever Bros, in Chicago the other day. He urged businessmen to
stop making noises like a corporation" BY and large. he said, business
has earned it's reputation "of being opposed to everything that spells
greater security, WeL-bemg, o r peace of mind for the little guy" Busi-
ness can live down the reputation only by full acceptance of collective
bargaining in spirit as we'll a in letter; only by genuine concern for
the little guys welfare.
Obviously the sword cuts both ways. Unions, too, must bargain in
good faith. A John L. Lewis, withholding his wage demand until weeks
Oh mslncere negotiation have reduced the issues to a test of brute
power, does IS much harm to collective bargaining a an rreconclable
corporation executive who stays awake nights thinking up retribution
for unions. .u~%##--. &#. ..
On the currently paramount issue of wages, there is an offensive
arrogance IN the attitude OF those who are watchfully waiting With a big
stick for labor to step out of line" 1t is assumed that labor, having
seen the cost of living cut loose, has some sort of moral obligation to
"ccept meeky TN epleto OF IL .weekly wage. 1t is assumed that in
case labor declines to stand still for this, the unions alone will bear the
whole responsibility for the economic results. But labor did not blow
ne Tic OH prices; us wage increases las year were only a small and by
no means the decisive factor in those increases that have taken place.
Let u IS not lay on labor's shoulders sole responsibility for the excuses
Of the national economy as a whole.
Notwithstanding all this, the hard fact remains that widespread work
stoppages this winter can only halt the stream OF production which is
l." more mar ever the na'lons salvation. And they can only make
absolutely certain the passage of truly harmful legislation.
The country looks to both labor and management to avert these evil
consequences by accepting genuine collective bargaining in a new spirit
Of Cancellation and mutual respect - The Chicago Sun.