The Waterbury Democrat., 1946-03-07

Some employers have On equal
~ simple solution; IT the unions
will stop asking for the moon,
everything Will be lovely"
Philosophers profess not to be
greatly disturbed. "A wave OF
strikes was inevitable after the
war" they say Many union de-
mandS were held In allegiance be-
cause OF the no-strike pledge,
Workers sense Of insecurity as war
production ceases, and their dread
OF q decrease In the weekly pay
envelope, make for unrest, The
strike wave may even prove to be
healthy. II demonstrates democ-
racy at work. II proves that we do
have freedom IN this country"
PUBLIC is HURT
But the business man whose
plant or store Is closed because q
tughoat strike has cut off fuel, be-
cause q utility strike has cut off
transportation or electricity, be-
couse he can't get steel or parts, Is
not inclined to be very philoSophl-
cal A worker whose income Is stop
ped by somebody's else strike, o
veteran who can not get o house In
which 10 resume living with his
wife, O mother whose children are
wAiling In q heatless house or
apartment, a householder who has
been looking forward TO the auto
mobile or radio or washing machine
that Is not being made because OF
StrikeS-these do not feel philoso-
phleal.
So everybody except the Com
nuniStS, who thrive on ShutdownS
that make the capitaliStio system
look inefficient and unproductive
wants 10 know:
what can we do 10 help capital
and labor together, TO their mu-
tual benefit, without such inter-
ludes as the current strike-fest?
A wide variety OF solutions Is
proposed. They fall into three
broad classifcations:
/, Organized labor says, general
ly: Let the law alone, unless you
choose to repeal the Smith Con-
nally Act. For the first time In his
tory the worker has bargaining
rights that mean something. The
minute you begin restricting those
rights, however good your inten-
tons, you will be starting a pro-
cess Of attrition that will be very
dangerous.
2. Many employers and others
say: correcting the bargaining
handicap under which organized
labor did suffer prior to the Wag-
ner Act. we went too far, and made
the unions even more dominant
than the employers used to be. The
law must be amended to give the
employer parity in the bargaining
process.
This school argues that labor
unions should be Incorporated.
Union methods and union finances
must be subjected to public scru-
tiny and some measure of public
control. Unions must be subject 10
anti-nonopoly and anti-racketeer-
ing statutes. They must be punish
able for violence. They must be
made subject to certain, effective
penalties for breaches Of contract,
just as employers are now.
8. Between these two poSisions
is that of many thoughtful middle
of-the-roaders who feel that there
is much justice in both points of
view, If not carried to the extreme
that some carry them.
Organized labor has been given
an ascendancy over employers
which in some instances it is abus-
ing, say these observers. Probably
some equalizing revisions should be
introduced into the law. But they
must be drafted with great care,
and not enacted in a frantic or
spiteful hurry.
The most promising solution in
the opinion of these students. is
to provide machinery by which the
inevitable disputes between en-