Evening star., 1947-02-06
Employer Witness Hits.
Ban on Bargaining on.
Industry Wide Basis !.
By the As.csioisd Press

by tne RSsoStofs9 FfesS
A former industry member OF
the War Labor Board, Vincent P,
Ahearn, declared today that
turmoil may follow" If Congress
outlaws industry-wide bargain
ing.
Urging a policy Of caution" Mr..
Ahearn- executive secretary of the
National Sand and Gravel Associa-
tion-told the Senate Labor Com
mittee:
Some employers believe that If
they could not bargain on an in
dustry wide basis, unions could SIM
ply isolate one employer after an
other and force capitulation to
their demands"
Mr.. Ahearn said this would create
q situation where the weakest MEM
ber Of an industry would set the
standard for the others.
More Than Dozen Studied.
The Senate committee is consider
ing more than dozen bills designed
to solve labor-management troubles.
One Of the measures, sponsored by
Senator Ball. Republican. Mime
sofa, would prohibit industry-wide
bargaining.
Testifying before the House Labor
Committee across the Capitol. Rep
resentative Smith, Democrat, of
Virginia said Congress must find a
remedy for union "outrages" and
quit playing politics" with the labor
question. Mr.. Smith added that an
other coal strike Is probable" uIl-
less Congress does something to con-
troll strikes in vital industries.
Representative Case, Republican.
of South Dakota also told the House
committee that mo natural right
exists anywhere or any time to
jeopardize the public health and
safety-and none should have the
sanction of law"
Mr.. Case urged that the Justice
Department be allowed to get Fed
eral court injunctions to block
strikes that would endanger .'the
public welfare, health or safety"
But he said this action should
not be taken until after the Presi-
dent had declared an emergency
and appointed commission to try
for a settlement short of strike.
MIR. Case said rsour labor laws
have been conceived, and histori-
cally probably justifiably so, on the
theory that the end justifies the
means; that organized labor could
do no wrong In our development,
that time has passed"
In his appearance before the Sem
ate group, Mr.. Ahearn recommended
that Congress, in addition to keep
ing hands off industry-wide bar
gaining, defer action on the closed
shop issue. Another bill by Senator
Ball would outlaw closed shop con-
tracts, under which workers must
join union to get job.
MIR. Ahearn said Congress should
concern itself first with "equalizing
the rules of collective bargaining"
He urged delay on closed shops
with great regret, because I regard
the demand by unions for closed
shop as confession, of weakness
and as indicating a lack Of faith
in the social and economic value OF
labor organizations"
Mr.. Ahearn also:
l. Declared that creation of a
permanent Federal mediation board
would be a mistake, since it would
tsnd towatd adiscoiira rage,nant of ool-
Iective bargainingb
Q. Recommended that the Wag-
ner Labor Relations Act be amended
ito make its obligations binding on
unions as well as employers"
3. Urged the outlawing of juris-
dictional strikes and secondary boy
colts which occur after the "appro-
pirate" collective bargaining unit has
been established.
4. Asked that employers be re-
lieved of any obligation to bargain
collectively with foremen's unions.
S. Condemned proposals that the
Government, as a general policy,
stand at least part of the cost Of
arbitrating disputes.
6. Said it would be a mistake to
create special Federal courts to settle
labor disputes.
IF collective bargaining is going
to work." Mr.. Ahearn said, "it must
work at the point of contact be-
tween MANAGEMENT and labor"