Evening star., 1947-01-17
Congress Is Pressed
ToSoften Labor Lows
Propaganda of Union Leaders
Held All Too Familiar

Propaganda of Union Leaders
Held All Too Familiar
By David Laurence
Already pressure is being exerted on
the Republican majority in Congress to
soften, II not forget altogether, the
demand for revision Of the labor laws.
The pressure takes on different forms
but the pattern is all too familiar.
The first approach Is to argue that
claws will never cure labor troubles"
This sounds plausible, but the moment
any one suggests that the repeal OF the
Wagner labor relations law thereby
becomes logical there is vehement pro-
test. What is not realized, Of course, by
the 'left-wingers" who are responsible
for the propaganda is that 1t Is the
Wagner labor law that has done 20
much to promote hostility between en-
ployers and employees and bring to
climax the class warfare and theological
conflict which Is basically at the heart
Of the Communist maneuver to divide
America.
BY curtaNing free speech and limiting
the opportunities. Of the employer to
discuss problems Of mutual concern
with his own employees, the interpreta-
tions of the Wagner law handed down
by the National Labor Relations Board
nave produced an atmosphere in which
collective bargaining cannot be carried
out effectively.
Second Line of Attack.
The second line of attack against
those who would revise the Wagner
law is to bring in statistics showing
that strikes on the right to organize
have been reduced to the minimum.
But nothing is said about the strikes
that have resulted as a consequence Of
fraud and Misrepresentation by unions
in getting their majority. Nothing Is
said about the bad feeling existent in
SO many cases between employees as .
result of acts of intimidation and coer-
cion which the Wagner Act does not
forbid
Every effort to amend the Wagner law
so that unfair labor practices" by both
employers and unions would be defined
has been resisted heretofore by the
Democratic majority: Now, when Con-
gress is about to act, there is protest
from the "left-wingers" on the ground
that no legislation Is really necessary.
Completely overlooked also is the fact
that several labor unions from coast to
coast have been guilty of violence In
mass picketing. Just why violence
should not be prohibited by Federal
law, inasmuch as the law covers en-
ployers in their unfair labor practices,
is unexplained Only the passage of
Federal law can do away with the acts
of brutality which have occurred on
the strike front.
For years the typical labor union
answer to this has been to say that
employers hired thugs" But the Wag-
ner law now reaches employers who try
that sort of tactics, and today only the
labor unions employ the goons and
strong-arm men. Picketing should be
limited to employees actually on strike
The Congress, when the Wagner Act
forbid coercion from any source" but
the union lobby was successful in de-
feating such an amendment when 1t
was proposed by Senator Tydings Of
Maryland, Democrat.
Those who say no new laws or re-
visions are needed forget that in the
files of newspaper offices are thousands
of action photographs, taken on the
strike front, showing how mass picket
ing actually interferes with the right
OF the citizen to work. Clearly, to re-
frain from writing law on mass pick
citing and to say laws will not cure the
situation" is equivalent to saying that
the laws against murder and robbery
are equally valueless in America.
Argument for Parity.
II laws are superfuous, then Ameri-
can industry and business should be
asking for the repeal of the antitrust
laws, too, because surely If monopolies
aren't prevented by law and the anti
trust statutes have become superfluous,
there can be no objection to putting
with labor unions.
The answer, of course, is not to repeal
the antitrust laws at all but to extend
their authority to cover those labor
unions which engage in monopolistic
practices and interfere with commerce
by restraints both physical and eco
nomic.
To grant national labor union q
monopoly while denying monopolies to
corporations is transparently uneven.
The subject can be reached only by
legislation
Also it might be asked where the
Nation would be today If the coal strike
of last month had not been broken by
~the use of the Smith Connally law
which gave the Government seizure
rights and enabled 1t to apply for an
injunction. To say laws are unneces-
sary to govern labor relations Is to in
vito another paralysis Of the economic
system by unrestrained labor union
executives. Clearly an amendment is
necessary to the Norris-La Guardia law
to grant the Government the specific
right to apply for injunctions when the
national welfare is threatened
Yet, despite the obvious needs for
more law and revision OF old laws, the
propaganda being fired at Congress
naively claims that Labor troubles will
never be cured by law The propa-
ganda boldly ignores the realities OF
present-day labor strife in America.
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