Evening star., 1947-06-29
By james 7. Newton
(Sirth OF O. Series. ]

tSbILI VI D6FtSoJ
The new Taft Hartley labor re-
lations law prohibits the closed shop
and throws heavy restrictions
around the union shop and three
other types of union security, spe-
cial contractural arrangements Ia
Dor organizations use to protect
themselves and keep up member
ship.
Federal labor experts estimate
that 1150o,000 workers are covered
by contracts which call for one or
more of the five types of union Sc
curity. So the law in that way
may bring a major upheaval Cat
least it will cause many changes)
in industrial relations.
Here is the way the various types
of union security are affected:
The closed shop is outlawed when
this whole section of the act takes
effect August %. Present contracts
including the closed shop are not
affected, but may continue only
until renewal dates. Until the Au-
gust deadline, new agreements may
be made including the closed shop,
but may run only for year. Some
3,50000O workers are now covered
by such agreements.
Automatic Check-off Banner.
The automatic check-of of unions
dues is outlawed under the same
conditions as prevail for the closed
shop. However, the check-of is per-
mitted where the individual worker
agrees to it in writing. About g.
100000 workers have the automatic
check-off.
Legal minds are uncertain about
preferential hiring clauses, where
an employer agrees to hire no non
union men unless union workers
are unavailable. Clarification on
that point will have to await in
terpretations of the National Labor
Relations Board and the courts. An
estimated 2,O79,00O workers here are
affected.
The union shop, now covering
over 100000 workers, and mainte-
nance of membership, applying to
3,695,00O employees, are permitted
under certain conditions.
1t should be explained here that
a CLOSED shop" is where an en-
ployer agrees in his contract with
a union that only union members
will be hired. In union shops"
nonunion man may be hired but he
is required to join the union within
a specified time-usually 80 days.
Conditions for Union Shop.
Beginning June IS, when the law
was enacted, no more contracts call
ing for the automatic checkoff may
be made. Contracts in effect on
that date may continue until they
expire, but in no case beyond July
l, 1948.
The new law permits the union
shop under the following condi-
tionS:
A majority Of all workers COW
cred by a contract-not just a ma
jority of those voting-must vote
in a secret election under NLRB
auspices for the clause or there can
not be one.
In the new union shop contract,
management cannot fire a worker
for not belonging to a union if
he has been denied membership on
equal terms with others or has been
denied it for any reason except
failure to pay union dues or initia-
ton fees. .a..
This part is intended to protect
the jobs of workers Disseminated
against by unions for political,
racial or other reasons.
Thre also is a clause in the new
law giving workers authority to ask
NLRB for an election to knock out
the union shop.
Maintenance of membership
(Where no one has to join a union,
but once in must continue in good
standing or be fired, except during
prescribed escape" periods at the
end of agreements) also is subject
to NLRB election where a major
ity of workers covered by a con-
tract must vote for it in order to get
it.
Permits Issue to Be Raised.
The elections mentioned in con-
nection with the union shop and
maintenance of membership do not
mean that such forms of union Sc
curity become part of a contract
when the workers vote eyes"
The election only enables the
union to raise the issue of such
union security as a bargaining
point with the employer. The en-
furloughed because of the shutdown
of mines in the area il serves At