The potters herald. [volume] (East Liverpool, Ohio) 1899-1982, 1947-03-06

from the statement delivered by
AFL President William Green
before the House Education and
Labor Cimmittee, discussing a
wide range of anti-labor bills
pending before that group, fol-
low:
1t would, plainly, be physically
impossible within any reasonable
time to take up and discuss with
you all of the provisions of the ex-
ceedingly large number of bills
dealing with labor relations that
have been referred to this commit
tee. | believe, therefore, that ] can
be most helpful to this committee
if | should present the views of the
American Federation of Labor on
those important questions which
are the subject of most of the pro-
posals before this committee; more
specifically, the closed shop, sec
ondary boycotts, check-off, cool
ing-off periods, minority strikes,
registration and financial account
ing of labor organizations, juris-
dictional disputes, amendments to
the Wagner Act and compulsory
arbitration.
At the very outset let me chal-
lange the very basis on which this
Legislation has been presented to
the country. 1t is claimed to be
remedy against strikes. 1t is not.
1t is directed not against strikes
but against the process of collec-
tive bargaining itself.
Does this legislation deal with
the causes of the industrial unrest
that has swept the country since
VI Day? Does it reach the issues
that were behind the disputes
through which we have gone? The
answer is categorically-No!
The record, which no one can
dispute, shows that during the
most critical period following the
termination of hostilities, Sc out
of every 1C0 workers who were
engaged in work stoppage did so
only because they were caught in
the economic wise of rising prices
and declining postwar income.
Outlawing The Union Shop
H.R. and other bills seek to inn
pose compulsory open shop on
American industry and American
labor, and this even though a ma
jority, or for that matter, 100 per
cent of the employees involved had |
selected union and desired to |
work under union-shop conditions
and the employer was willing to
grant such conditions.
These proposals, outlawing the
union-security principle through
out American industry, are not
only bitterly reactionary, but flout
over 100 years Of traditional indus
trial practice and return organized
labor to the same status it occupied
at the very beginning of its strug-
giles for recognition. They portray
a profound ignorance Of economies
and economic philosophy and a
deep misunderstanding Of the func-
tions of the security princi-
plies. As long ago as 1902 Con-
gressional Industrial Committee
reported the urgent and justified
necessity of the union-security
principle, saying that "the final
result" of the open shop twill be
the destruction of the organiza-
ton"
There is probably no right other
than the right To strike which or
ganized labor deems more conse-
Grated or more indispensable to its
continued maintenance and well
being than the right to seek and
obtain union-security agreements
through the process of collective
bargaining.
Full Membership Important
Furthermore, and the impor-
tance of this cannot be over empha-
sized, a union is able to maintain
all of its obligations under its con-
tracts only if all employees cover
ed by the contract are members of
the union. The union acts only ;
its members and elected
officers and cannot be expected to
police an agreement thoroughly if
some of the employees are mem
bers of the union and thus sub
ject to its rules, laws and dsci-
pline.
That the union-shop principle
has become a characteristic and
established part Of the American
Industrial system is seen from re-
cent BIS figures which show that !
approximately 75 per cent of all
in all industries covered
~ agreements are presently EN-
,raced under one form or another
If union-security provision. In view
If the important place the union U
ihop principle occupies in the phi a
osophy and tradition of the trade e
Inion movement, and in view of s
he institution il has become in
American industry, suggestions a
completely to outlay the union C
hop relationship through legisla- a
i've action must be unalterably e
opposed. S
1t is certainty that the adop- n