The Wilmington morning star., 1947-01-07

- SSSAh VI PAAfdLS CA1SCl PIlSSs
Third, Continuation Of an agrees
sive program Of home construc.
ton.
Fourth, The balancing of the
budget in the next fiscal year, and
achieving OF a substantial surplus
to be applied to the reduction of
the public debt.
Fifth, Protection Of a fair level
OF return to farmers in postwar
agriculture.
Labor-Management Relations
The year just past-like the year
after the First World war-was
marred by labor : management
strife.
Despite this outbreak of eco
nomic warfare in 1916, we are to-
day producing goods and services
in record volume. Nevertheless
it is essential to improve the me-
thods for reaching agreement be-
tween labor and management and
to reduce the number of strikes
and lock-outs.
We must not, however, adopt
punitive legislation. We must not,
in. order to punish a few labor
leaders, pass vindictive laws which
will restrict the proper rights of
the rank and file of labor. We
must not, under the stress Of emo
ton, endanger our American free
doms by taking i'll considered &C.
ton which will lead to results not
anticipated Or desired.
We must remember, in review
ing the record of disputes in 1916,
that management shares with
labor the responsibility for failure
to reach agreements which would
have averted strikes. For that
reason, we must realize that indus
trial peace cannot be achieved
merely by laws directed against
labor unions.
During the last decade and a
half we have established a ma
tional labor policy in this country
based upon free collective bar
gaining as the process for deter
mining wages and working condi-
tons.
This is still the national policy.
1t should continue to be the ma
tional policy.
But as yet, not all of us have
learned what it means to bargain
freely and fairly. Nor have all of
us learned to carry the mutual
responsibilities that accompany
the right to bargain. There have
been abuses and harmful practices
which limit the effectiveness of
our system of collective bargain
ing. Furthermore, we have lack
ed sufficient governmental ma
chinery to aid labor and manage
ment in resolving differences.
Certain labor-management prob
lens need attention at once and
certain others by reason of their
completely, need exhaustive in
vestigation and study.
We should enact legislation to
correct certain abuses and to pro-
vide additional governmental as
s~istance in bargaining. But we
should also concern ourselves with
the basic causes Of labor-manage-
ment difficulties.
In the light of these considera-
tons, I propose to you and urge
your cooperation in %effecting the
following four point program to
reduce industrial strife:
Point number one is the early
enactment of legislation to prevent
certain unjustifiable practices.
First, under this point, are juris-
dictional strikes. In such strikes
the public and the employer are in
nocent bystanders who r injured
by a collision between rival unions.
This type of dispute hurts produc-
ton, industry. and the public -
and labor itself. I consider juris-
dictional strikes indefensible. q
The National Labor Relations act
provides procedures for determin-
ing which union represents the EN-
ployees of a particular employer.
In some jurisdictional disputes,
however, minority unions strike to
compel employers to deal with
them despite a legal duty to bar
gain with the majority union:
strikes to compel an employer to
violate the law are inexcusable.
Legislation to prevent such strikes
is clearly desirable.
Another form of inter-union dis
agreement is the jurisdictional
strike involving the question of
which labor union is entitled to
perform a particular task. When
rival unions are unable to settle
such disputes themselves. provi-
Sion must be made FOR peaceful
and binding determination of the
issues.
A second unjustifiable practice
is the secondary boycott, when
used to further jurisdictional dis
putes or to compel employees to
violate the National Labor Rela-
tons act.
Not all secondary boycotts are
unjustified. We must judge them
on the basis of their detectives.
For example, boycotts intended to
protect wage rates and working
conditions should be distinguished
from those in turtherance of juris-
dictional disputes. The structure
of industry sometimes requires
unions as a matter of s%elf-preser-
walton. to extend the conflict be-
vond a particular employer. There
should be no blanket prohibition