The Chronicle-star combined with the Moss Point advertiser., 1947-07-18
CoIn1er

By CONGRESSMAN
WILLIAM NJ. COLMER
b Management Bin

has been before the Congress
during our service here has
created as much controversy
- the new Labor anagement
Relations Law which was fl
uaily enacted over President
Truman's veto a few DAYS ago.
Neither have we ever observ-
ed in that time a more stren-
Gus effort through the means
Of propaganda and lobbying.
All members OF Congress were
flooded with mail, petitions,
and personal calls. The Pres
ident was also deluged with
hundreds of thousands of let
tiers, kilograms. etcs BY far
most. of these were from the
labor unions. although bust
ness also joined in for its quota.
Judging by our own mail, some
body had done a pretty good
job OF progagandizihg the en-
plcyees. We were repeatedly
urged mot TO place labor in
shackles'': TO vote against "the
slave labor law, etc. We South
ern Members were ingeniously
pfopaEandized TO the effect
that II we voted for the law
we were voting to do away
with the Jim Grow laws in the
South, etc.
However. in this last con-
nection Il is interesting TO
note that out of % Southern
Senators voting, Is voted to
override the Presidents veto
and only s .voted to sustain the
President. In the House. out of
1o8 Members from the same
s6lid South, 81 voted to over
ride the President and only
Il voted to sustain.
Net A Slave Law
As 4 matter Of fact, the House
BY, a vote of 4 to l and the
Senate BY a vote of 68 TO Is
in overriding the Presidents
veto were merely attempting
TO correct some of the abuses
existing in labor-management
relations. The law. as time will
demonstrate. is in no sense an
attempt TO shackle labor or to
p1ace any unwise or unfair bar
riers in the way of the right
Of laboring people to organize
for self protection. or to strike
peaeeably against their EN-
ployers.
The Law
The bill as enacted Is too
comprehensive TO be discuss
ed In the brief space of this
column. However. among 9TH
err things, II provides that:
The Individual worker can,
as always, quit his job at his
own pleasure.
He can join, or not join. a
union al his pleasure. except
that under the Union shop pro-
visions once a majority of all
Of his fellow-workers have
voted for a union shop he must
join in order to keep his job.
The closed shop is barred but
the union shop is permitted
where the majority of the work
ers vote for il. as stated above.
However. a worker cannot
cross a picket line where a
legal strike is in progress and
expect the Federal Govern
ment to protect him.
On the other hand, an en-
ployee cannot be guilty of a
showdown tactic without the
risk of being fired, An en-
pleyee can also be fired for
cause under the new law.
Among these causes is for en-
ssging in Communistic activi-
ties while on the job. =
Under the new measure an
employee can handle his com
plant directly with his employ
er without going through the
union.
On the other hand an EN-
ployer has certain rights. For
Instance. he can sue the union
for violation a a contract, for
jurisdictional strike: or for sec
endary boycotts. He is also
given the privilege of discuss
ing matters affecting him and
his employees with his EN-
ployees provided that he does
npt use threats or promises
contrary to the unions vel
fare. Heretofore, the right Of
the employer to present his
SIDE of the case to his employ
ees has been denied him.
The employer must cheek off
the Union dues where a union
shop has been voted BY the
employees He can also fffe
employees engaged in a strike
who violate the provisions of
the Law requiring a so day
waiting period IN negotiating
changes IN a contract
Possibly the most objection
able part Of the law to union
leaders ae those provisions
requiring the filing % certain
financial reports. and prohibit
ing the charge Of excessive
60 $500