Evening star., 1947-02-02
Truman Hopes
Builder PactC,a
Ease Labor Bills
Halls AL Contractors
Accord as NotubIe Step
To Industrial Peace
BY the Assoeioied Press


tractors and the AFL to arbi-
trate pay and other disputes
with the aim of avoiding strikes
was announced by President
Truman yesterday as a mot
able step along the road to
labor peace"
It sets up machinery for ''final
and binding" arbitration. The actual
submission of disputes to this bind
ing arbitration remains a matter for
voluntary action by the diSputing
parties, but they promised ito exert
every effort to see that these pro-
cedures are used wherever possible" :"
Mr.. Truman said this agreement,
plus recent settlements In the rub
Der and steel industries, signals
widespread trend toward labor set
Elements without resort to force"
Hopes to Avert Severe Curbs.
BY emphasizing this succession of
triumphs for free collective bar
gaining" the President made it
obvious to a news conference that he
hopes Congress is listening in and
will shun the more severe labor
curbing bills before it.
Senator Mccarthy, Republican of
Wisconsin, gave the opinion it is an
important Development" If it
proves workable, he told reporters.
"it might we'll temper some of the
labor legislation now being con-
sidered-making 1t unnecessary to
take some of the drastic steps that
have been proposed"
Senator Capehart, Republican, of
Indiana, while seeing it as "step
in the right direction" declared:
II hope it will not stop Congress
from enacting some constructive
labor legislation"
The agreement, between the AS
Soctated General Contractors of
America and the AFL Building and
Construction Trades Department,
sets up a national joint conference
committee to arbitrate disputes
which are voluntarily submitted to
it. During the war, the industry had
a no-strike, no-lockout pact.
The 10 AFL international unions
concerned embrace about 100000
workers and dominate the industry.
The Associated General Contractors
speaks for thousands of builders, in
cluding many in the big-scale hous-
ing field.
Their aim, as set forth in the
agreement, is to provide adequate
machinery for the settlement of such
disputes in an orderly manner with
out any stoppage of work by lockout
or strike"
Truman Stresses Importance.
The agreement, Mr.. Truman said,
is so important that he decided on
the unusual course of announcing
it at the White House. "signifl-
cant step forward" he called it in
a statement, "in industrial relations
in this country"
1--WE have had good labor news
during the past 10 days." he added.
He mentioned the CIO contract
covering rubber workers and the
agreement between five United
States Steel Corp. subsidiaries and
the CIO Steelworkers on eliminating
wage inequities.
1.-THE making of these agreements
indicates a widespread willingness
to resolve industrial disputes with
out resort to force" Mr.. Truman
added. "We are moving closer and
closer to our ideals of free collective
bargaining"
Green Halls Action.
Quoting from his State-of- The
Union message, in which he warned
against punitive" labor legislation,
the President declared that free col
lective bargaining "is still the ma
tional policy; it should continue
to be the national policy"
In Miami, President William
Green of the AFL voiced his own
hope that Congress would note the
development, which he called "a
method for settlement of disputes in
a constructive and workable way"
This settlement is made at q very
important time" said Mr.. Green,
who is attending the AFL Executive
Council meeting. Congress, which
is considering legislation on the sub
ject, may realize that labor and
management are sincerely working
for solution of disputes which
---1C- nT7r DTHIC r. IN