The union times., 1947-08-02

S~~~~>Os
 FOUR POINTS
 Labor organizations must keep the following four points carefully in mind:
 l. As pointed out in the first article of this series, the restric- tions on union security have no ap- pIication to unions representing employees in industries not in in- ferstate commerce; unions in in- dustries which are principally local in character may continue to exc cute and enforce closed shop con- tracts as they have in the past.
 2. Nothing in the Taft-Hartley Law specifically bans the execution of closed or union shop contract; l; the prohibition is against the en- tOrcenent of such a contract by the discharge of employees pursuant to its terms.
 3. Closed shop provisions of contracts entered into before June 23, 1947. the date the Act was passed, may be enforced according to their terms for the full period that the contracts have to run.
 4. Closed shop provisions may be inserted in contracts entered in : to at any time within sixty days af- ter June 23rd-that is until August 22nd-and such provisions may be fully enforced; provided, however, that contracts entered into during this sixty-day period are for a pe- riod of not more than one year.
 Since the prohibition is against the enforcement and not the execution of closed shop clauses, there is no reason why particularly those that are in doubt as to whether or not they are covered by the Act-should not continue even after August 22nd to enter into closed shop contracts with employers.
 It is conceivable that the Labor Board would issue a -and-desist order against the making of such a contract; but until its enforcement there would be no money penalties.
 Prior, however, to asking an em- ployer to discharge a worker who is not in good standing with the union, legal consideration should be given to the validity, under the Taft Hartley Law, of the closed shop provision. If a worker discharged under an invalid closed shop provision files charges with the National Labor Relations Board, he will be entitled to reinstate- ment, and the union may be liable for his back pay.
 Unions May Seek One-Year
 Agreements Now
 The fact that unions may negotiate one-year closed shop contracts at any time before August 22nd is too im- portant to overlook. Many labor or ganizations will decide to take immedi- ate advantage of this period of grace. This may be done even if the union and the employer are now operating under a contract with a considerable period to run-provided, of course, that the employer will negotiate an amendment.
 It is suggested that in contracts negotiated or amended prior to August 22nd, the closed shop pro- visions be separated completely from the other provisions. This would mean two separate agree ments, one of which might be call- ed "Agreement as to Union Secur- ity', and the other of which might be called Agreement as to Wages, Hours and Working Conditions"
 The Union Security Agreement may include all of the provisions that such agreements have included in the past. It should, however, be for term of exactly one year, with no automatic renewal clause
 Unions now operating under closed shop contracts executed before June
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