Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1947-07-20

Although most Of the ALL unions
have yet to act, it is expected they
will take the same position.
The new board officially opens for
business August %. On that date
most of the provisions of the Tafta
Hartley Act applying to the board
take effect, including unfair" labor
practices by unions. The NLRB
now becomes the advocate of en-
ployers as we'll as unions and the
Judge of the acts of both. Under
the Wagner Labor Relations Act the
board was the protector of labor's
rights only.
Slow Start Expected
The position taken by the huge
segment of labor presages dull early
days for the new board. But
whether the unions will be able to
follow through on the boycott
policy remains to be seen. Some
Independent labor experts believe
the rebellion" will be short-lived
and that time will see nearly all OF
labor doing business" before the
board Just as they have done under
the Wagner Act.
In the past the CLIO has leaned
more heavily on the NLRB for help
than has the older AFL, many OF
whose unions have tradition OF
self help. CLIO unions were organ
lied and made strong under the
protective wing of the Wagner Act
which the board has administered
They won their place in the big
mass production industries through
NLRB collective bargaining cleo
lions and saw to it that an en-
ployer never got by with an unfair
practice. In that way they pre-
served their positions.
Now, the still youthful CLIO unions
are breaking away from Govern
ment help and are setting out to
fight their own battles.
New Procedure
This means the unions must find
an alternative to Governmental con-
Quoted elections when their request
for recognition as bargaining. repre-
sentative of employees of firm is
refused by management.
It means, too, that another way
must be found of settling members
complaints of unfair practices OF
treatment by employers.
The only alternative in either
case, providing management is ada
mant, is to strike.
There can be no doubt but that
the number of union recognition
strikes will increase greatly unless
the big unions change their position
and decide to accept the NLRB az
the judge of their cases.
Virtually all unions-whether AFT
or CIO-have decided to eliminate
no strike" clauses from their con-
tracts as protection from suits which
may be filed under the Hartley
Act by any one suffering damage as
a result of an unauthorized strike
Lewis Feels Safe
This will substantially increase
the number of strikes resulting from
disputes over contract Interpretation
unless alright grievance machinery
is provided in the contract.
John L. Lewis thinks he has such
an alright setup in the new con-
tract he just won from soft-coa
producers. 1t provides various steps
for settling contract grievances with
arbitration, binding to both sides
the final one.
Mr.. Lewis grievance machinery Is
a two-way affair. 1t is to be USED
for adjudication of complaints OF
employers as we'll as of employees. n
doing that Mr.. Lewis had the en-
ployers agree in effect that they
would not take their complaints te
either the NLRB or the courts.
Unions quite openly now are ad-
vocating settlement of quarrels over
recognition as bargaining repre-
sentatiyes by strike instead of by
submission to the Federal board.
A Go spokesman said that Var
A. Bittner, in connection with the
Southern organizing drive which he
directs, was advocating use OF force
where necessary rather than Federal
election machinery in settling argu-
ments over whether union does OF
does not have a majority OF the
workers in a plant.
Unions Position
Another CLIO Official said the de-
cision to bypass the board and Its
representation election procedure
would necessitate a "reorientation
of the organizing process" He said
that by and large the unions take
the position that If an employer
prefers the long delays Of new board
procedure to recognition by a show
of cards or other means they do not
feel the employer is really interested
in bargaining.
The new labor law prescribes that
before a union may. initiate any
proceeding before the NLRB 1t
must file certain statements with
the Government. Those. include
financial statements, methods OF
electing and the pay OF officers
other data about the union and
afidavits once year from the
'oficers as to whether or not they
are Communists.
BY and large the unions are not
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