Evening star., 1947-08-23
Hartley Assai|s
Brazen' PIanto
.EvadeLaborLaw
Urges Congress Probe
Of Efforts by Either
Side to Bypass Act

Condemning proposals by the
CIO and AFL to ignore the Taft
Hartley Labor Act as "brazen
effrontery," Chairman Hartley
of the House Labor Committee,
a co-author of the law, called
today for a congressional inves-
tigation of ANY and all efforts
to bypass the law'-either by
labor or management.
At the same time, the National
Labor Relations Board, issuing new
rules to govern enforcement of the
law, pointed up the rights of indi-
vidual citizens to intervene in labor
disputes, and the Labor Department
reported that preliminary figures
indicated about 125 900 workers were
involved in 200 strikes just before
the controversial legislation went
fully in effect yesterday.
Mr. Hartley hit at employees and
employers in his blast at evaders of
the law.
Sees Reaction Against Leaders.
when the rank -and-file members
understand what this law means to
them,' he told reporters, there will
be a revulsion against the leader
ship. The leaders then will be look
ing for every excuse under the sun
to conform to its terms"
Turning to reports that several
unions have expressed a determine
ton to avoid the act by bargaining
with employers independently of the
National Labor Relations Board, Mr..
Hartley declared:
Il am going to ask the Joint
Committee to investigate any and
all efforts to bypass the law,
whether by unions working alone or
in conspiracy with employers. That
applies both to violations of the
spirit and the letter of the law"
The Joint Congressional Commit
tee was created under the act to
study basic labor problems and to
watch operations of the NLRB.
Unions found to be by-passing the
law will have no standing under it,
Mr.. Hartley said.
The New Jersey Representative
recalled attempts by some indus
trialists to avoid the Wagner Labor
Act when it was first passed.
Hartley Sure Law Will Work.
These employers discovered they
had made bad mistake because
they were depriving themselves of
certain privileges he said. THE
same thing is going to happen to a
lot of unions in the present situa-
tion.
|. While some union leaders pre-
dicted the new law will increase
labor strife, Mr. Hartley said "the
more I think over the law, the more
I am convinced that it will work out
beautifully" He added:
ANY trouble that it causes will be
due to the efforts of union leaders
to prevent the workers from taking
advantage of its provisions"
Many provisions of the law, he
said, give rank-and-f1le workers
definite protection against union
heads" He pointed to a section
banning coercion of union MEM
bers by leaders.
Mr.. Hartley declared that many
workers are tired of these con-
tinual strikes and want to go back
to work"
Intervention Powers Broadened.
Powers of the individual citizen
to intervene in labor disputes existed
under the old Wagner Act, but are
broadened under provisions of the
Taft Hartley measure, the NLRB
stressed last night.
The Statement of procedure"
made it clear that "any person." by
filing a charge in writing, can ini-
tiate the investigation of an alleged
violation of the act.
An NLRB official, asked about the
phrase "any person" said the per-
son need not be a member of a
union, nor even an employe. Any
citizen who is convinced he sees
violation of the act can file the
charges.
For example, it is explained, sup
pose there is jurisdictional strike.
One union is picketing a plant in
an effort to win the right to do
certain work being done by another
union. The ft-Hartley Act bars
such strikes.
Suppose production is not being
seriously affected and the employer
decides not to prosecute the striking
union. The employer may even be
anxious to avoid stirring up the
case
Any Citizen Can File Charges.
Suppose some worker objects to
the picket line. He can go-with-
out even a lawyer-to an NLRB
regional office and file charges. Or
any citizen of the town can do the
same thing.
Of course it will be up to NLRB
officials to decide whether there is
any merit to the charges.
In case somebody complains
against a jurisdictional strike, the
regional director in the Office where
ut is filed must look into the case
Co. JAPOp pooe Al