Evening star., 1947-02-24
Full Committee
Votes Portal Paw
Suits Ban, 9.3
Two-Yeur Limitation
Put on Claims Filed
Under Long Practice
COMP ULSORY MEDIATION
sought before any walkout.
Page AS
BY the Associated Press

tee today approved by 9-to-3 vote
legislation outlawing nearly all
portal-to-portal pay claims.
Chairman Wiley told reporters the
committee approved substantially
the same bill" which a Judiciary
Subcommittee voted for last week.
He listed these major changes:
l. The bill now includes a two
year statute of limitation, rather
than the three-year limitation voted
by the subcommittee. The provision
still becomes operative only If the
Supreme Court should void pro-
visions outlawing all existing and
future portal claims except those
covered by contract or custom.
2. Under the revised version, suits
may be filed either by individual
employees, or by worker acting on
behalf of group of fellow employees.
This does not permit suits by unions,
Same Proviso Included.
AS in the case of the first change,
these suits would be recognized only
If the high court knocks out the
null and void" provisions.
The bill was approved by Repub-
lican Senators Wiley, Ferguson Of
Michigan, Revercomb of West Vir-
ginia, Moore of Oklahoma, Donnell
of Missouri and Cooper of Kentucky.
Democrats approving were SEN
ators McCarran of Nevada, Eastland
of Mississippi and Fulbright of
Arkansas.
Senators Magnuson, Democrat, of
Washington; McGrath, Democrat,
of Rhode Island, and LANCER, Re-
publican, of North Dakota voted
against the measure.
The House Labor Committee
heard, meanwhile, at it's session to-
day, testimony that Communist un-
ion leaders were responsible for
10-months-long strike against the
Allis- Chalmers Co. of Milwaukee.
The Senate Labor Committee,
which also has been holding hear
lngs on new labor legislation, was
not in session, but Senator Ellender,
Democrat. of Louisiana issued a
statement saying Congress must
take the bull by the horns and
write its own ticket" on labor legis-
lation because union leaders ARE
not cooperative.
Il have been most disappointed in
their showing" said Senator Ellen
der, Labor Committee member
whose views in the past often have
ccincided with those of union
spokesmen.
Three Leaders Named.
The Louisiana lawmaker told a
reporter the committee expected but
got no aid from AFL President Will
liam Green, CIO Chief Philip Muir
ray and United Auto Workers Pres
ident Walter Reuther.
They and other union officials
sharply assailed most pending leg
islation in testifying before the COM
mittee last week.
Senator Ellender said one of the
things Congress seems likely to do
is revise the act Ito restore free
speech" to employers.
He added there is absolutely no
doubt" that Congress will outlaw
jurisdictional strikes and secondary
boycotts.
Allis- Chalmers Asks Laws.
The Allis- Chalmers officials who
appeared before the House commit
tee asserted:
l. Legislative steps are needed to
eliminate the destructive weed Of
Communist intrigue without HARM
ing sound labor unionism."
2. The greatest menace to our
democratic form of Government Is
"the misuse of the tremendous power
now vested in labor unions in the
hands of communistic union leader
ships"
3. There is conclusive evidence"
that the leadership of Local 248 of
the CIO-United Auto Workers, with
which Allis Chalmers has dispute,
is communistic.
The five witnesses were Harold
w. Story, vice president; K, w.
Haagensen, director of public rela-
tlonS; +. F. Ohrman, vice president
in charge of manufacturing: J. L.
Waddleton, manager of the labor
section of the legal division, and
A. K. Brintnall, manager Of the
labor relations department of the
industrial relations division.
Bulky Exhibits Shown.
They submitted to the committee
a 108-page brief, and an even
thicker batch of documents and ex-
hibits. Similar testimony had been
given previously before a Senate
Committee, likewise considering
proposed labor legislation. Their
brief said that a 1941 strike vote was
called at the direction of the Ma
tional Communist Party to interfere
with aid to Britain, as has been
stated by Louis Budenz, former
Communist.