Evening star., 1947-08-22

a man or woman wants to 60 in
side a factory to work, he or she
can do so. If any one interferes,
the person coerced can obtain legal
redress first through the National
Labor Relations Board and then by
damage suits in the courts.
Likewise, union which engages
nickets to do acts which are in
violation of the law can be held
responsible by damage suits and
bv injunctions obtained by the
Labor Board.
End of "Goon Squads"
No longer can unions use "goon
SQUADS" or ''strong arm metnoos
either to enforce their will in strikes
or to intimidate people into joining
a union. The worker Is free TO oe-
eide as he wishes. That speclncally
is stated in the law.
If a worker is member OF
"closed shop" or union shop, ne
NAV have to remain member OF
the union during the term OF tne
contract but no worker, whether
member of the union or not, is
compelled to engage in picketlng II
he does not care to do so. he mas
a legal right to refrain from unfon
activities and cannot be dismissed
from a union for refusal to DO that
which is unlawful.
The worker as an lndlvldual can
ouit his job at any time. Inc
Union cannot bring about his re-
EMPLOYMENT If he has quit IN ols-
regard of union orders. II ne quits
in accordance with union orders ana
the union itself has failed to give
the proper notice of an intention 10
strike the worker need not be REIN
stated by the employer. If the union
orders him to engage in an unlawful
strike, he can sue the union.
Thus the right to strike by con-
certed action is protected so long
as proper notices are given but the
right to persuade others to quit IN
a concerted movement is not pro-
tected if the proper notices have not
been given in advance. This Is "nat
is meant by the prohibition against
wildcat strikes" "
The law merely insists that work
stoppages be. conducted in an Or
derlv manrer-someWhat as was the
case Under the Smith-C -Connally law
in wartime when certain prescribed
steps had to be complied with pe-
fore a strike could occur.
Legal Right for Worker.
The worker has obtained another
important legal right. He can IN
sist on q financial statement by his
union. Unless the union supplies
this to members each year, 1t loses
certain privileges before the Nation
al Labor Relations Board. Some
unions which do not want to tell
their members what they are doing
with the workers money are talk
ing of avoiding" the National Labor
Relations Board. This, however,
does not in any way save them from
the penalties if they engage in un-
lawful strikes or work stoppages-
those where proper notice has not
been given.
The worker has vote now on
whether there shall or shall not be
a Union shop" in the plant. This
is not the same as being represented
bv a union for collective bargaining.
It means that if majority OF the
employees have voted for the union
shop" which bars nonunion workers,
after 80 days the new employe must
ioin the union to keep his job and
the old employees must also become
members of the union.
But an old employe who has re-
fused to become a member OF the
union cannot be dismissed by the
employer when he offers to join and
the union declines to admit him. He
must agree to pay the regular dues
Just the same.
The new law says unions may
prescribe their own rules OF admls-
sion but cannot force dismissals of
members who pay their dues. In
other words, the days of discrimi-
nation against union men for fall
ing to be beholden to union officers
or for exercising their right to
speak up in union meetings is over.
ployer even in a union shop to dis
miss such an employe.
No longer is the threat to compel
an employer to fire a worker going
to be held over the head of union
member who does a satisfactory job
of work for the employer each day
but happens to be in oisfavor with
the union officers.
The Taft Hartley law has been
denounced by union bosses" who
have never told the workers what
the new law means to them. Grad
ually the truth about the new statute
will become known to the workers
and they will then regard it as a
statute that truly emancipates them
from unjust action by either the
union or the employer In the mat
ter of union activities.
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