Evening star., 1947-04-25
Ball Predicts Senate
Will Put More Curbs
On Unions in Bill
BY the As,ocioted Press


BY the kssoeioied Press
Senator Ball, Republican, of
Minnesota, predicted today that
the Senate will write more re-
strictions on unions into its gen.
eral labor bill, and Senator
Aiken, Republican, of Vermont
said that would assure" a presi-
Dental veto.
Senators Ball and Aiken, both
members of the Senate Labor Com
mittee, expressed their views in
separate interviews as the Senate
got set to resume debate on legis-
lation to curb strikes and limit un-
ion activities.
Senator Ball claimed at least SO
Senators will vote for four amend
ments which would add fresh checks
on labor organizations to the Senate
measure. That is two votes more
than needed to assure adoption.
Would Permit Injunctions.
These amendments, sponsored by
Senator Ball and other Senators
would:
Authorize private employers to
petition for court injunctions to
block jurisdictional strikes and sec.
ondary boycotts.
(Jurisdictional strikes usually
stem from disputes between un-
ions as to which should do given
work. A secondary boycott Is an
effort by a union to hit at one
employer by forcing other en-
ployers to stop dealing with him.
Outlaw union administered health
and welfare funds.
Forbid national unions to coerce
their locals into accepting contract
terms.
Make it an unfair labor practice,
subject to injunction, for unions to
coerce or interfere with workers in
the exercise of their collective bar
gaining rights. ...
The Hartley bill approved by a
three-to-one majority in the House
last week has all of these provisions
and many other union curbs which
are not in the Senate measure.
Outlaw Closed Shop.
But both bills would outlaw the
closed shop, which permits the en-
ployer to hire only union members;
authorize court injunctions to halt
or stave off national paralysis"
strikes; free employers of any obli-
CATION to bargain collectively with
foremen; set up new Federal
mediation service; and permit suits
against unions for breach of con-
tract.
Senator Aiken told reporter he
believes President Truman would
sign the Senate bill as drawn by
the Labor Committee. But he said
adoption of the amendments urged
by Senator Ball, Senator Taft, Re-
publican, of Ohio, and some other
members of the committee would
assure veto"
The Vermont laWmaker said that
while he has not talked to Mr..
Truman on the matter, he feels the
Chief Executive would have duty
to veto any bill which permitted
private employer to seek and obtain
an injunction" against strike or
boycott.
I'VE went all through that years
ago before the Norris-La Guardia
anti-injunction act when the abuses
were so bad Congress had to take
steps to eliminate them" Senator
Aiken said. I'VE don't want to go
back to those days."
Urges Talk With Truman.
Senator Aiken said congressional
leaders should get together with Mr..
Truman right away" to find out
just what kind of labor legislation
he would be willing to approve. Sen
ator Aiken is opposed to postponing
such a session until the House and
Senate bills go to a Conference
Committee for a settlement of diff
ferences. Senator Ball has said
that is the proper time to talk to
the President.
Mr.. Truman told his news con-
ference yesterday in response to a
question concerning the prospect for
a conference with COP leaders on
the labor bill that Republican lead
ers have a perfect right to discuss
anything they please with him.
Senator Aiken said a meeting with
Mr.. Truman should have been held
long ago" Hitting indirectly at
Senator Taft, who is chairman of
the Labor Committee and the Re-
publican Policy Committee, and with
whom he is at odds on labor legiS-
lation, Senator Aiken said:
IF the leadership of this Con-
gress insists on passing bills which
cannot become law, and thereby
assures that there will be no labor
legislation for at least two years,
then the leaders will have a great
deal to answer for in the next elec-
tion."
Minority Attacks Bill.
A Democratic minority of the
Labor Committee. composed of Sen
ators Thomas of Utah, Pepper of
Florida and Murray of Montana,
filed a minority report yesterday
opposing the bill as it now stands.
In addition they assailed:
l. Any restriction on industry
wide bargaining.
2. Ban on union administered
welfare funds.
3. A ban on the check-off method
Of collecting union dues by pay
roll deductions.
4. The obtaining of court injunc-
tions by private companies to block
jurisdictional strikes and secondary
boycotts.
At the same time the American
Federation of Labor, in an attack on
labor union curbs pending in Con-
gress, said the question of indus
trial peace or industrial war" is up
to Congress.
The American worker will never
bow" to the proposed power OF
court injunctions to- keep men al
work in public emergency strikes
AFL Secretary Treasurer George
Mepny cai6 in q hroo Scoct