Evening star., 1947-06-03

tolls the right to quit work. Nowhere
In the entire measure can single
phrase be found that protects the
American worker who wants toI
cross picket line or who wants to
be safeguarded against violence in
mass picketing.
Defenders of the measure say that
the bill contains a provision which
declares it is an unfair labor
practice" for a union or its agents
ito restrain or coerce employees" ),
but unfortunately that language is
limited so that 1t refers only to
restraints or coercion against en-
ployes in the exercise of their rights
of self-organization. A worker, toI
be sure, can't be forced into a union
any more IL the new bill becomes
law but, in the future as in the past,
a worker gets no protection from
the Federal Government in his
right to work.
Power Used on Employers.
The specious argument was made
in the debate on the bill that this
isn't a matter for Federal police
power. Yet the employer can be
put in Jail If he imports strike
breakers from another State. The
Federal police power has been in
voked in this instance by Congress,
30 there can be no excuse for the
contention that policing in labor
disputes isleft entirely to the States.
It is being argued by defenders
of the conference bill, moreover,
that worker has right to join or
to refrain from any union activities
and that this may be stretched to
include a ban on mass picketing.
This would mean that the National
Labor Relations Board would have
to rule that crossing a mass-picket-
ing line is refraining from union
activity, but that seems a bit far
fetched for the courts to swallow
in the absence of any specific Fed
era1 prohibition of mass picketing.
Union workers as individuals are
protected absolutely against in
functions or any other clause Of the
proposed labor law, for If any
worker quits he can't be punished
for so doing.
Language Of Proviso.
The language of this proviso
which effectually puts an end to the
cry about slave labor" for unionl
men is as follows:
Nothing in this act shall be con-
strued to require an individual en-
ploye to render labor or service
without his consent, nor shall any
thing in this act be construed to
make the quitting of his labor by an
individual employe an Illegal act;
nor shall any court issue any pro-
cess to compel the performance by
an individual employee of such |
labor or service, without his con-
sent; nor shall the quitting of labor
by an employee or employees in good
faith because Of abnormally danger
ous conditions for work at the place
Of employment of such employee or
employees be deemed strike under
this act"
This opens the gates wide for in
dividuals to quit work If they don't
want to cross a picket line. They
can argue that they do not wish to
take the risks of violence in "ab-
normally dangerous conditions.
The above provision absolutely re-
duces to absurdity the Nationwide
announcements by the labor union
leaders that the new legislation is a
slave labor" bill and that, by the
injunction process, men can be COM
pelled to work against their will.
Main Issue Sidestepped.
Maybe 1t was because the unions
raised such a fuss about slave
labor" that they got a brand-new
provision in the conference bill, for
nowhere in the Wagner Act was
there such a sweeping protection
for the individual worker against
involuntary servitude."
The legislators have brought forth
= bill that significantly sidestepsI
some of the main issues that have
made labor management relations
so unhappy in recent years. Apollo
gtsts are already saying the new bill
is at least start in the right direc-
tion. 1t is start all right but 1t
remains to be seen in what direc-
tion the rulings and decisions will
go. For everything depends on the
personnel of the new board, and the
labor unions have succeeded ever
since 1885 in influencing the White
House to appoint a majority of the
members who are admittedly biased
In favor of unions. The new bill de-
pends almost entirely on admins
trattve acts and decisions-and in
this sense presents hardly any
change from the Wagner law ex-
cept in few items of procedure.
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