Arizona sun., 1947-03-14
Arizona State Federation
Of Labor Secretary Appeals
10 House Labor Committee

E. F. V k S, Sr., secretary
treasurer of the Arizona State Fed
GRAFTON of Labor, appeared before
the Labor Committee of the House
of Representatives last Friday
night against the anti-labor laws.
His statement follows:
"On behalf of The Arizona State
Federation of Labor, we appear
here to state that we believe the
proponents of Senate Bills No. 65,
sc, and 81 are not primarily con-
cerned with the idea of protecting
the free market of an individual
employee to bargain with his en-
pIoyer We believe the bills are
predicated upon unfriendliness to
organized labor as such, and are
designed primarily to protect the
powers of the employer.
eve feel and believe that the
organized labor movement of this
State is under attack, not for any
WrongS we have committed, but out
of an effort of the Legislators to
deal with problems which are be-.
yond their ability to solve.
eve concede that labor legisla-
tin is necessary. We, however,
contend that it must stem from the
Congress of the United States,
where some of the wrongs origi-
mated, and from the Supreme Court
of the United States which has en-
larged upon some of the errors.
"We do not intend to wrangle
here, or to indulge in name-calling,
or to engage in any acrimonious
debate.
"We come before you as Ameri-
can citizens, free men, wed to
American institutions and to our
constitutional form of government.
We do not come as beggars, seek
ing aims or favors. We come to
assert certain constitutional princi-
pies, and to advise you that we in
tend to rely upon our constitutional
rights.
1--WE assert that the Hathaway
Bill, Senate Bill No. 3, which pur-
ports to be based upon the Mime
sofa law, fails to include one of
the principles upon which our gov
ernment is founded; that is, svs-
tenn Of checks and balances. The
Hathaway Bill contains great
manv checks upon the labor move
ment, but lacks the balances con-
tained in the Minnesota Law; and
we direct your attention to the
failure of the Minnesota law as is
testified to by Mr.. StasSen and Sem
ator Ball of Minnesota recently be-
fore the Senate of the United
States; and we call attention to the
fact that the school teachers of
Minnesota, despite the Minnesota
law, were on strike not over so
days ago. So, gentlemen, we say
to you, the Minnesota law is not
the answer.
"As regards Senate Bill No. 65,
that matter is now before the
courts, the only forum in which
the constitutionality of the act may
be determined. We feel that to ar
que and discuss it here might be
deemed to be a contempt of court,
and that any action taken here in
the light of the pending case, would
be deemed to influence the decision
of the court.
"We determined that as good
American citizens, it was our duty
to attack the case in the courts,
rather than upon the economic
field through strikes and upon the
picket lines. We propose so long
as we shall be permitted so to do,
to rely upon the courts for our
Constitutional rights.
eff it is just to pass the Anti
closed Shop Amendment to the
Constitution and enforce the same,
then we ask how that principle
can be justified where legislation
designed to prevent employers
from discriminating against unions
in the matter of employment have
been declared unconstitutional in
every court where the cases have
been ubmitted-and also by the
United States Supreme Court.
1--WE do not undertake to discuss
the conditions thrown around the
right of organization and discrimi-
nation, as it relates, to the NLRB
and the Wagner Act, for the reason
that all questions in relation there
Continued on page 81