Evening star., 1947-08-12
The Political Mil
WEWEalEgE
knowledge and THINKING
On Labor Law CIouded

.S1Os AOW ~lOuOSO
None of Its Provisions Is Unfair
Judged by American Standards
By Gould Lincoln
The Taft-Hartley labor law is the most
widely publicfzed act of the Eightieth Congress-
1t Is astonishing-and sad Communications
few people know what the law does and under.
taxes to do Particularly is this true of ths
members OF labor unions who are vitally af.
fected, but whose knowledge and thinkino
about the new law have been clouded-if not
entirely obscured-by the epithets hurled at II
by labor leaders. who should know better and
oy veto message Of the President of the
United States which followed the line tsten
oy the labor leaders. 1t has been described &C
a "slave-labor law"
1aei sullivan, executive director of the DEM
ocratic National Committee, in a recent sneech
referring to the Taft-Hartley law, listed as
hepuohcan commandment thou shalt not pivs
the iaoorlng man the same rights as other citi-
zens."
Ihis Is wild talk, and tends only to confuse
'Ae issue. III Is a partisan political appeal to
"olAers-ano no argument on the facts. The
effort OF the C1O and AFL leaders is IN ron.
vince the voters. and particularly their own
members, that members of Congress who SIN.
ported the Taft-Hartley law should he d.
leateo Mr.. Sullivan and some of the New
Deal Democrats appear to take the same nos,,
tlon Yet, in the House more Democrats voted
1or the labor bill. and in the Senate almost
the same number of Democrats voted for IL
as against. -
Issue In Campaign
The Taft-Hartley labor law will he made an
Issue IN the national political campaign next
year, with President Truman hopine tn hene7t
because OF his veto of the measure-althouoh
MS position repudiated that taken by a great
number OF Democrats in Congress.
WHAT'S In the new law-which covers 10
closely printed pages? The more that is known
aoout this act, the better for an intelligent vote
mere What 1t does-put as briefly as possible.
louoWlng recent analysis made by Republican
Leader of the House Halleck:
Inc law preserves, in the same language as
that OF the Wagner Act, the right of workers
TO organize and bargain collectively. And. "A
the wagner Act did, 1t forbids EMPLOYERS to
interfere with the employees, or to threaten or
coerce the employees when they exercise those
rights.
IL torbids members of unions or their
"goons" to beat up workers to force them into
union, or to threaten or coerce them In
other ways, or to force them to choose one
union when they want another
1t guarantees free speech to both workers
and employers. But the employers are for
hidden to threaten workers or to bribe them to
join or not to join union
1t torbids employers and unions, by agree
ment between themselves, to force workers to
JOIN union and to pay dues to it, unless the
majority OF the workers by secret ballot vote
In favor of the agreement 1t forbids depriy-
Ing worker OF his Job by denying union
membership as long as he is willing to pay mi.
tiation fee and dues.
Ruling on Dues Check-off
1t forbids employers to check off union dues
unless the worker has voluntarily authorized
the worker to do so.
1t requires employers and unions to make
certain that welfare funds established for the
workers shall be used for those purposes and
not for some other purposes of the union
leaders,
1t requires unions and employers, when
aoor contracts come to an end, to negotiate
or 30 days before engaging in a strike or lock-
,ur.
~ Aoi0A uAlOlo, ny Ju1lSu1CIlOIdl SCElkeS
md boycotts. to try to get control over en-
oloyes who have not chosen that union as their
agent. or who have chosen another
lnion as their agent.
1t requires unions to tell their members how
much money they take in, where they got it
md what they spent it for, how much they
'ay their officers, how much they charge for
lues, the grounds on which they suspend or
Xpel members.
1t exempts foremen and other supervisors
rom the provisions of the Wagner Act and
equires the board to regard them as EN-.
'oyers, not employees.
1t forbids the Labor Board to compel skilled
workers. to bargain through an industrial union
When they wish to bargain through craft
lnion.
1t requires unions, in order to be recognized
IS labor organizations, to file afidavits of their
'flcers saying the officers are not Commun-.
sts or fellow travellers.
1t forbids corporations to use stockholders
money for political purposes and forbids unions
o use members money for political purposes.
Subject to Damage Suits.
1t makes unions subject to suits for damages.
he same as corporations, when they break
heir contracts or engage in unlawful activi-
les.
1t enables the President of the United States
0 delay for time strikes that imperil public
ealth or safety, as he did In the coal strike.
1t makes the Cancellation Service an inde-
endent agency. directs 1t to try to prevent
srikes-it cannot forbid strikes-and author
,es 1t to take g. secret ballot of employees
efore strike II the union is willing.
1t requires unions, as well as employers, to
argain in good faith when employees choose
ne union as their bargaining agent.
1t requires the Labor Board to use fair pro-
edures and to render fair decisions, whether
ne cases involve charges against employers
r charges against unions.
1t sets up joint committee of Congress to
Judy labor management relations for the
urpose Of proposing changes in the law If de-
ects show up.
None of these provisions Is unfair-judged
y American standards.