Evening star., 1948-07-11

unprecedented wage gains and
fat welfare fund. Although the tw
concerns are the worlds largest pro
ducers Of coal, they still represen
only 10 per cent of our total output
Nevertheless, the rest of the .duS
try felt impelled to go along will
the agreement.
Baked at Union Shop
Now, things have returned to nor
NAL. The tail no longer is wag
ging the dog. The major part o
the industry, the operators VIII,
mine coal for sale to others, mad,
a one-year contract with Mr.. Levi
two weeks ago.
The steel industry, after drag.
ing a foot while negotiations with
the UNIV sped along to climax
reluctantly accepted all provision!
Of the contract-including $1-a-daJ
wage raise and the doubled welfare
fund-eXcept the one continuing
union shop conditions. For the un,
initiated, under the union shop &
worker must join the union withir
q short time after he is hired.
Steel refused to sign the contract
for its captive" mines and accused
Mr.. Lewis of violating the Taft
Hartley Act by attempting to force
them to accept union shop without
following what the law says on the
subject. The act states that the
shop must be approved by a ma.
jority of workers in formal election
before it may be made part of 8
contract.
That is what all of the argument
now Is about-the refusal of the
steel miners to work without con-
tract, the business before the Ma.
tional Labor Relations Board ane
the District Court.
RepercuSsions Feared
1t is very knotty problem indeed
TO solve, and the effect could be very
serious on the domestic economy, thu
European aid program and our new
defense effort unless early solution
is reached. So far both sides-LeWi
and steel-are adamant and the ex
perts see no ready answer.
The steel industry would seem tC
be on unassailable legal ground il
refusing to sign the contract, regard
less of whether the union shop
clause is the real reason for not
signing, as some persons have
doubted.
The agreement signed by two.
thirds Of the coal industry does
provide for the union shop, ane
there also is little doubt that, the
way it was worked out. this particu.
lar union shop is contrary to the
Taft Hartley Act.
But there is practical side tc
the question. too.
It is probable that the first change
Congress will make in Hartley
will be to drop the requirement O
enploye elections before the unior
shop may be raised as bargain
ing point with an employer. Many
pedsons, including some leading Re
publicans on the Hill, have at
tackled the requirement as need.
less expense on the Government
Labor has won nearly SO per CEN
OF the elections held so far. And
even after employees vote for 1t
the employer is not compelled tt
grant the union shop.
Bills for repeal Of the requirement
were introduced in the last ses-
sion by Senator Ives, Republican, oi
New York and Representative Lam
dis, Republican, of Indiana, who, II
reelected, will be new chairman OF
the House Labor Committee. Hear
ings were held, but congressional
leaders decided against making
changes in the Taft Hartley law
largely because of the last-minute
crush of more important business.
For Workers Protection
The requirement for election was
written into the act as one means
of protecting the right of workers
to make their own choice about
joining unions. 1t was designed to
restrict the power Of unions. But
1t has worked out to strengthen the
unions hand in demanding the
union shop. The employers resist
snce to such a demand is weakened
after it is shown that most OF his
employees, perhaps an overwhelming
majority. want it.
The UNIV has had the union shop
in its contract for years. All sides
including steeel officials. admit there
is no doubt but that the workers
would vote for it in landslide pro-
portions should elections be held al
the mines now.
Why doesn't Mr.. Lewis agree tc
the elections, instead Of insisting
upon the signing of a contract OF
very doubtful legality?
He cannot have the elections. be-
cause Mr.. Lewis and the other UNIV
officials have refused to file the non
Communist aff1davits and other data
which Taft-Hartley requires of un.
ions before they may use the facili-
ties of the National Labor Relations
Board.
People have called Mr.. Lewis To-
of names, but Communist is no
one of them. In fact, the UNIV
constitution bars Communists from
membership.
The miners chief has stronge1
words to describe Taft Hartley thar
most labor leaders. Right after thu
act was passed a year ago, he laie
plans to fight it. His way of fight
ing the law is to ignore it and thu
NTPP which administers il. so fal