Evening star., 1948-11-28


be willing to make beyond, the
simple terms Of the old Wagner
Actp That act was in effect from
1885 until Congress slapped labor
with Taft-Hartley in mid-1947. II
placed no restriction on unions and
protected workers rights to join
unions and bargain collectively on
wages and working conditions.
Public, Private Views Differ
This correspondent put the ques-
tions to a large number of labor
leaders and lawyers at the AFI
convention just ended at Cincinnati
From their answers may be OBJ
tanned q fairly accurate appraisal
of the situation, but the final
answers will not be forthcoming
until Congress tackles the problems
probably late in January.
An encouraging part Of the pic
ture is that President Truman's ad-
visers and the labor leaders ap-
parently are not too far apart in
their private views as to what d
new labor-management law should
contain. It should be stated here
that the offcial public stand OF
the AFL Is far different from what
its leaders say privately they know
they will have to take in the way
of q new law. They know they will
have to make concessions consider
ably beyond the strictly pro-labor
terms of the Wagner Act.
Another encouraging aspect is
that the AFL's official attitude
toward the whole subject of ways
to improve industrial relations has
changed markedly since the days
before Hartley. Much was
said by big union heads at the con-
vention about the responsibilities OF
labor to protect the public interest.
There seemed to be a growing
awareness that the public must be
protected against damaging strikes
and that unions must never again
allow themselves to fall in disfavor
as they did when Taft-Hartley was
called for.
What AFL Insists Upon
1t seems likely also that privately
leaders of the AFL and CIO are in
fairly close agreement as to what
should be written into new labor
law. There will be, OF course, some
disagreement. For example the
AFL has no objection to the Taft
Hartley requirement Of union
officers to file non-Communist affi-
davits so long as management re-
presentatives are required to sign
them, too. But the CIO undoubted-
ly will fight the requirement. Posi-
tions Of the two big organizations
probably will be different, too, re-
garding the ban on jurisdictional
strikes since disputes among unions
as to which should do certain work
are confined almost entirely to AFL
unions.
Oficially here is what the AFL
insists that President Truman must
ask and what Congress must do:
Repeal Taft Hartley in entirety;
concurrently re-enact the Wagner
law; restore the Clayton and
Norris-La Guardia anti-injunction
act to the effectiveness before the
Taft Hartley amendments. After
that is done, the AFL says 1t will
be willing to talk about and bargain
out some amendments to the re-
vived Wagner Act.
George M. Harrison, president OF
the Brotherhood of Railway Clerks
and AFL vice president, who, as a
result Of his stanch and unwaver-
ing support Of President Truman,
emerges as the AFL's most powerful
figure, has this to say about the
public position Of the Federation:
Make Good on Your Promise
"Our position as to Federal labor
law Is identical with that OUR State
Department takes with regard to the
Berlin dispute. Secretary Marshall
told the Russians to lift their block
ade and then he will be willing to
discuss and settle issues involved
in the dispute.
. "In nearly every speech Of the
campaign President Truman prom
ised to exert every effort to get re-
peal OF Taft-Hartley. So did many
of the successful candidates for Con-
gress. We say TO them now make
good on your promise of repeal, re-
vive the Wagner Act and then we
will talk to you about concessions
with regard to Wagner amend
ments.'
Naturally, we realize we will
have to take more than the original
Wagner Act. But we feel the elec-
ton result was a mandate to re-
peal Taft-Hartley. Our bargaining
position Is strong. We are going to
bargain in Washington, but we dc
not intend to show our hand pub
ncly before we get some kind OF
assurance that Congress Is willing to
give us break, too."
Refers to Truman MESSAGES
Mr.. Truman has selected Secre.
tary of Labor Tobin to draft the
proposals to Congress for the sub.
stitute law. Advising the Secretary
will be such officials as Cyrus s
Ching, head of the Federal Media.
ton and Cancellation Service; Chair.
man Paul M. Herzog Of the Nationa
Labor Relations Board and John r
Steelman, the assistant to the Presi-
dent. Mr.. Tobin will hold extended
conferences with labor and manage.
ment leaders.