Evening star., 1948-05-09

The NLRB and its general COT
it next to impossible for unions to
and to continue to do business as
strong and healthy organizations
They have closed all Of the loop
holes whereby through outright or
side-door evasion Of the affidavit
provision a union still might get
Government help in dealing with
employers.
Steelworkers May Sign
This has been reflected in a de-
cided increase just recently in the
number of international and local
unions whose officers have filed the
afidavits. In just the last two
months the number of locals In
compliance with Taft Hartley has
increased "a per cent to 1922 and
the number of internationals 8 per
cent to Isl.
The developments are high lighted
by well-placed reports that Philip
Murray's United Steelworkers wiz
reverse their stand at the Boston
convention this week and file the
required affidavits.
The steelworkers claim to be the
Nations largest union-with nearly
a million members. Their apparent
decision to comply with the law
was caused by pressure from several
directions, the most compelling being
the outright loss Of members be-
cause they have been unable to get
their name on NLRB bargaining
election ballots.
1t may soon become a fact that
the only noncomplying unions will
be those whose officers cannot dis
avow communism because of their
theological belief plus John L. Lewis
United Mine Workers.
Thus it appears that Congress
may be successful in its purpose for
requiring the affidavits-putting the
finger on those unions controlled by
Communist officers and driving the
Reds from Office. Pressure from
rank -and-file members already is
being felt by the extreme left-wing
officials and many already have
been replaced.
There have been generally three
reasons why the various unions
have not filed the affldavits. There
are those that can't because they
have Communist officers, ones that
object to the requirement on prin-
ciple, and ones that hope to defeat
the Hartley Act in entirety by
boycotting it.
Lewis Stands Firm
Mr.. Murray has objected in prin-
ciple to the requirement that union
officers must disavow communism
to do business with NLRB. He and
other high officers of the Steel
workers are all anti-Communist.
Mr.. Lewis hates the Taft-Hartley
law even more than does his one
time friend, Mr.. Murray. The con-
stitution OF the UNIV bars Com
munists from membership. Mr..
Lewis had hoped to rally all Or
ganized labor into a boycott Of the
law and its new NLRB. Failing in
that, he is still determined that the
mine workers will have no part OF
either the law or the board.
The heat that Is on the steel
workers to change their policy is
typical Of the pressure that is being
applied to the other noncomplying
CIO unions. Two recent happen
ings illustrate the situation.
First, NLRB ruled, in a precedent
setting decision, that employers
must bargain with unions over pen
sions or retirement plans. The case
involved the steelworkers and the
Inland Steel Co. However, the board
pointed out that the union was not
in compliance with the filing re-
quirements Of Taft-Hartley. 1t gave
the union 80 days in which to file
the afiidavits. If it doesn't do So
and the deadline is this week-then
there is no compulsion on Inland tc
bargain on pensions.
And the steelworkers are very
anxious to follow Mr.. Lewis leao
and get pensions for all Of theil