Evening star., 1949-02-15
Workers Resent
Taft Labor Law,
Green Testifies
Declares 1t Makes
Custer of Communists
Difficult Problem
By the Associated Press

AFL President William Green
shouted at a congressional hear
ing today that workers are
angry and resentful' over the
Taft Hartley labor law. He de-
manded its prompt repeal.
Mr.. Green also told the Senate
Labor Committee that the law
make it difficult for us to clear
the Communists out of our
unions"
The AFL chief generally in
dorsed the bill which the admin
istration has offered as a substi-
tute for the Taft Hartley measure,
but suggested several technical
changes. The administrations bill
would knock out most of the Taft
Hartley provisions which labor
unions have opposed.
Closed Shop Ban Emphasized.
Mr.. Green hit particularly at
the Taft-Hartley laws ban on the
closed shop, an arrangement un-
der which workers must be union
members to be hired. He said it
prevents unions from requiring an
employer to fire Communists. Mr..
Green put it this way:
Suppose the union tries man.
finds him guilty of being a Com
munist, and suspends him. 1t
can't under the Taft Hartley law
require the employer to discharge
him."
Mr.. Green first said this pre-
vents us from clearing the Com
munists out of our movement" A
moment later he explained that
the AFL has done IAN excellent
job IN this regard, even before
the law was passed, but the act
makes it more difficult"
Once the elderly witness banged
the table and cried: The in
dividual workers are angry and
resentful. This has robbed them
of what they regard as an essen
tial part of their freedom. They've
been taught for half century
that I have the right to sell my
labor at the best terms I can get.
Green for Cancellation Shift.
Senator Taft, Republican, of
Ohio broke in smiling to say that
Mr.. Green was talking only about
the closed-shop provision. and not
the whole law. Senator Taft said
hundreds of thousands OF COL
lective bargaining agreements
have been made under the Taft
Hartley Act"
Mr.. Green made 1t clear that
the AFL favors the return of the
Federal Mediation and Concilia-
ton Service to the Labor Depart
ment, as proposed in the admins
tration labor bill. He said a con-
trary impression had received
wide circulation.
Senator Morse, Republican, of
Oregon who opposes both the
Taft Hartley and administration
measures, said there's good
chance neither of them will stand
as the Nations labor law if he and
Senator Ives. Republican. of New
York can get together on a sub
stitute which might give Repub-
licans a balance of power" in
the Senate.
Senator Morse said that the
substitute. if introduced, probably
would determine the kind of labor
legislation the Senate finally ap-
proves"
Would Drop SO-Day Injunctions.
Senators Morse and Ives both
oppose many features of the Taft
Hartley Act. For example, they
both want to discard the 80-day
injunctions in national emer-
gency' strikes. On the other
hand, they both want a more
comprehensive law than the
Thomas bill, which was prepared
by the Truman administration
and introduced by Chairman
Thomas of the Senate committee.
The Thomas bill, indorsed by
unions. would do away with most
of Taft-Hartley and replace it.
with a law more similar to the
original Wagner Act of 1885.
Senator Morse made it clear
that he and Senator Ives have
not yet agreed on an entire bill
(See I.AROR Pace A.hl