The potters herald. [volume] (East Liverpool, Ohio) 1899-1982, 1949-11-10
Council Of IndusfriuI ReIufions
Supreme Court 70 IBEW, Industry

puts it, Every case is exceptional
to the people involved"
| Most of the cases reaching the
Council arrive automatically be-
cause of Council clauses in local
contracts. When there is no Coun-
Gil clause in the agreement, the
Council will not accept case un-
less both the local union and the
Local contractor agree to submit it.
Gases come from all over the US.
i How does case reach the Coun-
ell? There is an established pro-
eedure. Say the IBEW in Indian
apolis-or anywhere else-is in
dispute with electrical contractors
over the exact date a negotiated
wage increase should begin. No de-
cision can be reached by local col
lective bargaining.
If there is a typical Council
clause in the local contract, things
go like this:
If the dispute cannot be settled
within 48 hours, it is referred to
a local joint-conference committee
on which both the IBEW and local
contractors are represented. If this
icommittee cannot find the answer,
the question is referred to the
Council on Industrial Relations,
Whose decisions are final and bind
ing.
The next step is to ask the Coun-
Gil secretary, Mr.. Noonan in Wash
ington, for submission blank.
These papers must be completely
filled and they go into considerable
detail. They reveal clearly how
earnest an attempt has been made
to settle the dispute. Significantly,
representatives for both union and
contractor sign the same blanks
before submitting them. In other
words, both parties are in substan-
| ltiai agreement as to the issue in
volved, factor which greatly mar
rows discussion.
At the next quarterly meeting
of the Council, each party to the
dispute must file a brief with the
Council and supply copy to the
other party. In addition, each party
is urged to send representative
to appear before the Council to
support the brief orally. Strangely
enough, attorneys seldom are sent
for the Council prefers simple
Statements of the facts to fancy
legal arguments. Noonan points
out that only two lawyers have APP
peared in the last 45 cases.
| During the time the Council is
sitting, it goes into executive ses-
sion as often as possible to reach
tentative decisions. If in our hypo-
thetical case from Indianapolis
such session produces a decision,
the parties are not notified until
the decision has been reduced to
writing. Written copies are mailed
| to both parties simultaneously,
generally within a few days.
At present, Robert w. McChes-
ney, president of the Natl Assn
Iof Electrical Contractors, is chair
man of the Council, President
Tracy of the IBEW is vice-chair-
man, Noonan is secretary and
j "a mes Cristiano is treasurer
There are five IBEW representa-
tiyes including President Tracy,
and the contractors select five from
a. panel of 1S for each meeting.
Next meeting will be held in Hous-
ton, Tex, starting Nov. Id. Other
meetings are held in February
May and August.
A feature of Council decisions
| is that they must be unanimous.
This also tends to narrow the area
Of discussion in case. Also there
are no public members. Everybody
on the Council is from the indus
try and knows the electrical busi-
ness inside and out, which is
source of great confidence to both
the union and the industry. Once a
decision is handed down, it may be
questioned for Qualification but it's
not defied.
In making decisions, the Council
follows its avowed principles, one
of which is that "Strikes and lock-
outs are detrimental to the inter.
ests alike of employee and employ
er and the public and should be
avoided" During its nearly 30
years of history, the Council has
made remarkable record in pro-
noting industrial peace. In the
October issue of the Electrical
Workers Journal, J Scott Milne,
secretary of the IBEW and Journal
editor, speaking for the union, OBJ
serves: "We are perhaps more
proud of our Council than any
other single accomplishment ac-
hieved by our Brotherhood through
the years" The words aren't idlel