Toledo union journal. [volume] (Toledo, Ohio) 1942-current, 1949-12-16
What rs Wrong With
The TaH-HartIey Act
Bx MAURICE ]. ToBIN, secretary Of Labor

N -
BY MAURICE j. ToBIN Secretary of Labor
by Secretary Tobin,
zng testimony Congress the ftHarley Act
at the request of who have asked
upodate of his opinion of the Act and the
factual reasons back of that opinion
Congress- the TaftHartley Act has
served their right to
ganz collectively The law the product of
abor bias and hyera AS Senator Aiken stated on the floor
v the Senate May II, 1947:
It is wonder that members of the Senate hold their
emper and vote the bill according their best judgment be
subjected the most intensive expensive
and vicious propaganda campaign that any Congress has ever
refer the propaganda campaign unions
although hold brief for that refer to propaganda
paign which well into the millions of dollars should not
be surprised the total amount spent this campaign would
single March advertising campaign in the newspapers against
Association of the Manufacturers cost
that has been contradcted yet
The Taftartley Act must repealed by Congress
The Christian Science Monitor stated in editorial published
January II, 1949:
lot rolled under the bridge since the
pf big framing of the TaftIarey Act in 1946
and 1947 few widely held assumptions have been swept down
ought to be clear by that Amer
workers by large want to join unions and do OF their
free WILL that by and large the rank and file dictate the
acts OF their leaders and back them up ana h WIN very
exceptions American labor doesn't like political strikes or Com
munt Vaccinations than do Americans in general
statements attested by the votes of
union elections conducted by the National Labor
Relations under Taft Hartley Act.
This confusion the field of labor relations
scope bargaining unnecessarily injected
disputes abridged the rights of
workers Among the basic defects of the act are the following
The Acts banning of union security agreements mutually
beneficial both labor and management for period
of over 100 years
2. special emphasis placed by the Act the of
injunctions to settle labor disputes
The Acts removal of the Cancellation Service from the
Department of Labor.
discretionary power placed by Act in the
General Counsel of the National Labor Relations Board
making him virtually "a labor car"
The Acts provisions for numerous elections which keep
employer employee relations in constantly unsettled
outlawing peaceful picketng in many siua
T. The Acts restrictions on the check-of
denial of the right vote economic strikers
sentation elections.
The Acts restrictions health welfare funds.
of Federal jurisdiction where State
restrictive union security
H. The Acts broad ban political contributions and ex
penditures by labor organizations
The Acts provision damage suits against unions
The Acts indcrmnate oulawng of all secondary boy
colts whether justifiable or not
The Acts provision for mandatory njunctons against
union unfair labor practices
inflexible procedures including
80-day waiting period enforced by injunction
gency disputes combined with the prohibition against
recommendations by boards of inquiry to assist the
% settle disputes
AS Business Week stated in editorial December 49,
"what was wrong Taft-Hartley Act went
far crossed the line separating law which aims only
"Given million unemployed in America, given ad
mnistration in Washington which rounonand the
Taft Hartley concevaby movement
"These the provisions that could do it, ) pckeng
ectve bargaining election (3 strikers ineligible to
vowhe the strike replacement cast the only ballots and N
If the outcome of this nonon VOTE the government must
"Any time there is surplus pool
ployer strike replacemens these four
provisions linked together presumably destroy union
~ "By going that far the law defeated itself"
The TaftHarley Act also defeated itself another
attempted millions of workers rules of
opposed them millions of their fellow Ameri
The law failed take cognzane of the fact that workers
constitute the overwhelming majority of people and they
backbone Nation The overwhelming majority of 49,
organized of the United States whole
against Hartley Their their needs
disregarded AS Abraham Lincoln said A that
labor Nation All that harms labor treason No line
drawn between these two
Taft-Har1ey Act been unhealthy and divisive
would strengthen labor
relations. 4
ri "