Evening star., 1949-07-01
By the Associated Press


Here is a point-by-point sum-
mary of the Taft labor bill ap-
proved by the Senate yesterday
and sent to the House as re-
placement for the present Taft
Hartley Act:
National Emergencies - When
ever dispute imperiled the
national health or safety, the
President could appoint an Emer-
gency Board to recommend a
settlement. Also, he would ask a
Federal Court to keep the industry
operating-up to so days-by
issuing an injunction, authorizing
seizure of plants, or both. If a
stoppage occurred after the boards
report, the President would have
to lay the case before Congress
for appropriate action, if neces-
sary, by calling a special session.
CThe Taft Hartley Act au-
thorizes 80-day injunctions. 1t
doesn't authorize seizure or re-
quire special sessions. and it
prohibits the board from max
ing any Recommendations
Closed shop-Would continue to
be outlaWed, as in the Taft Hart
ley Act, but an employer would be
permitted to notify a union of job
vacancies and give it reasonable
opportunity to furnish men to fill
them. "a closed shop contract is
one which says that only men,
bers of the union can be hired
or kept on the payroll.)
Some Union Shop Changes.
Union Shop-Would be permit
ted, as in the Taft-Hartley Act,
but with some changes. The en-
ployes would no longer have to
vote their approval. CA union
shop contract is like closed shop
contract except that a worker
doesn't have to be a union mem
ber to .oe hired; he must join
shortly afterwardD
State laws-would continue to
override the Federal law wherever
the State law is stricter with re-
spect to the union shop and closed
shop.
National Labor Relations Board
would be increased from five to
seven members, not more than
four of whom could be members
of the same political party. The
board would regain its old author
ity to prosecute as we'll as judge
unfair labor practice cases. The
Independent Office of general
counsel" now held by Robert N.
Denham, would be abolished.
Unfair labor practices-em-
ployers still would be prohibited
from interfering with employees in
their right to organize and bar
gain collectively. Unions still
would be prohibited from mass
picketing, coercing an employer in
the selection of his bargaining
representative, refusing to bargain,
causing an employer to dfscrimin-
ate against non-union men, or
engaging in jurisdictional strikes
or most secondary boycotts. The
present ban on "featherbed-
ding"-exacting payment for SER
vices not to be performed-would
be eliminated.
Secondary Boycotts Modified.
Secondary Boycotts-Would be
banned except for one type. A
secondary boycott is a union at
tempt to bring pressure on COM
pany by forcing other companies
not to do business with it. The
Taft bill would permit workers to
refuse to handle goods sub-con-
tracted from another company
whose employees are on strike.
The Taft-Hartley Act bans all
secondary boycotts.
Injunctions-Would still be per-
mitted against a union or en-
ployer during the trial of an un-
fair practice case. except that it
would be the NLRB itself, and
not the general counsel, who could
ask for the injnction. The Taft
Hartley provision which requires
an injunction to be sought in every
secondary boycott trial would be
abolished.
on-Communist oaths-Would
continue to be required of union