Evening star., 1949-10-18
Politics in Big Unions
Seen Behind Tieup Of
Nations Steel Mills
Aurruy-Reuther Bottle
For Power to Delay Truce
Until Oct. 81 Election
By David Laurence

Until Oct. 81 Election
By David Laurence
Politics inside the big unions
aspirations to leadership over
many millions Of members, and q
bitter struggle for individual pow
er Is behind the tie-up Of the Ma
tion's steel mills which Secretary
Of Commerce Sawyer says will
mean 100000 unemployed by
December /, attributable to the
strike alone.
Because Philip Murray, head of
the C1O, fears the political
strength Of his rival, Walter
Reuther. head Of the United Auto
mobile Workers, and because there
can be no showdown between the
two until the CIO convention is
held on October 81, all hope for
the ending Of the steel strike be-
fore that day has been virtually
abandoned here.
Even If Mr.. Murray wanted to
make an agreement. he couldn' t
without risking his future in the
union movement. This, too, is
recognized across the bargaining
tables and means that everybody
wants to wait now to see if Mr.
Murray will be reelected before
urging him to make a settlement.
Many Ways to End Strike.
There are literally dozens of
ways Of ending the steel strike
all sorts Of proposals and meth
DDS that would save face for every
body concerned, with the excep-
ton. OF course. of what could
happen in union politics if Mr..
Murray accepted any proposition
that meant settlement outside of
his own terms.
It may come as surprise to the
Nation to discover that millions
OF workers are kept from their
Jobs and factories are closed and
the flow Of materials to small
businesses is halted, all because
political situation exists that has
to be respected-or at least that
the administration here thinks is
entitled to consideration.
There is enough power in the
existing or-Management Re-
lations Act to enjoin any con-
tinuance Of the coal and steel
strikes. The President could act
II he so desired. The law doesn't
compel him to do so, but public
opinion can.
II, however. Mr.. Truman pro-
ceeded against Mr.. Lewis and the
miners union, he would have to
proceed against Mr.. Murray and
the steelworkers' union. The ex-
cuse given for not acting is that
II days were given over to fact
finding and negotiation in the
steel dispute without result and
hence no good could be expected
to come out of an injunction pro-
ceeding now. But the President
Is presumably the representative
Of all the people and is expected to
use whatever law is available.
II this fails, he is expected to lay
the facts before both houses OF
Congress and get more law.
This collides, however, with
party politics. For the President
is reluctant to admit that he could
have used the Taft Hartley Act
to stop the major strikes and re-
luctant also to take any step that
would antagonize his own labor
supporters. Mr.. Truman is de-
pending on the CIO and the AFT
to put up most Of the money to
influence the outcome of the
1850 congressional elections.
Power Of One Big Union.
What Is happening, Of course
is that big unionism Is demon.
strating rather dramatically how
1t can tie up the Nation. In the
old days. when trade unionisu
was striving for recognition Of the
collective bargaining process. littl.
was heard about the possibility
that economic power greater thar
that OF all the employers in 9
given industry might be modified
1ndustry-wide bargaining has ir
some instances built up that power
but, even where the employer
do not bargain as q unit, they art
compelled nevertheless to dea
with one big union.
Now when 1t is proposed tina,
all the big unions act concertedly
to force submission on the parI
OF employers, 1t can no longer be
said that the bargaining powe,
or the economic strength Of union.
Is exceeded by that Of the employe,
companies.
Today big unionism Is able t<
paralyze the economic system. The
tie-up In coal became so dangerous
two years ago that the Federal
Government used the Injunction
to stop the strike. The public ap.
proved. Now it is being urged
that Congress repeal the injunc.
tion provisions Of the law. Mr.
Truman favors such a repeal.
The President Ii in a delicate
position as long as he refuses to
apply the Taft-Hartley Act when
it Is the law Of the LAND. He car
be criticized for failing to discharge
his duties In enforcing the law
His argument to date has been
that no national crisis has occur
red. The statement by Secretary
OF Commerce Sawyer portray,
such . crisis as coming soon. Il
does look as II the way Is beina
paved for Injunction proceeding.
II no settlement through media
ton has been achieved by the