Toledo union journal. [volume] (Toledo, Ohio) 1942-current, 1949-05-06
Your
Congressman
Reports
Your
Reports
THOMAS III. BURKE, NJ. C.
Ninth Ohio District

DEBATE began this week on repeal of the
~ Taft Hartley Act and ! made my first
speech in Congress. My impression so far, is
that Administration forces have made some
progress. in spite of efforts by opponents to
the Lesinski Bill which would repeal Taft
Hartley and reinstate the Wagner Act with
some changes, to becloud the issues
Rep. Lesinski 3D., Mich), chairman of the
Education and Labor Committee which draft
ed the bill, asked passage OF the measure
without amendments and warned that "if we
break faith with our own people, who ex
pressed themselves so clearly and in such de-
tail last November, we confess to the people
of Western Europe that the forces of Com
munism speak the truth while we practice
hypocrisy"
In my address in support of the Lesinski
Bill / tried to show that the Wagner Act was
of more value in labor management relations
than the Taft-Hartley Act, because of its SIM
plicity. After all, the Wagner Act was only
intended to be guarantee of the free excer-
else Of the inherent human right to organize
and bargain collectively. 1t stated briefly its
requirements; established the Board to adj
ment and review; and established minimum
of procedures for the guidance of the Board,
properly leaving the further development of
administrative procedures to the Boards dis
cretion.
also sought to show that certain prOvi-
sions of the Taft-Hartley Act had no place In
Labor Relations Act because they had moth
ing TO do with the relationship between labor
and management
One of these Is the requirement that unions
file with the government facts about their in
ternaI organization and finances. The only
bearing such provision has on the labor
management relationship is to keep manage
ment informed on the strength or weakness of
the unions with which they are bargaining.
Large, wealthy unions proud to publish
their financial statements, but smaller poorer
unions become the victims of economic pres
sures when the state of their treasures Is
made known.
Neither does the requirement that labor
leaders sign non Communist affidavits have
any place in a labor management relations
law. It has not served to destroy Communism,
but only to drive it underground discredit
the whole labor movement and dodge the real
issue of what we should do about Communism.
l also made the point that the so-called
mutual obligation to bargain, laid upon EN-
ployers and upon unions, Is excess baggage
in the Act In the first place the only reason
for the existence of labor unions Is collective
bargaining And In the second place while
dsagreements are bound to arise In any at
tempt TO bargain, under the Taft Hartley Act,
If the union does not agree with management
proposals, ii can be accused of not bargaining
in good faith
We have won half the battle to get that
Veterans Hospital for Toledo, with the passage
by the House of Representatives of measure
approving hospital construction, Toedo's is
one Of "a projects reinstated by the House
action. The bill has gone to the Senate and
/ feel hopeful that it will be passed.
The magnitude, the efficiency and the high
standards OF production in American indus
trial plants was mighty impressive to the
group of Englishmen, members of the Anal
gamated Engineer Union of Great Britain,
who have been touring this country as guests
of UAW-CIO. | met them at luncheon given
by Senator Douglas Cd, I'D who is a member
of the Senate Committee on Labor and Pub
lie Welfare
MY visit to the District during the Easter
recess was pleasant and profitable one,
for | saw lot Of people who had new ideas,
constructive criticism and some kind words
to offer
In Ottawa County one of the chief topics of
interest was the possibility of Camp Perry's
entertaining a session of the National Rifle
and Pistol Matches late this summer. AL
for the 1949 matches, / am taking the matter
though no appropriation was made last year
up with the new Secretary of Defense, Louis
Johnson, who feels as / do that the Matches
are important in the national defense picture.
II the Matches are authorized, | do not think
we will have much difficulty in getting them
for Camp Perry
had the pleasure of meeting for the first
time, some of the Ottawa County officials in
tour of the Courthouse at Port Clinton
and ran into some old friends there too
wish l had had more time to spend in Oak
Harbor Lakeside Marblehead and Clay Cen
ter, where ! made brief stops, and to get
around TO some of the other towns l had to
skip.
This time made II to a meeting Of the
Toledo Central Labor Union, having arrived
too late during my first visit home, II was
q fine opportunity to explain in more detail
some OF the labor legislation under conSidera-
ton here in Washington / had the opportun-
ity, too, of speaking TO = number of other
groups and was gratified to find so much in
terest in governmental affairs on the part OF
working people, housewives and students as
well as business men and public officials An
other hghlight in the home visit was an in
spection tour Of the Rossford Ordnance Depot