Evening star., 1950-08-06
Plan Drawn TO Handle
Wage Sfabi|ization
And Labor Disputes.
By lomes Y. Newton

By jones Y. Newton
Government planners are de-
signing machinery to handle wage
stabiliZation and labor disputes if
and when price and wage controls
are put into effect.
And, while plans are not COM
pleted. it is likely the final prod
uct will bear close resemblance to
the War Labor Board setup of
World War II.
Just when the machinery is
unveiled officially depends on what
Congress does in the matter OF
new control legislation and how
the fighting goes in Korea. 1t also
depends on whether our troops
will have to fight elsewhere to
halt Russian aggression.
Want Machinery Ready.
But the planners-meaning the
National Security Resources Board
and the Labor Department, in this
ainstance-want to have the labor
astabilization machinery ready in
sthe very likely event Congress
gives President Truman standby
authority to invoke controls.
Leaders of both organized labor
and management have been con-
suited by officials of the two
agencies.
The union leaders have made
1t clear that there must be f1ex-
ible machinery to go along with
wage controls to adjust the many
einequities which would result
from any rollback and freeze of
wages.
Central Board Needed.
A central board here with
branches in various parts of the
country would be needed to settle
disputes resulting from the in
equities. It would also be needed
to make cost of living adjust
ments, correct SubStandard pay
situations and break production
bottlenecks resulting from low
pay.
Labor also wants a tri-partite
setup like the old War Labor
Board. That means a board on
which labor, industry and the
public would have equal repre-
sentation. There has been talk of
an all-public board, but the
union leaders take a dim view of
any setup in which they would
not have role.
In event price and wage con-
trolls are invoked. the AFL, CIO
and the independent labor organ
izationS would be willing to give a
no-strike pledge similar to the
one they gave shortly after the
Pearl Harbor attack. But most
labor officials believe that if the
workers surrender their right to
strike, management should give ur
something also.
Barred Lockouts.
In the last war, management
agreed not to lock out its en-
ployes.
George Meany, secretary treas
urer of the AFL, predicted in a
speech the other day that organ
lied labor will give no-strike
pledge when the time comes"
But how about no profiteer-
ing pledge by the National Asso-
citation of Manufacturers and the
United States Chamber of Com.
merce?" Mr.. Meany asked.
Says Industrialists Struck.
How about a pledge from the
Tafts, Martins, Hallecks and
Wherrys to lay of their war
against labor while this country
is in danger?"
Mr.. Heany said that the Ma
tons industrialists staged the
greatest strike" in history before
the last war. He said they refused
to convert to war production un-
til the Government met their
terms on profits and taxes.
The no-strike pledge did not
eliminate strikes during the last
war, but such stoppageS were
reduced to a minimum. Exceptions
were the four soft coal strikes ir
the critical war year of 1943. John
L. Lewis, while party to the
pledge. claimed that the Govern
ment had not kept faith with the
agreement by setting an arbitrary
lid on wage increases.