Evening star., 1950-05-09
U. 5. Agencies, Labor
Study Six High Court
Decisions for Effects
Labor unions and Government

Labor unions and Government
agencies today looked for possible
reaching effects from Su-
preme Court decisions on six
major labor issues, including
constitutionality of the non-C Com
munist oath provision of the
Taft-Hartley Act.
In a f1ve-hour session the JUS
tices read nine majority opinions,
covering 13 cases, along with 10
written diSSentS or concurrences.
It was the longest opinion-day in
many years. Several of the opin-
ions ran more than Is pages.
Besides affirming the provision
requiring union officials to file
non-Communist affidavits if their
unions are to use National Labor
Relations Board procedures. the
court also handed down an i'm
portant ruling strengthening au-
thority of congressional commit
tees.
1t upheld the contempt of Con-
gress convictions of two women
members of the Joint Anti-Fascist
Refugee Committee, an organiza-
ton on the Attorney Generals
list of subversive groups.
Miss Helen r. Bryan and Mrs.
Ernestina G. Fleischman, each
was sentenced to three months in
Jail and fined $500 when convicted
in District Court here for failure
to produce organization records
subpoened by the House Commit
tee on Un-American Activities in
April, 1916.
5-tO-2 Decision.
The United States Court of Ap-
peals overturned the conviction
on the ground that a House COM
mittee quorum was not present
when the two women refused to
bring the records.
In a So decision by Chief
Justice Vinson, with Justices
Black and Frankfurter dissenting,
the Supreme Court reversed the
appeals court. The majority opin-
ion held that the Bryan-FleiSch-
man cases were not in the same
category as that of the perjury
case of Harold Christoffel, for
mer Milwaukee labor leader. The
Supreme Court last year reversed
ChriStoffels conviction on the
quorum issue.
Chief Justice Vinson declared
yesterday that the perjury statute
requires the presence of a COM
petent tribunal" when a false
statement is made. The statute
covering contempt of Congress
convictions does not necessarily
require the presence of a quorum
at the time of refusal to produce
subpoened records, he implied.
Michigan Law Upset.
Labor litigation decisions by
the Supreme Court included:
/. A unanimous ruling nullify-
ing Michigan law that forbids a
strike unless a majority of work.
ers involved vote their approval.
This was a victory for the CIO
Automobile Workers Union. Chief
Justice Vinson wrote that:
without question, the Michigan
law conflicts with the exercise of
Federally protected labor rights.
A State statute so at war with a
Federal law (the Taft Hartley
Act in this. instance) cannot sur
vive."
2. Ruled that a State may legal
ly ban picketing designed to force
an employer to coerce his workers
into joining a union.
3. Ruled that a State may legal
ly ban picketing aimed at inducing
used-car dealers to observe certain
closing hours.
4. Ruled that a State may en-
force a similar ban on picketing
intended to force a store employer
to hire Negro clerks in proportion
to his Negro customers.
Overtime Claims Backed.
S. Held that workers in Gov
ernment munitions plants oper-
ated by private firms under a cost
plus fixed fee contracts during the
war may press for overtime pay
claims that might total $3.50 mil
lion.
This decision, written by JUS