Evening star., 1952-07-06
Labor
Industrial Peace Plan
Worked in l0l7-18
By Claude Watts
(Chief. Division Of Investigation. National
War Labor Board, World War H.

(Chief. Division Of Investisation: National
War Labor Board, World war -
AS the steel strike carries the coun-
try closer and closer to the brink
of national disaster, the fact is again
hammered home that some method
must be found to make voluntary coll
lective bargaining between big labor
and big business work.
Just last week big labor served
notice on the Republican Party that
it was not satisfied with the present,
G. O. P.-sponsored formula for keep
ing labor peace-the Taft-Hartley
Act. Tomorrow the G. o. P. plat
form writers, and July 81 the Demo-
Gratis will have to face up to the fact
that the well being of America has
been threatened repeatedly since the
end Of World War II by breakdownS
in collective bargaining and walk
outs in basic industries. Coal, the
railroads-and now steel-have taken
turns soaring the Government into
forced solutions to strikes-injunc-
tions, heavy fines, seizures and so
forth.
Once There Wcs Peace
But there was a time in Americas
labor history when a system Of vol
untary collective bargaining, backed
by voluntary arbitration, was made
to work on the national level. 1t
was during the life of the almost
forgotten National War Labor Board,
a World War group set up by Presi-
dent Wilson during another period
Of labor arrangement strife. While
the board was functioning, there were
no strikes of national Importance.
But within three months after 1t was
dissolved. two great strikes, steel and
coal, threatened the Nation with in
dustrial paralysis.
Some of the old-timers who remem-
Der the scheme held that the device
worked so we'll "a years ago that it
may well be what the Nation is look
ing for today.
Basically the reason why the old
board worked was that both labor
and management, for selfish reasons.
wanted it to work. They agreed be-
forehand to submit disputes to arbi-
tration where necessary.
Three Recommendations
What President Wilson did was to
invite labor and management repre-
sentatives to work out joint plan to
keep the industrial peace. A 10-man
commission was named by MIR. Wilson
n hn Ava iaIn
of Labor and the National Industrial
Conference Board. This commission
met from January through March,
1918. It agreed upon three things:
l. A National War Labor Board
should be set up to seek solution to
all serious disputes in which tho
normal process of collective bargain
ing had failed.
2. A code of principles and pol
icieS under which the board would
operate should be agreed to by both
labor and management leaders.
8. In case the board couldn't agree,
an umpire should be drawn by lot
from list supplied by the President.
The commissions recommendation
were accepted by President Wilson
and the board was set up. He named
to 1t distinguished representatives Of
labor unions and of management
groups. William Howard Taft and
Frank P. Walsh were named perma-
nent. but non-voting, joint chairmer.
All decisions of the board were to be
unanimous. A panel of equally dis
tinguiShed umpires was named.
From this panel "neutrals" were
picked to settle disputes where board
agreement was impossible.
The board personnel had the con.
fidence Of the workers and the. em-
ployers. The code under which the
board operated was simple and broad.
containing principles that any rea-
sonable labor or management group
could subscribe to.
AS both sides liked the code and
respected the board membership,
business and labor spokesmen
pledged to abide by it's decisions in
future disputes they couldn't settle
themselves.
70 Coses for Umpires
Then the board went to work. In
1,245 instances a union and a COM
pany or industry failed to settle their
own disputes. so they referred their
quarrels to the National War Labor
Board. The board agreed unani-
mously on settlements of most
disputes and the companies and
unions usually accepted the decisions.
Only 20 cases had to be tossed to
umpires for rulings. In three in
stances the settlements reached by
the board were not accepted by
unions or companies. In those in
stances the President cracked down
and blocked the threatened strikes.
twice by selling companies, once by
threatening to draft recalcitrant
workers.
The board was dissolved in August,
1919. Strikes resumed Immediately.
And the device which had made coll
lective bargaining work for months
was slowly forgotten.
Those who would give the system
another try now stress the is months
OF success the plan enjoyed during
World War I. The operating details
OF such a board probably would have
to be worked out by broader group
OF labor and management leaders
now. advocates of the plan believe.
Several major unions and several
major industries would have to be
represented. The board probably
would have to give representation to
all groups powerful enough to set Of
a national-emergency strike.
Brood Code
A code Of principles. policies and
procedures would again be important.