Jackson advocate., 1954-01-09

fear of discrimination because of
union affiliation, to present their
requests for better wages and
working conditions to their en-
ployer, and to protest conditions or
actions by management as unfair
or undesirable.
! 1t also insures to them the right
to leave their jobs and engage in
strike if their requests are not
met or their protests are not acted
upon favorably, to picket the en-
ployer's premises for the purpose
of serving notice upon the public
that he is not dealing fairly with
his employees, to require him to
bargain with their union in good
faith and, having signed an agree
ment, to live up to its terms.
In addition, collective bargain
ing in private employment means
that the employees have the right
to charge their employer with il
legal conduct before a federal or
state tribunal and compel his COM
pliance with the law.
These and many other rights
have been conferred on employees in
private industry. But employees of
the same federal government that
has written these guarantees into
law have virtually none of these
rights. They do not seek them all,
but they do want the right to be
represented by an organization of
their own choosing in their deal
ings with officials of the eXecu-
tive branch of the government.
AS compared with the numerous
rights of employees in commercial
employment, federal government
workers are seeking only the right
to choose union to represent them
and that such a union will be ac-
corded legal recognition as their
representative.
Pending in the present Congress
is a bill CHR. 644) sponsored by
Congressman WithroW which pro-
vides specific recognition of the
right of officers or representatives
of federal employe organization
/ to present grievances in behalf of
their members without restraint,
coercion, interference, intimidation
or reprisal."
The bill further requires admins
trative officers to confer with rep
resentatives Of employe organiza-
tions on a variety of matters af-
fecting working conditions.
Back in 1912, Congress enacted
law which recognized the right
of employees of the federal gov
ernment to present their grievances
to Congress. 1t stipulated that civil
service employees shall not be de-
MED the right to petition Congress.
That law is the Lloyd GILLETTE
Act. 1t bears the names Of two Re-
publican members of Congress and
it was later strengthened in a
Democratic administration. This
should make it a bipartisan en-
actment.
The Withrow bill would amend
the Lloyd-LaFollett. Act.
Why it this bill necessary? The
Lloyd-Lafollette Act recognizes the
right of civil service employees to
present information to Congress,
but it does not give the same legal
status to unions to confer with
federal management that federal
law has granted to employees in
commercial jobs.
The Withrow bill includes a pro-
vision that violation of it's terms
shall be reviewed by an impartial
board of arbitration. This board
would prescribe appropriate puni-
tive action with respect to any Of
ficial found to be in violation. The
purpose Of this provision is to
make certain that the will of Con-
gress would be fulfilled. Otherwise,
Congress would provide a proce-
dure and offer a guarantee of pro-
lection to the federal employe, but
recalcitrant federal official could
flout the will of Congress without
fear of any penalty.
The Withrow bill provides in a
very limited degree the guarantee
to federal civil service employees
that Congress has granted to en-
ployes in industry. All we ask is
that unions be given the right to
represent their members in deal
ings with federal agencies and to
be recognized by officials of the
executive branch of the federal
government as the spokesmen of
their members.
We ask this not only as a matter
of justice but also as means of
fostering better labor-management
relations in the federal govern
ment. The government will profit,
as private enterprise has, through