Evening star., 1954-05-04
FEPC Proposal Seen
As New Bar 10 Senate
Revision Of Labor Act

Revision Of Labor Aci
The civil rights issue loomed
in the Senate today as an added
hurdle the administration must
clear in its efforts to pass a
revised Taft Hartley Labor law
at this session.
Senators Lehman, Democrat.
and Ives. Republican, both of
New York, introduced separate
amendments late yesterday to
make it an unfair labor practice
for either an employer or a
labor union to discriminate
against an individual because of
color, creed or national origin.
Even without these amend
ments, Republican leaders faced
a determined Democratic drive
to recommit the Taft-Hartley
bill to the Labor Committee on
the ground that individual Sen
atorS were denied q chance to
of1er amendments In the COM
mittee that were not a part of
the Eisenhower program. This
recommittal move originated
among liberal Democrats from
the North and West.
Southern Support.
The civil rights amendments
may cause some SouthernerS to
vote for recommittal who, otner-
wise. would go along with the
Republicans on the bill as re-
ported.
Republican leaders would not
concede today that the injection
OF the anti-diScrimination issue
has weakened their chances of
passing a labor bill.
They admitted that If an
FEPC amendment is adopted. it
would cause Southerners to op-
pose the bill. but they took the
position that the mere intro
ouctlon Of these amendments
does not insure their adoption.
The motion to recommit prob
ably Will be made before any
amendments are called I'D for
action. The danger confront
ing administration leaders is
that some of the Southerners
may go for recommittal to avoid
a long, drawn-out fight against
the civil rights amendments.
Although the administration
bill makes IL changes ir the
Taft-Hartley law, none of those
amendments is as controversial
as the ones that will be offered
In the Senate.
GoIdwater's Amendment.
Senator Goldwater, Republi-
can, OF Arizona took the floor
yesterday to defend his States
rights amendment, which is ex-
pected to receive strong support
from a coalition of Republicans
and conservative Democrats.
Senator Goldwater contends
that the Taft-Hartley Act gave
the Federal Government juris-
dictiOn over many labor prob
lens formerly dealt with in State
laws. He said a series of court
decisions have made many of
the State laws void under the
doctrine that the Federal Gov
ernment has pre-empted juris-
diction.
The Goldwater amendment
would re-aff1rm the authority of
the States to use their police
powers to stop mass and coercive
plcketing, secondary boycotts,
ptcketing by strangers, picketing
In the absence of a labor dis
pute. picketing for an illegal OBJ
1ective. and would validate State
laws requiring a vote to author
he a strike.
During debate on Senator
Goldwater's amendment Senator
Purtell. Republican, of Connec-
t1cut asked if it would make it
possible for a State to require
that a union must have 95 per
cent membership in a plant to
be recognized as the sole bar
gaining agent.
The Arizona Senator answer
ed Yes" Under the present
law, the requirement is for a
majority Of the workers.
Hard Fight Seen.
1t was not clear from the de-
bate and subsequent answers of
Senator Goldwater to questions
OF newsmen just how far States
would be permitted to go under
his amendment. But it was clear
that the proposal was so sweep
ing that it will be fought hard
by Senate liberals and organized
labor.
The Senator said that Presi-
dent Eisenhower had not ap-
proved the amendment person.
ally, but he added "the source
from which we get information"
at the White House had ap-
proved it.
Secretary of Labor Mitchell
was asked If he would recon-
mend veto of q Taft-Hartley re-
vision bill If it contained the
Goldwater amendment. He re-
fused comment on any particular
amendment until I see the out
come ofthe debate and the ac-
ton Of the Senate.
Mr.. Mitchell told anews con-
ference he was hopeful that the
Presidents recommendations on
Taft-Hartley would be passed.
But the Presidents recon-
mendations did not go nearly so
far as the Goldwater amend
ment apparently would in the
matter Of States rights on labor
matters.
Awaiting Senate action also is
an amendment by Senator Pur-
tell to include in the pending bill
Federal requirement for a Sc
cret ballot of the workers before
q strike starts. President Eisen-
hover recommended this nro-