TV Film Has the National Labor Relations Laws Big Audience Board Changes Its Mind by Joseph Finley, General Counsel Early in 1959 the AFL-CIO Pro- by Walter M
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WHITE Official Publication of the Office Employes International Union No. 198 MARCH, 1962 Unions and the Anti-Trust TV Film Has The National Labor Relations Laws Big Audience Board Changes Its Mind By Joseph Finley, General Counsel Early in 1959 the AFL-CIO pro- By Walter M. Colleran, Associate General Counsel duced a 15 minute film showing HERE is continuing discussion all over America about whether or THE "new" Kennedy National Labor Relations Board has brought to office workers on their jobs as one not labor unions should be placed under the anti-trust laws. Critics of a halt the steady flow of pro-management decisions which were the T program in a new television series hallmark of the old Eisenhower Board. In some instances the "new" unions, from Sen. Goldwater to many segments of the public press, called "Americans at Work." Board has reversed past policies which were detrimental to labor thus argue that labor must be the subject of anti-trust legislation. College We took note of this event at the lending encouragement to those engaged in organizational work and in debaters are arguing the subject all across the land, and many well- time and urged our members to worker's rights. intentioned people apparently believe that unions should be placed watch for the program in their local the protection of terms of the anti-trust laws. Insurance workers for years were* within the areas. But that wasn't the end of underu the clause had been corn- This is extremely held to state-wide or employer- an dangerous° the story-not by any measure. pletely lawful. Happily this will no idea so tragically wrong that wide units as being appropriate for - Since our film was produced it longer be case in such situations. "Awesome Servant" collective bargaining purposes. Re- the should it succeed, it could wreck has been shown on more than 235 In another area, that of unfair of our entire cently in the Quaker City Life In- the democratic face television stations in 48 of the 50 labor practices, the new Board has demand for anti-trust Shown to Congress surance Company case the Board country. The states, Puerto Rico and the District made significant decisions. In Cal- to prej- abandoned this rule as being too legislation for labor appeals Elmer J. Holland, Chairman of of Columbia with a potential audi- Contractors where a building udice, ignorance and gossip, and restrictive and one which has ham- the Subcommittee on Unemploy- ence of 35 million families. trades'ad. es union picketed with signs pered the organization of insurance obscures analytical thinking. But ment-Automation, arranged for a It has been shown to our troops which proclaimed that the employ- workers. From now on it will con- despite this confusion and preju- special showing of "The Awesome overseas through the 28 foreign out- er was not meeting union standards sider smaller units as appropriate. dice, and even the complexity of Servant" for all of the members of lets of the Armed Forces network. the Board held this to be permissi- rule would seem to portend a the subject, there are some simple Congress at the House Caucus It has been selected by the ble conduct even though another every relaxation of a former practice fundamental answers that Room on February 5th. United States Information Service union had been certified. It was which placed great weight on the trade unionist ought to know. Congressman Holland felt that as part of our country's promotion deemed not to be a demand for set up of the em- The most important considera- this film, which among other il- program for the American way of administrative recognition. The picketing union ployer and perhaps will prove a tion about placing labor under the lustrations of the effects of automa- life. For use around the world the in that case was extremely careful benefit to collar em- anti-trust laws is that none of the tion, shows OEIU President How- narration has been translated into other white to make certain by the wording of ployees. critics of labor has advanced any ard Coughlin illustrating the pur- more than a score of languages in- its signs and its ob- Another move in the right direc- handbills that specific plan as to how this would poses of an electronic data process- cluding such exotic ones as Urdu. jective could not be misconstrued. tion was the reversal of the rule work. They are unable to do so ing machine, graphically portrays And it's still going strong. Some The Board has also nipped the that ambiguous because they can not. Do they wish the effects of automative devices on 190 TV stations are currently carry- union-security practice of delinquent duespayers clauses would not be a bar to the to make a strike a restraint of employment possibilities. ing the "Americans at Work" series; making last second tenders prior to holding of an election. In Paragon trade? How big a strike? Would a some of them are repeating the actual discharge. The rule now is "The Awesome Servant" is also Products Corporation the Board strike at one plant be a restraint of whole output of 104 films, though that if an employee does not main - available through the AFL-CIO Re- that unless a union security trade, or would it require a strike production came to an end last !am his dues payments and the un- search Department for showings by January. clause clearly is unlawful on its face at three plants, or would it require Local Unions to memberships. ion requests his discharge the Com- a strike of an entire industry? These Moreover, the films are finding it will bar an election sought by an film was initially shown on pany may. discharge him even are important questions that those This new areas of usefulness. In coop- outside union. Sometimes' poorly one hour though, prior to the actual who ask for anti-trust legislation are television in a national eration with the American Voca- drafted clauses which were suscep- telecast on October 31, 1961. charge, he makes an offer to pay. simply unable to answer. And there tional Association, surplus prints are tible of both legal and illegal in- One of the major break-throughs destroyed the effectiveness of is a reason why. being made available to state uni- tent was the recent decision in Plauche versities and the entire contract as a bar to an First, let us consider industry- himself any time he desires, and vocational depart- (Continued on page 2) ments. Scores have been placed in election where a rival union sought wide bargaining, such as is prac- federal law protects his right to do school and college film libraries for such a vote during the life of the ticed in the steel industry. A group so! He may pull out any time he classroom showing. contract, even though the practice of steel companies bargain with the is ready, and most of you may Snap-On Tools union in one series of negotiations, remember how Kaiser Steel pulled and out of such bargaining comes out in the 1959 negotiations and Voles for Local 29 terms for the participating settled with the union. Therefore, not only The office employees of Snap-On companies, for others in the any time the critics of industry- Strike Ends in a Day but Tools voted in an NLRB election as well. A strike against wide bargaining really want it industry five to one in favor of OEIU Local one may be a strike against all, and stopped, all they have to do is to 29, Oakland, California. The elec- steel industry across the nation persuade the employers who en- the tion took place on February 1st. shut down. Is this what the gage in it to stop. We need no law may be Negotiations will now take place wish to pre- for that. anti-trust supporters to gain wage increases and other There is an extremely interesting vent? benefits for the employees. Inter- preventing this about legal efforts to pre- The difficulty with history national Representative Pat Perry kind of bargaining is that the em- vent industry-wide bargaining. In forces were assisted them in obtaining Union ployers desire it. The people who 1947, when anti-labor representation. may think industry-wide bargaining crying loud for the scalps of un- is bad perhaps have no understand- ions, and the mood of the country ing of the Taft-Hartley Act as af- enabled the Republican Party to Milwaukee Drive fects the duty to bargain. Unions pass the Taft-Hartley Act, one of are usually certified as the bargain- the major issues then was industry- ing agents for individual employers. wide bargaining. Congress held ex- Is Successful No employer is compelled to bar- tensive hearings on the subject, the The successful organization of gain together with other employers. matter was debated, serious consid- the clerical employees of Baso, Inc., He may bargain individually by (Continued on page 4) a division of Penn-Controls, Inc., has been announced by OEIU Lo- cal 9, Milwaukee, Wisconsin. White The campaign was conducted in International the Watertown plant of the com- pany under the leadership of Inter- Collar Meeting Set national Representative Arthur The Executive Committee of the International Federation of Com- Lewandowski. The final tabulation As a result of a meeting in the election showed 13 em- mercial, Clerical and Technical Employees has scheduled its next meet- between officials of the International Longshore- men's Association, the National Maritime Union, OEIU President Coughlin, ployees favoring OEIU representa- ing for Washington, D.