Mr. Biddle Lets One Go

An opinion vastly complicating the U.S. labor situation came down last week from Attorney General Francis Biddle.

Mr. Biddle held that under the new Smith-Connally-Harness Act a minority of employes in a war plant may ask for a strike vote, even when a majority already has in force a collective-bargaining contract. This ruling will be a big help to John L. Lewis. Lewis' catch-all District 50, which includes everything from dairy farmers to petroleum workers, has been trying to gain control at the Allis-Chalmers plant in Springfield, Ill., where C.I.O. already has a contract. District 50 was in the minority when the contract was signed, but now contends it has since signed up a majority of employes. It has asked for a new plant election. NLRB, operating under the clear provision of the Wagner Act, that majority rule is the democratic way for labor, said no. Last week, as the result of Biddle's opinion, NLRB changed its mind, accepted District so's request for a strike vote at Allis-Chalmers. The balloting will be the first under the new act.

Besides District 50's, 32 other requests for strike votes were before NLRB last week when Biddle wrote his opinion. With the air of a man telling Congress "you asked for it," Biddle declared:

"The Secretary of Labor, the Acting Secretary of War and the Acting Secretary of the Navy pointed out. the possible disturbing effects of taking strike ballots in plants where labor relations have been stabilized by collective bargaining agreements and the 'no strike' pledge. The President in his veto message on the bill gave a similar warning. Notwithstanding these warnings, the Congress enacted the legislation. ..."

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