Law Forum Calls for Federal Laws To Curtail Abuses by Labor Unions

The actions of labor unions "whose leaders are ambitious men with reckless disregard for the general welfare" must be curtailed by federal law, Donald Richberg, co-author of recent labor legislation bills, told the Law School Forum last night.

He charged that labor disputes arising from unions engaged in activities injurious to the nation's economy spring from an unequal balance of power between labor and management. "with the scales tilting far to the side of labor."

At the same time, Jesse Freidin, former general counsel for the National War Labor Board, told the meeting that the industrial disputes which have occurred since V-J Day have been abnormal. "There is a readiness to sell collective bargaining short on the pancity of normal situations," he said.

"Let Labor, Management Try"

"We have not explored the ingenuity of labor and management themselves in meeting problems of labor disputes." Freidin asserted, denying the need of more union restrictions. Even of enact laws directed at particular "key" unions would provide no answer to the problem, he claimed. "While you may be able to limit the field of legislation, you cannot limit the extent of the decisions," Freidin said.

He urged, instead that the government improve the calibre of mediators in industrial disputes and attack disputes at the root with specific legislation, comparable to the Wage and Hour laws.

Last night's discussion on "How can we mitigate industrial disputes" has the last of the Forum's series.