The Open Shop Drive In California

...Similarly, the passage of the National Labor Relations Act in 1935 and the establishment of its constitutionality in 1937 encouraged labor unions to expand their organizing activities in Los Angeles...

...The Oakland Tribune, associated with conservative Republican politics, published a scathing editorial denouncing the amendment...

...Leading off on the attack was the California State Chamber of Commerce...

...The National Labor Relations Board was forced to find this organisation guilty of unfair practices because of the Association's insistence that its members do not bargain with labor unions...

...It is quite possible that Roosevelt may win the election and that the force* of reaction in California may at the same time put over this infamous "Right to Employment" amendment...

...Governor Warren, in unequivocal terms, made known his opposition to this amendment, and Eric Johnston, president of the United States Chamber of Commerce, joined in the condemnation...

...Adoption of this amendment weald void every closed shop agreement, every maintenance-of-membership sgreement, every anion shop agreement, as well as any other union agreement containing any form of union security...

...Funds are being raised to conduct an intensive campaign to Induce people to vote "No" to this proposition...

...PAC'era argu* that the important matter at hand is to see that Roosevelt gets re-elected, and with that accomplished, affairs in California can be handled at a later date...

...With the war, it wss felt that the needs of national unity required a truce on such controversial issues...

...A defeat for California labor would thua have its repercussions througout the American labor movement...

...Warren's proposals were accepted and labor in California, free of the fear of restricted organization, not only continued to organize and build up powerful labor organizations, but worked hard and contributed greatly to th* immense amounts of military goods produced in th* state...

...The San Francisco Sew*, a Scripps-Howard paper whose attitude on labor matters follows the general Scripps-Howard I at, also recorded its opposition...

...Two of the moat common explanations of the purposes of the amendment offered by these signature-collectors were that the propated amendment would protect evtryone't right to work, and that the amendment wat dttigned to provide jobt for returning tohtiert...

...The burden of the fight has been left to the American Federation of Labor affiliates...

...The battle of Washington can be won without having any effect on the battle of California...

...Organised opposition to th* aucceaaful organisation of Los Angeles workers ha* been led by the Merchants and Manufacturers Association of Los Angeles, the "trade union" of Los Angeles industries, hesded by Paul Shonp...

...It was expected that this truce was to continue for the duration of the war, and until the spring of 1944 there was every indication that it would...

...These employers concentrated th«ir effort* on fighting over the terms of th* collective bargaining agreements rather than on fighting th* right to bargain collectively...

...It is true that individual members and officers of CIO uniona have denounced the amendment...

...Newspaper advertisements are to be placed...

...Opposition arose from many quarters...

...In order to submit this amendment to the voters, it was necessary, within certain time limits, to secure something over 180,000 signatures to the petition...

...Radio time ia being contracted for...

...Other Chambers of Commerce and Employers' Associations did likewise...

...Securing a sufficient number of signatures for this petition did not prove to be a simple task...

...The era of unity was broken in the spring of 1944 when the Merchants and Manufacturers Association "reared ita ugly head" and again began to poison the atmosphere with its anti-onion open shop propaganda...

...The concrete manifestations of the revivsl of the reawakened belligerency on the part of the Merchants and Manufacturers Association was the appearance on the streets of Los Angeles of solicitors for signatures to a petition for a constitutions...

...Th* November, 1942, election elected Republican Earl Warren as Governor...

...The fight against labor unions in southern California hats not been left in the hands ef quixotic individuals...

...The Merchants and Manufacturers Association did not remain inactive in its opposition to labor organizations even though collective bargaining had been mad* part of the national labor policy...

...Mervyn Rathbone, State Secretary of th* CIO In a forthright address attacked the amendment before th* Commonwealth Club of San Francisco...

...During the spring of this year, a petition was circulated in Los Angeles under the auspices of Mr...

...Passage of this amendment would throw labor relations of all industries in th* state into turmoil and confusion, and would load to conflict with tbe national labor policy a* laid dew* In the National Labor Relation* Act There are many implications to this amendment which go beyond the scope of the present article...

...The last-minute campaign of the Merchants and Manufacturers Association barely succeeded in pushing the campaign for signatures over the top, and th* petition qualified just prior to th* deadline for filing...

...Thus, a citizen or group of citizens who desire to initiate legislation or a constitutional amendment can, upon securing a certain number of signatures of registered voters to a petition, have the proposition placed upon the ballot at the general election a» that the entire electorate may voice its opinion...

...This petition was designed to place on the ballot a constitutional amendment which would outlaw all collective bargaining agreements in the State of California which made membership in a union a condition of employment...

...In the tabor movement, however, aoutharn California, centering around Los Angel**, is known as historically open shop...

...Many persons associated Warren with the reactionary forces in the state and expected repressive labor legislation to beset labor in California...

...Prominent eitixen* have promised to cooperate with labor in urging the electorate not to destroy the labor movement...

...Through the operation of the initiative and ferendum, the people have the opportunity of initiating legislation or constitutional amendments, and passing upon the *"ts of legislators...

...Suffice it to say that in this amendment the labor movement in California faces a threat to it* very existence...

...Organised labor in California recognises thi* threat and has taken steps to combat thi* vicious attack...

...What they forget is, as one commentator on th* American labor movement one* remarked, that th* American labor battle must be fought on 49 legislative fronts...

...Ten per cent of organized American labor ia in the State of California...

...Employers in San Francisco and the are* under ita domination have keen dealing with uniona for years, and many such employers have had satisfactory relations under closed shop conditions...

...San Fraacieeo, on the other hand, has for many years been union organised...

...In 1933, the enactment of NRA with its Section 7(a) encouraged labor in Los Angeles, as it did elsewhere...

...Los Angeles, haa been the home of many vocally loud and powerful opponents of labor organisation...

...Already, there haa been th* precedent ef the "Hot Cargo" referendum of several years ago which was thoroughly defeated In northern California but which won largo majorities in th* "South...

...Faced with th* knowledge that this amendment to the State Constitution will be placed upon th* ballot In November, friends of California labor have two questions to ask: What effect would the passage of this amendment have, and what is being done to prevent its passage...

...Th* explanation of this phenomenon ia quit* simple...

...It was aeon apparent that the united opposition of northers California employer* mad* the task of tap solicitors difficult, and because of th* "poor pickings" solicitors wan removed from northern communities and all of th* energies of the Merchants and Manufacturers Association w«r* concentrated in th* Los A again are...

...With the convening of the legislature, Governor Warren disappointed these prophets of gloom snd called for a truce on all controversial legislation so that national unity could be achieved...

...Th* imposing alliance againat this amendment on the part *f employers helped make la* task of tfh* solicitors hard sledding...

...Harry Chandler of the Los Angeles Timet is perhaps the beat-known of such opponent...

...This amendment can be explained by one of the unique features of California's legislative process...

...Under such conditions, the national victory would find tha California labor movement shackled...

...With such a threat against it* very existence, one would expect that the entire labor movement would cooperate and throw all resources Into this fight...

...The report of the LaFollett* Civil Liberties Committee, "Employers' Associations and Collective Bargaining in California" is replete with documented information on th* organized activitiea of this association to thwart th* legitimate aspirations of organized labor...

...Whan that final accounting waa mad*, only 10,000 signatures had keen secured in the upper portion of the state • • * ., The failure to s*cur* mors signatures in the North did not surpris* many people in the state...

...Unfortunately, such is not the case...

...What thia amendment weald accomplish would be to legalise the com pa wary open shop...

...Th* JiiaoTfir generally *•*»** of th* South a* Virginia, t*» Carolina*, Mkuissippi, and >o on...

...To th* uninitiated, it should be explained that southern California center* •round Los Anfeles and northern California ranters jjiawi San Francisco...

...All friends of American labor must therefore wi ?ch the coming battle of California...

...They had dealt with unions and had learned that except in the ease of racketeers or Communist-dominated unions, a collective bargaining agreements is generally only as onerous as an employer cares to mak* it...

...It can be eaaily seen that this is a threat to the very foundation* of collective bargaining snd collective bargaining agreement...

...It was not sufficient that the title to the amendment was misleading, but the solicitors, because they were paid by the signature, sought all means to gain extra signatures, and, partly encouraged by the Mercants and Manufacturers Association, they falsely explained the purpose of the petition to many of the signers...

...Th* San Francisco Employers' Council and the San Francisco Chamber of Commerce likewise joined the attack...

...But th* CIO is devoting so much of its energies to the PAC, that nothing is left for the fight at home...

...Southern California, to many people, is th* hem* of all sorts of esoteric movements...

...Financed by the Merchants and Manufacturers Association, solicitors appeared first on the streets of Los Angeles and then in other communities, seeking such signatures...

...Leadership in the fight haa been assumed by the California State Federation of Labor, assisted by the various Central Labor Councils...

...This organisation, beginning in 1900 with its light againat the Typographical Union, has consistently fought all attomps of unions to organise...

...Paul Shoup and the Merchants and Manufacturers Association, entitled "The Right to Employment...

...Th* distinction most a* undaratood by all thoaa who would delve into tse sociology •* California...

...All the vacant billboards in the state have been leased so as to carry labor's message to the public...

...For many yeara the Merchants and Manufacturers Association was successful in keeping Los Angeles an "Open Shop" town...

...Ia California, howawar, "South'* means aoutharn California and -North" moaae northern California...

...amendment entitled* "The Right to Employment...