Trainman News

Labor in Tenn.
Asks Repeal of
Open Shop Law

NASHVILLE, Tenn.—Appearing in favor of a bill to repeal the infamous Tennessee Open Shop Law, the Joint Labor Legislative Council told legislators here that not only is the open shop illegal under federal law, but the ethical issues cannot be resolved by legislation.

S. A. Para, BRT Tennessee state representative, and member of the Joint Council, reports that the group testified the open shop is a smoke-screen behind which unfriendly employers hide to weaken unions and exploit workers.

The law is also an unreasonable restriction on the constitutional right of freedom of contract, said the laborites.

The right of free men to agree between themselves to do or refrain from doing something which they consider to be mutually beneficial, within the limits of the general welfare, should be jealously guarded, the testimony said.

"We believe the Open Shop Law intrudes upon this right in a way that will seriously damage the general welfare because it denies to both employers and employes the exercise of this right in a field essential to the industrial well-being of our country," the council's statement said.

Some other reasons for opposing the Open Shop Law and seeking its repeal were listed by the council:

The law is a source of irritation between labor and management.

Organized working people of Tennessee, said the laborites, feel that the state government has taken sides against them, and that it was influenced to do so by business and industrial interests.

Strong, responsible unions are part of the checks and balances in the economic system which are essential to the nation's prosperity.

The law doesn't have any effects on strikes, and has no effects on organizing activities, since the effect is felt after unions are established.

Repeal of the law will not force the union shop on any employer.

Union shop contracts can be entered upon only if both labor and management agree.

Under Taft-Hartley Law, a union cannot even ask an employer for a union shop agreement unless authorized to do so by a secret ballot of all workers, supervised by the government.