Salt Lake Telegram | 1940-03-27 | Page 4 | CIO Asks Trade Rule Reversal

CIO ASKS TRADE RULE REVERSAL WASHINGTON. March 27 The CIO pleaded with the supreme su-preme court Wednesday to upset, as "founded upon error," the judicial judi-cial doctrine that courts have the power to proscribe labor union activities which they deem undesirable unde-sirable and In restrsint of trade. Despite "the clear intent of ion- I greas," said a CIO brief in the Apex hosiery case, courts have held that unions "may not undertake to enforce economic pressures against a nonunion employer for the purpose of making such employer em-ployer meet the prevailing industrial indus-trial standards." Both tha CIO and the AFL have fought against applying antitrust anti-trust laws to labor unions and. In this connection, the brief said: "The application of this doctrine under our present economic conditions condi-tions would revive the antitrust laws si the most serious threat to the development and functioning of labor organizations. For this reason, we respectfully urge this court to reexamine these judicial decisions In order that the original intent of congress to grsnt labor unions a limited Immunity from the antitrust laws may be effectuated." effectu-ated." Filing Its brief as a "friend of the court," the CIO supported the ruling of the Third federal circuit court In the ease of the Apex Hosiery Hos-iery company of Philadelphia. In that case, the court held that the American Federation of Full-Fashioned Hosiery Workers' union local could not be penalised under the antitrust laws because the evidence evi-dence showed no Intent to restrain interstate commerce.