Show MAN AND MANAGER government outlined OUTLINES OUTLINE 9 WORK OP department IN SETTLING LABOR DISPUTES TAULE TABLE HELD TO BE MODERN PLACE FOR IRONING OUT TABLE LD TO BE LOGICAL END oy off STANDINGS RISING IN industrial WORLD BY HUGH L KEWIN eitor united states Conci conciliation lation vice department of labor note hugh L kerwin Is 3 direktor dl di of the united states conation service a phase of the work the department of 0 labor lils his dilon has officiates in nearly cu us trial disputes brought to the gov gor meat tor for settlement ile he holds it at man and manager can be friends d 1 in complete sympathy it if they I 1 take the trouble to consider the allees ot of one another around the ancil board the question relationship b Q an the employer and employee ia more or less than the ques n ot of rn mans ns relationship to man I 1 is as tar far back as history records the er cr and the man tor for whom he I 1 i hs have leon troubled in arriving a solution of 0 this greatest ot of all aimle problems anthe n the eaily days ot of our republic jn n industry was in a formative tive ge and the population tor for the most t located within confines of what now but a small portion ot of our pres t domain labor troubles te fe I 1 1 tar far between Ie tween the reason belaf it our industrial enterprises in se ise days consisted all together ol cal tall shops or factories under the bonal and management the owner on the other hand employed at these establish lits were generally skilled their trade or calling and alle able t all or any part ot of tho the work the building or whatsoever the ant turned out from the tree in a woods on through the various ages antil the wood in the tree came it through the doors of the little top lop or factory ini in the from 0 of a wag 1 every man who had to do with its anu manufacture anut facture had contributed his part the making of every part of the agon and the essential thing the ie spirit that existed between the and employee grew out of e tact fact that the owner of the plant corked side by side with his workers lew few all of his bis people and thereby chereb y that personal touch bach in later years has been lost to merican industry As our on increased with its increasing tor for the output from mill and story both tor for the use ot of our own ople and tor for export trade these in grew slowly at first it is ie but in later years with a rapt rapi 11 which made necessary a complete in their conduct and man ement with tile the american anven ae genius continuously at work per tang aing machines to simplify and inease incase the output in all branches of austry there came the specialist the worker who is now forced fur afons of increased production to 1 intine his hig labor to making a ar part of the wagon or other ot of the plant until the finished icle in later years is the bombin effort of scores of workers each thing king the small parts perhaps in ants situated many miles apart ese units brought together and as maled into the completed completed product the personal touch the personal touch which contri buted towards the fine feeling be the worker and his employer is 0 longer pos possible possibly great ing plants plant with thousands of 0 works with managers superintendents i nd ad foremen have destroyed the spir t of association which obtained in tho the list associations of manufacturers ind trade unions increasing as as the rears go on present new problems to e solved such as wages hours of 0 ser lee ice output and many others too nu berous to mention many of the present day employers meet to and will not deal with labor unions others recognize and deal ath lith trade unions while still others hough having no direct dealings with in ionized workers yet have no ob sections to their workers affiliating such unions all sorts of condl conall tons ions are met with int a the conduct irom rom a managerial standpoint of our reat business enterprises many and are the agreements in extence between tho the worker and the agreements in modern in astry in america are generally tor for a atod period contractual relations between employer and employee are or r the most part religiously lived up tip i i by both the worker and his employ sr the american working man has Jev developed eloped into the most efficient clent worker in the world and his dally daily out put on the average exceeds that ot of the worker of 0 any other country tho the american manufacturer has developed into the most wonderful genius in world industry and surely with this combination it would seem that a community of 0 interest should obtain that would make tor for unbroken and profitable employment and tor for peace in american business the big problem the great problem comes after production al ad I 1 vision of 0 that which has haa been produced there arise differences of opinion between employer and employed emp loye contention as to wages hours ot of employment grievance committees mit tees conditions of labor bargain rig ng and many others now instead of precipitating strikes or lockouts w why by not sit down like sensible bustness business men around a council table and n a spirit ot of understanding and good will settle the wage and other differences on om as nearly as equitable basis as the industry will permit this la Is the che conciliation way this Is the com non aon sense way it is conceded that independent arbitration bit ration commissions shop commit ets adjustment boards and joint odies representative of the workers and management have been valuable ids is la in making tor for peace and industry this may be said also of scares scores t f plans proposed for bringing closer agether the manager and workers it after all Is said and done the est method so tar far devised is that of oscillation oncil lation conciliation la in the ad estment of industrial disputes lays own no hard and fast rules tor for the ai ul dance ance of the parties to the dis ute it meets the situation face to ice ace and by advice and suggestions annei ed by the conciliatory conciliators concilia concilla tors thoin ti ola pre 1 tous ous experiences and situations he roves rones his competency compe teacy by being able delicately ell leli cately to meet and handle each fc licate situation as it during e process of the nice lag ing about settlement of industrial spates through la Is that tho conclusion neither party feels feela aggrieved they have been brought 0 gether and have been advised by an al partial third party who has no pow er other than one suggestive and lid ad isery they have bavei taken up one by ie the matters in dispute they have ome to an understanding and reach ul sd an agreement and every one ona connected with this council table tabla ire feels that he has haa had a part in the tha agreement gre ement because it Is based on understanding der er and good faith some statistics to prove conclusively that concilla tion lon Is effective the united states de da of labor has haa since march 1913 through its dIv division islon of conciliation utilized the good offices of its commissioners of conciliation in nearly industrial disputes involving directly and indirectly over 7 workers during that period they have been unable to adjust but a few more than of the cases presented As an outstanding example of what can b be e and has been accomplished along the lines of conciliation in industry by an impartial government agency the copper industry may be cited in iii 1917 the Pres presidents dents mediation commission and the department of labor set up in arizona machinery to I 1 adjust any dispute that might arise I 1 I 1 A commissioner of conciliation of the department of labor was selected and named administrator with an agreement between the owners and workers to accept his decision as final in a dispute and further that strikes or lockouts were prohibited tha lie ilfe of the agreement after 4 years we find that since sinca the re atlon of this plan only 2 or 3 strikes of minor importance if hive ive been and these were settled in a very few hours an unusual leannie of this solution developed after the armistice or in Fe druary 19 1919 19 when in the face of a tremendous surplus of copper on hand and a restricted market the em employers plovers without question accepted a deolson dec ison which meant a reduction of 1 per jay day wages and prevented a general of the industry another example another case in point Is the oil industry of california which haa seen been since late in 1917 a brilliant example of if what at conciliator concil concilia laton ton can accomplish for or permanent industrial peace where nearly contented workers acid many sati satisfied fied operators have had no troubles that were not cheed ly and fairly settled by a Commis ironer of conciliation accepted by both interests as the cisal referee in all grievances submitted this oft olric lelal lal designated federal oil adjuster halt hai handed down over some nome affecting a few and some many workers and companies every decision being cheerfully accepted pro iro burtion was thus augmented waives tor for various gradations were sperl tied and the classification of labor defined conditions were vastly improved and all inter tests benefited in consequence in the great packing home indulis try of chicago and at many p lilaces I 1 aces throughout the untied since 1917 no str lles tes of any ny grave continued to page six continued from page three MAKING MAN AND MANAGER FRIENDS I 1 concern have beca bec reco recorded rued it is true a few ew incipient or sporadic strikes riles st ot of li tile consequence have occurred which were of short duration dura tian through the agency created by the of 0 labor judge alsch aler was belec selected ted as the ter lor and he not only has maintained peace and con continuous tinous ole operation and made it plain to all that there Is a letter leiter way ot of settling disputes and grievances than striking the plant or plants cants involved to accomplish this great achievement lias has entailed upon judge altschul er a amount of 0 work on ninor minor grievances extensive hearings n general issues but the net result steady employment stabilized production arid and general satisfaction lj jj eit airily worth woith while 1 ahe he ol of the industrial problem les not in carrying on the age old battle between employer and em aloye as shaugh they were hostile factions eions with irreconcilable interests but in recognizing the fact act that cap tal cal and labor havo have common interests each depending upon the welfare ot of he be other I 1 |