Show text of president Tr address at the opening of the labor management conference washington nov 5 the text of pres Tr address at the opening of the labor managed management ent conference today follows members of the labor conference manage in a radio broadcast to the american can people last tuesday night I 1 said 1 I am convinced that if labor and management will approach each other with the realization that they have a common gual goal and with the determination to compose their differences feren ces in their own long range interest it will not be long before we have put industrial strife behind us labor is the best customer management has and management is the source of labors livelihood both are wholly dependent on each other and the country in turn is dependent on both of them democratic process this conference has been called to provide a nationwide nation wide opportunity to fulfill that objective representative vs is of labor and management are meeting here at this conference table to discuss their common is arid and to settle differences in the public interest here is the democratic process in action in its best form oi this conference have been based e many high hopes of the american i I 1 people their eyes are turned I 1 here is in the expectation that you will fv a broad and permanent foun foundation dakon for industrial peace and progress I 1 want tomake it clear that this is your conference a management labor conference and not a government 1 conference you have not been chosen by me or by any govern government ment official you have been selected d by the leading labor and industrial organizations in the united states there has been no interference by government in that selection all groups interested by the very nature of the task before you you appear here not as rep merely of the organizations which chose you but as public spirited citizens who during the deliberations libe rations will consider the interests of all groups of our people each of you is now a member of the team which the american people hope will recommend a definite policy in the field of industrial relations we must begin with the firm realization that every citizen in our nation has an identity of interest and aad a great stake in the maintenance of industrial peace and in the development of mature and effective ways of achieving it the te time has come for labor and management to handle their own affairs in the traditional american democratic way way I 1 hope that I 1 can div give e up the presidents president s wartime powers as soon as possible p os sible so that management and labor can again have the full and undivided responsibility lity for providing the production that we must have to safeguard our domestic economy and our leadership in international affairs big opportunity your government although it is acting as your host has no hand in the direction or the recommendations of this conference it has no vote this is your opportunity to prove that you can come to understanding and agreement without political or governmental pressure the out come of the conference rests with the representatives of management and labor but as in all other public affairs the outcome olit come also rests with the american public who by their interest and concern can be a constant reminder that arbitrary selfishness fish ness and a refusal to see the other fellows point of view will have no place in these meetings j our country is worried about about our t industrial relations it has i a ri right to be that worry is reflected in the halls of the congress in the form of all kinds of proposed you have it in your power to stop i that worry 1 I have supreme bonfi dence in your ability to find a demi I 1 socratic way to compose industrial 1 difficulties I 1 controls must go under the patriotic pressure pressure sure of a despe jis management and labor have h av e perforce per erbor forme med d a a miracle of production for fo four ur years work ing together voluntarily but under a measure of government control 1 those controls must soon disappear i many have already 9 gone one and ye yet t 11 as soon as the first ones were taken oil off industrial strife appeared some of it was expected by the american people in in this period of ad justo nent but I 1 am sure that they I 1 i never expected anything like the amount of strife which has been i threatened and I 1 know that especially ally after the solemn promise I 1 by representative of both management and labor that they would cooperate with their government thru the period I 1 make no effort to fix the blame I 1 have tried to lay fairly before the people the position of labor and the position of industry they both have problems grave and worrisome problems but they are not insoluble problems essentially they are problems of adjustment to the drastic changes brought about by three and a half years of war raise living standard the important thing is to remember that those problems and their continued on last page text of president Tr address at the opening of the wor labor management conference on mofid monday Y solution cannot ibe be allowed to stop us in our struggle to ic reconvert convert from wa to peace for foi until we successfully full convert our production capacity we wie cannot cannot hope to proceed toward our goal of full employment and an increased increase d standard of living if labor and management in an industry or in accompany find that they cannot come to agreement a way must be found of resolving their differences without stopping pio production finding the best way to accomplish that result without government directive to either labor or industry that is your joli job there are many considerations involved at the pe basis of them all is riot not only the right but the duty to 0 b bargain a rg ain collectively I 1 do not mean giving mere lip service to that abstract principle I 1 mean the willing ness on both sides yes the determination mi nation to approach the bargaining tabie with ae an open mind with an appreciation of what is on the other side of the table and with a firm resolve to re achan agreement fairly faioli keep production I 1 it if that tails falls if bargaining produces no results then there must be a willingness to use some impartial machin machinery ery for reaching decisions on the barisof basi proved facts and reali lles ties instead of rumor or propaganda or te ments that is the way adi te unnecessary friction that is the way to prevent lockouts and strikes that is the way to keep production going we shall Aall have to find methods not only of peaceful negotiation 1 n of labor contracts but also of insuring industrial peace for the lifetime of such u contracts contracts oace arde i must ee be lived up to and an d should be changed only inthe in the mai manner m er agreed agreed upon by the parties we expect confidence in agree P neek merits ments made there ere must be cespon responsibility lity and integ integrity arity on both sides in carrying themous them out raps jurisdictional jurisdiction al strikes some substitute must be found for jurisdictional strikes business simply cannot stop we life and property just jest cannot be endangered merely because of some inter internal pal disagreement between factions of 0 f labor in which manageri man management agern ent can rightfully have ave no part and no inte interest rest there can be no moral or economic justification for stopping production while rival organizations contend with each cither labor has a particular interest in this matter for nothing is so destructive of public confidence in the motives of trade unionism as a jurisdictional strike on the other othen hand management too often has looked upon labor relations as a stepchild of its business to the be disregarded until the controversy has reached a point where real collective bargaining becomes very difficult af if not almost impossible It happens happen s all too to frequently that in the actual process os of collective bargaining delaying tactics are practiced with the result that there is no real bargaining there mere can tie be no justification for such tactics at the present time or in the future future sees vast progress it if this conference can reco imme nc answers to the public demand for machinery to prevent or settle inin industrial du disputes it will have niad made vast progress toward industrial peace it will have laid a foundation ifor for an era of prosperity and security the whole world now needs the produce of our mills and factories everything stands ready and primed for a great future but situations and circumstances can change rapidly pur our unparalleled opportunity may pot not long remain open we must have pro ducton vast production we must have it soon in order to have it labor and management must work together to 0 expand the economy I 1 of our astion as they worked together to protect the safety of our nation during the war we get the production that we need the production which I 1 our resources and industrial skill make possible the present problem of wages and p prices ices will be aas easier ier to solve product production on means employment ft it means economic health it means hi higher gher wages and lower prices it means the difference between strength and prosperity t y and uncertainty and depression enormous task the men in this room n direct a 2 cross section of american industry and lead american labor of all opinions but you will fully faily succeed only if labor and industry as a a 3 whole will willingly accept your decisions and will adopt the convictions developed out of thia conference the american people know the exio enormous l anous size of your task put but the stakes a are re enormous too it if the people do not find the an answers avers here they will find them someplace else for these an answers invers must and will be found the whole system of private I 1 enterprise and I 1 individual opportunity port unity de depends erias upon finding them 4 when industrial strife becomes wi widespread ball all of ofus us lose the things we need the wages that labor wants the earnings and dividends that businessmen and investors want the products that consumers want no rea realist lisit can expect the mil benium of a perfect no strike no lockout era at once but continued production and an expanding industry unhampered as far as humanly possible by stoppages of work are absolutely essential to progress that is the road to security af at home ho me and to peace abroad we cannot fail in our efforts to move for ward on that road |