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NATIONAL LABOR RELATIONS BOARD

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I. A SUMMARY 3<br />

In dealing with disputes in defense industries the Board has cooperated<br />

fully with other Government agencies. Problems involving<br />

the rights of employees to self-organization and to bargain collectively<br />

have cut across many disputes threatening or actually tying<br />

up defense production which have engaged the attention of the Conciliation<br />

Service of the Department of Labor, the Labor Division of<br />

the Office of Production Management, and the National Defense<br />

Mediation Board. Since these agencies operate to mediate disputes<br />

and not to adjudicate statutory rights, the existence of claims under<br />

the National Labor Relations Act has been recognized as calling for<br />

close collaboration with the Board in its handling of such disputes.<br />

Thus there are many cases where mediation of a dispute over working<br />

conditions must await an investigation by the National Labor<br />

Relations Board under section 9, or where the investigation to determine<br />

whether the union claiming to represent the workers really<br />

does so in the contemplation of the Act, must await adjudication of<br />

unfair labor practice charges. In cases where the statutory rights<br />

of the workers are involved, the mediation agencies cooperate with<br />

and assist the Board to arrive at prompt decisions or satisfactory<br />

settlements. Mediation of statutory rights has not been resorted to.<br />

The tension which has pervaded the field of labor relations during<br />

the last year has been apparent to the Board since the middle of the<br />

fiscal year. Over 50 percent of the cases on its docket involve defense<br />

industries. Practically all the representation cases handled<br />

either formally or informally represent issues which demand the<br />

most expeditious handling because of threatened stoppages in defense<br />

production. This is true also of a substantial number of the<br />

complaint cases where it has not been possible for any of the .mediation<br />

or conciliation agencies of the Government or of the Board's<br />

field staff to secure an ,amicable and satisfactory adjustment despite<br />

the fact that such cases result in stoppages or prevent collective bargaining.<br />

To achieve the closest cooperation with the mediation and conciliation<br />

agencies of the Government, the Board has directed its Field<br />

Division in Washington and its field employees throughout the<br />

country to work with the mediation and conciliation agencies of the<br />

Government and with the War and Navy Departments in bringing<br />

to a prompt and appropriate conclusion cases which threaten the<br />

national defense and involve issues under the Act which prevent<br />

mediation until they are disposed of. Constant cooperation exists<br />

between these agencies and Board representatives both in Washington<br />

and in the field. The cooperation received from the other agencies<br />

of the Government has been most gratifying to the Board, which<br />

has endeavored to reciprocate by selectively disposing of emergency<br />

cases as against others which have been longer on the dockets but<br />

are not so pressing from the defense angle.<br />

During the fiscal year a substantial reorganization has been undertaken<br />

and some changes in procedures inaugurated. 2 They were<br />

designed to perfect administration and to make possible a more complete<br />

delegation of administrative responsibility to staff members on<br />

the one hand, and to expedite disposition of cases requiring decision<br />

See ch. II.

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