1943 - National Labor Relations Board

THE NATIONAL LABOR RELATIONS BOARD IN THE WARThe major function of the Board during the fiscal year 1943 throughits administration of the National Labor Relations Act has continuedto be the protection of the basic statutory rights of workers to organizeand bargain collectively through representatives of their own choosing.Two additional duties which were given the Board during the yearare the conducting of strike votes, in accordance with Section 8 ofthe War Labor Disputes Act,' and the protection of the rights of employeesaffected by the merger of domestic telegraph carriers, underan amendment to the Communications Act of 1934.2The tremendous impact of the war upon American industry hascreated a number of new problem in industrial relations, in thesolution of which the Wagner Act has become of increasing importance.For the full and effective use of resources in the productionnecessary for the successful prosecution of the war, the principalFederal statute defining the rights of employees and providing aforum, integrated with the courts, for the adjudication of controversiesover these rights, has played an essential role. In a period ofunprecedented employment it has been estimated that membershipin labor organizations has risen to a peak in excess of 13 millions.Although workers engaged in the vital war industries have felt thestrain of wartime conditions in housing and transportation, thediminishing supply of civilian goods, and the increasing cost of living,morale among the workers has on the whole been good, and the greatmajority of labor organizations have observed the agreement made atthe President's Industry-Labor Conference of 1941 with respect tostrikes and stoppages. Nevertheless, the tensions incident to theseabnormal economic conditions have made it more essential than everthat the agencies of Government should be utilized to eliminate thesources of friction and poor morale which could develop into seriousinterruptions of production.The special contribution of the Board under the National LaborRelations Act has been, first, the elimination of unfair labor practiceswhich impede the acceptance of sound collective bargaining practices;t 1 57 Stat. 163 (1643).57 Stat. 6(1943).1