Rammed Right on Through

Responding to organized labor's demands during last year's presidential campaign, President Johnson pledged to back repeal of Section 14(b) of the Taft-Hartley Act. That provision, long bitterly opposed by labor leaders, permits states to outlaw union shops -- in which a worker must join a union to keep his job. Last week in the House, Johnson fulfilled his promise.

Repeal of 14(b) was the most unpopular proposal that the President had sent up to Capitol Hill. And for that very reason, the Administration and House leaders were determined that it would be rammed through--allowing little time for questions to be asked or for amendments to be proposed. For the first time, a rule adopted last January by the House Democratic majority was invoked; it enabled the House, by a simple majority vote, to bring the bill to the floor before debate limitations were set by the conservative Rules Committee.

Adding insult to injury was the fact that the man who invoked this so-called "21-day" rule was Harlem's Democratic Congressman Adam Clayton Powell, chairman of the Labor and Education Committee and by any standard the House's purest demagogue. Floor Manager Powell attempted to limit debate to two hours; but amid Republican demands for more time, he and Speaker John McCormack decided to permit five hours, despite Powell's lament that the delay would force him to break a $1,500 speaking engagement in Austin, Texas.

Oregon Democrat Edith Green tried to amend the bill to exempt people whose religion does not permit joining unions; her amendment was ruled "not germane." So strict were the limitations on debate that in order to complete her arguments, she three times had to borrow speaking time from the Republicans. To her fellow Democrats, Mrs. Green said acidly: "I'm greatly indebted to the people on the left side of the aisle who are so liberal they allow free expression here." Also beaten back were Republican attempts to bar union shops among unions that practice racial discrimination or use dues for political purposes.

On a roll-call vote, repeal of 14(b) passed 221 to 203, and the bill now goes to the Senate. Under its provisions, "right-to-work" laws in 19 states would be voided, and in any firm where a union persuades--or forces--management to agree to a union shop, a worker who does not join the union within 30 clays can be fired.

After the vote, President Johnson telephoned his congratulations to A.F.L.-C.I.O. President George Meany, who had watched the vote taking from the House gallery. "Thank you very much, Mr. President," Meany said from Speaker McCormack's office. "Thank you very much."

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