Labor Policies of the Roosevelt Administration

Report Outline
Emergence of Restrictive Labor Legislation
Development of Labor Policy Under N. R. A.
The Period of Extensive Labor Legislation
Defense of Labor Laws Against Attack

Emergence of Restrictive Labor Legislation

Legislation to deal with labor stoppages in defense industries has been added to the program for the remaining weeks of the present session of Congress as a consequence of the captive mine strike, begun on November 15 after failure of a series of efforts by the President to bring about an adjustment.

Since the opening of the present session, the President has been under heavy pressure from members of his own party in Congress to take leadership in an effort to remove obstructions to the defense program through the enactment of anti-strike legislation. A threatened revolt by conservative Democrats when the administration neutrality law revision was before the House, led the President to write a letter to Speaker Rayburn and Majority Leader McCormack, November 13, in which he said failure to approve the revision would diminish the seriousness of strikes and work stoppages in the public mind.

I am holding a conference tomorrow in the hope that certain essential coal mines can remain in continuous operation. This may prove successful. But if it is not successful it is obvious that this coal must be mined in order to keep the essential steel mills at work. The Government of the United States has the backing of the overwhelming majority of the people of the United States, including the workers. The government proposes to see this thing through.