CHAPTER IV. LABOR LEGISLATION (a) National Labor Relations Act amendments During the 1st session of the 83d Congress, the Committee on Labor and Public Welfare conducted extensive hearings lasting 6 weeks on proposed revision of our fundamental labor relations laws. Scores of witnesses representing labor, management, and the public testified in person before the committee or submitted statements dealing with every aspect of the National Labor Relations Act of 1947, more familiarly known as the Taft-Hartley Act. Thereafter, numerous conferences were held which were participated in by various officials from the executive departments who are concerned with labor-management relations matters. Shortly after the opening of the 2d session of the 83d Congress, on January 11, 1954, to be exact, the President submitted to the Congress his recommendations for changes in the Taft-Hartley Act. The President's recommendations, while endorsing the principles of the Taft-Hartley Act proposed certain improvements which the exper ence of 7 years under the statute had shown to be desirable. Simultaneously with the receipt of the President's message and in order to carry forward and place in legislative form the President's recommendations, the chairman of the committee introduced a bill S. 2650. Two and one-half weeks of public hearings were then held during which testimony was taken on every phase of the bill. The followed numerous meetings of the committee in which every provision of the bill was thoroughly debated and discussed. On April 15, 1954. the bill was favorably reported to the Senate with certain modifica tions and amendments. On May 7, 1954, the fifth day of debate on the bill, a motion to recommit was carried by a vote of 50 to 42 in which 46 of the 48 Democratic Members of the Senate who were present when the vote was taken voted solidly for recommittal They were joined in this vote by 3 Republicans and 1 Independent This action, for all practical purposes, removed all possibility amending our labor-management relations law during the remainder of the 83d Congress. (b) Investigation of employee welfare and pension funds The President, in his labor message of January 11, 1954, recommended, among other things, that Congress initiate a thorough study of welfare and pension funds covered by collective-bargaining agreements, with a view of enacting such legislation as w protect and conserve these funds for the millions of working men and women who are the beneficiaries. Implementing this recommendation, the Committee on Labor and Public Welfare considered and reported Senate Resolution 225. This resolution, which was approved by the Senate on April 28, 1954, authorized the creation of a special subcommittee to make a full and complete study and investigation with respect to the establish ment and operation of employee welfare and pension funds under collective bargaining agreements, for the purpose of ascertaining whether legislation is nee essary for the conservation of such funds and the protection of the interests of the beneficiaries thereof. The resolution authorized expenditures not to exceed $75,000 for carrying out its objectives. Thereafter, the committee considered and adopted a second resolution, Senate Resolution 270, to broaden e scope of the inquiry to include all "plans and funds subject to llective bargaining." This resolution, which also raised the limit of owable expenditures to $125,150, was approved by the Senate on ly 17, 1954. Senator Ives was designated chairman of the subcommittee and thout delay the subcommittee began to develop the data and inrmation essential for the making of sound recommendations in this ea. The subcommittee enlisted the cooperation of labor unions, aployers, insurance and banking institutions, as well as appropriate ederal and State agencies and conducted its investigation and study an objective and impartial fashion. The subcommittee's sole purose was to develop the facts upon which to base remedial legislation the interests of the millions of working men and women who are e beneficiaries of these funds. Its report had not been made when is publication was sent to the printer. ) Repeal of the dual benefits prohibition of the Railroad Retirement Act The Labor Committee's special Subcommittee on Railroad Retireent, under the chairmanship of the late Senator Griswold, held 4 ays of hearings in February 1954, on S. 2178, H. R. 356 (a Houseassed bill), and other bills to repeal the dual benefit prohibition of he Railroad Retirement Act. This prohibition had been written into e Railroad Retirement Act in 1951. Witnesses before the subcommittee represented all interested pares. Spokesmen of the operating railroad groups and pensioners tesfied in favor of this legislation. Spokesmen for the nonoperating ilroad groups and the railroads opposed it. The subcommittee, ter careful consideration of the matter, concluded that the so-called al benefit ban was unfair and productive of undue hardship on perns who were eligible for benefits under both the Social Security and ailroad Retirement systems. On May 24, 1954, the committee favorably reported S. 2178, which s a companion measure to H. R. 356, already passed by the House. the course of floor action on June 2, 1954, H. R. 356 was substituted S. 2178 and was passed. On June 16, 1954, the bill, H. R. 356, s approved by the President. It is now Public Law 398 of the Congress. Railroad retirement amendments Late in the second session the committee favorably reported H. R. =0, a companion bill to S. 2930, upon which hearings had been held the special Subcommittee on Railroad Retirement Legislation, ich was then under the chairmanship of Senator Goldwater. These s proposed a series of amendments to the Railroad Retirement Act, Railroad Tax Act and the Railroad Unemployment Insurance Act. n general, H. R. 7840 liberalized the so-called fringe benefits for ious beneficiaries under the Railroad Retirement Act. It amended Railroad Unemployment Insurance Act so as to increase the ximum monthly compensation for both benefit purposes. It eased the tax base from $300 to $350 a month, effective July 1, 4. The tax rate of 64 percent was left unchanged. R. 7840 was favorably reported by the committee on August 2, 1. It was passed by the Senate by a voice vote on August 19, , and was signed into law by the President on August 31, 1954 blic Law 746). (e) Federal Equality of Opportunity of Employment Act The Subcommittee on Civil Rights of the Committee on Labor a Public Welfare held 6 days of hearings during February and Mart 1954 on S. 692, a bill to prohibit discrimination in employmer because of race, color, religion, national origin, or ancestry. Th bill had been introduced by Senator Ives, the chairman of the subcommittee, on January 29, 1953, for himself and 18 cosponsors During the hearings all witnesses testified that the bill would not be disruptive, would be workable and would be a significant ste forward. No witnesses appeared in opposition to the bill. On April 28, 1954, the bill was favorably reported by the fu committee. It died on the Senate Calendar. CHAPTER V. VETERANS' AFFAIRS During the 2d session of the 83d Congress, the committee acte upon a number of bills relating to veterans' affairs, among which the following are the most important. (a) Extension of educational privileges for veterans of the Korean On August 2, 1954, the committee reported and thereafter er August 11, 1954, the Senate passed, H. R. 9888, to require the veterans of the Korean war initiate courses of instruction or training under the Veterans Readjustment Act of 1952 by August 20, 194 or 2 years after discharge, whichever is later. Section 1 of this b simply extends that period for initiating a course from 2 years to years after date of discharge. The present law requires that a cours of training be completed within 7 years from date of discharge and this is extended for 1 additional year. Sections 2 and 3 relate exclusively to veterans undergoing traini under Public Law 16 of the 78th Congress (World War II veterans or Public Law 894 of the 81st Congress (Korean veterans), both e which relate to education and training for service-connected disable veterans. There is no time limit set in which to initiate training under these acts. However, there is an overall completion date 9 years after date of discharge for World War II veterans which w expire on July 25, 1956. This date would be extended 4 years those persons who have not (a) attained vocational rehabilitation because of mental or physical disability, (b) had not met nature of discharge requirements, such requirement later being corrected pursuant to law, (c) had not timely established the existence of com pensable disability connected with service. Section 3 of the bill provides the same coverage to a Korean vetera training under Public Law 894, and at the same time limits vocations rehabilitation in line with the precedent set with World War I training to 9 years after the enactment of this proposal or 9 years after date of discharge of the veteran, whichever is the earlier. H. R. 9888 was signed into law by the President on August 20, 1954 It is Public Law 610. (b) Increased Federal aid for State veterans' homes In the closing days of the 2d session, the committee favorsh reported H. R. 8180, a bill to increase from $500 to $700 per year the Federal aid to States for the support of veterans domiciled or hospita ized in State homes who are eligible for such care in Federal hospitais for domiciliaries. Prior to enactment of this measure the payment of e $500 rate was restricted to June 30, 1956. This bill, in addition to ising the rate from $500 to $700 would remove the restrictive date of ne 30, 1956, thus establishing $700 as a permanent rate for Federal 1 to State homes. This bill was signed into law by the President on August 21, 1954, d it is now Public Law 613. › Hospitalization of Filipinos who served in the United States Armed Forces On June 2, 1954, the committee considered and favorably reported . R. 8044, a House-passed bill which extended for 5 additional years e authority for the American Government to bear a portion of the pense incident to hospitalization of Filipinos with servicennected disabilities incurred in behalf of the United States during orld War II. The bill was amended by the committee to make payments on a aduated scale, to expire in December of 1959 when the program itlf will come to an end. The bill, as amended by the committee, was passed by the Senate on mne 7, 1954. The Senate amendments were accepted by the House id on June 18, 1954, the bill was signed by the President. It is now ublic Law 421. ) Outpatient dental service for Spanish-American War veterans The committee considered and favorably reported without amendent, H. R. 6412, to restore for Spanish-American War veterans and terans taking training under Public Law 16, their eligibility for tpatient dental service. Public Law 16 provides in general for e education and training of veterans of World War II and the rean war suffering from service-connected disabilities. H. R. 6412 uld allow such veterans to receive outpatient dental service. The bill was passed by the Senate on July 6, 1954, and is now blic Law 494. In addition to the above bills, the committee acted upon several s of a minor nature in regard to veterans' affairs. Among these was ill (S. 2719) to permit the Veterans' Administration to deny or to er discontinued the pursuit of the course of education or training by eteran in a foreign country if the pursuit of such course of education raining was determined by the Veterans' Administration not to be the best interests of either the veteran or the Government of the ted States. S. 2719 was passed by the Senate on June 7, 1954. action was taken on this bill by the House. nother minor bill, S. 3393, which authorized the conveyance to waukee County, Wis., of 28 acres of land, located on the Veterans' ministration Center at Wood, Wis., was considered and favorably orted by the committee on July 23, 1954. It passed the Senate on ust 11, 1954, and the House on August 12, 1954. It became Public No. 669, of August 27, 1954. here was also reported from the committee S. 631, a bill to permit rans to suspend or delay their programs of education or training er the GI bill of rights in order to perform services as religious ionaries. This bill was passed by the Senate on June 18, 1953. as not acted upon by the House because the objectives of the bill accomplished by administrative action of the Veterans' Adminis on. A private bill, H. R. 3350, for the relief of one Ralston Edwar Harry, who had served in the armed forces of Canada during Wor.. War II, which had been passed by the House on July 27, 1953, WE considered and favorably reported by the committee on June 11, 195 The bill was passed by the Senate on June 17, 1954, and was vetor. by the President on July 3, 1954. CHAPTER VI. NOMINATIONS In addition to its legislative functions, the committee, during the 83d Congress, considered, approved, and recommended the confirm tion of hundreds of nominations. Among these were the secretares and other top echelon officials in the Departments of Labor and Health Education, and Welfare. The committee also considered and approved nominations to the Federal Coal Mine Safety Board in the Depar ment of the Interior, the Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service the National Labor Relations Board, the National Mediation Board and the Railroad Retirement Board. Most numerous of the nomin tions considered were appointments and promotions in the regul corps of the United States Public Health Service. The most contr versial and time-consuming nomination considered by the committe was that of Albert C. Beeson to be a member of the National Labe Relations Board. None of the nominations passed on by the co mittee were rejected by the Senate. Only one nomination, that Theophil C. Kammholz, to be a member of the National Labor Res tions Board, was not acted upon by the committee. This nominati was received during the special session of the Senate during which, by agreement, no "controversial" nominations (i. e., nominations of which committee hearings were requested) were acted upon by Senate committee. Following is a list of the individual nominations acted upon this committee during the 83d Congress: DEPARTMENT OF LABOR Martin P. Durkin, of Maryland, to be Secretary of Labor-Designate: January 16, 1953: (The committee informally considered the nomination Martin P. Durkin, to be Secretary of Labor-Designate at a public hear which was held by the committee on January 16, 1953, and at an ere tive meeting of the committee which was held the same day. At the conclusion of the executive meeting, the committee unanimously endorse Mr. Durkin and authorized the chairman of the committee to make following statement at such time as Mr. Durkin's nomination might formally presented to the Senate: "If and when the nomination of Mart P. Durkin, to be Secretary of Labor, comes to the Senate on January the chairman of this committee is authorized and directed to state to Senate that this committee recommends the confirmation of Mr. Dura without further reference to committee.") January 21, 1953: Confirmed by the Senate. September 10, 1953: Resigned. James P. Mitchell, of New Jersey, to be Secretary of Labor (ref. 22): January 11, 1954: Referred to the committee. January 18, 1954: Approved by the committee. January 18, 1954: Reported to the Senate. January 19, 1954: Confirmed by the Senate. Lloyd A. Mashburn, of California, to be Under Secretary of Labor (ref. 115: February 19, 1953: Approved by the committee. February 20, 1953: Reported to the Senate. February 23, 1953: Confirmed by the Senate. br 1 |