EMPLOYEE REPRESENTATION
sentation’ is often used as an equivalent but is objectionable be-
cause too inclusive, since it may signify such diverse things as the
representation of stockholders on boards of directors or the soviet
form of civil government, that is, industrial as opposed to geographi-
cal representation. ‘Industrial democracy’ is another phrase used
by many to characterize particular schemes of representation, but
can hardly be considered as synonomous with employee representa-
tion, nor as truly descriptive of the arrangements to which it is often
applied. Logically the term employee representation might apply
without distinction to non-union, ‘open’ shop, “preferential” shop,
of “closed” shop establishments; and the union business agent might
properly be regarded as one of the possible modes of employee repre-
sentation. In practice, however, the term has come into vogue in
the United States to designate principally situations wherein, if
unions and their paid officials function at all, they do so apart from
the “plan of employee representation.”
Employers, rather than employees, in this country have taken the
initiative in establishing “employee representation’ in this restricted
sense, though the existence of trade unions may be regarded as a
contributing factor. The belief is even current in some quarters
that employee representation is espoused by employers simply as a
“safe” substitute for unions. In England, Germany and some other
European countries, however, unions are generally recognized as an
integral element in the plans. The more logical, more inclusive
connotation, therefore, would be warranted if our study aimed to
embrace European as well as American experience. Even in this
country there has been some tendency to use the term in this broader
meaning, including such arrangements as those obtaining in the gar-
ment industry where elected shop committees perform certain func-
tions specified in a union agreement. We have deemed it advisable
to follow the more common usage, however, and restrict the use of
term in this volume to its narrower meaning.
GENERAL CHARACTER OF PRESENT DEVELOPMENT
The movement seems to have emerged from its essentially experi-
mental stage and to have entered upon a period of constructive ac-
complishment. Plans inaugurated under compulsion during war-
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