2 EMPLOYEE REPRESENTATION 
reaching a final decision. Moreover, the matter, under some plans, 
may be such as might be appealed to some higher body or individual, 
in which case a detailed record of the proceedings is desirable. 
For ordinary purposes, however, the narrative type of record which 
will convey to the reader in little space information not only as to 
motions passed but regarding all the subjects considered is to be 
preferred. It may be circulated either by being posted on bulletin 
boards or printed in a plant publication given to employees. There 
are several companies in which there seems to have been little desire 
among the employees for an officially published report of committee 
meetings. In most such instances, however, there has been adequate 
opportunity for the employee representatives to report back directly 
to their constituents shortly after the meeting, either at a gathering 
of the employees’ association or on the job. This practice has the 
advantage of personal contact, making the report somewhat more 
realistic, but may lose as much as it gains because of inaccuracy or 
incompleteness. Where possible, both the oral and written reports 
are desirable, as each may supplement the other. 
If minutes of the meeting are to be published, it is important that 
they should be authoritative. This requires that they be properly 
signed by the secretary and by one or more others, indicating that they 
have been endorsed by both management and employee representa- 
tives. It is doubtful whether they should contain the names of 
persons making and seconding motions or in any way indicate how 
individuals have voted. Neither management nor employee repre- 
sentatives should be held to account for the actions they take on 
separate questions, but rather for the results of the committees of 
which they are members. 
It may be argued that the constituents are entitled to such infor- 
mation as a basis for judging whether they should be re-elected. It 
is doubtful if it would not defeat its own purpose and the constructive 
purposes of employee representation. Only with respect to critical 
issues of a somewhat controversial character would there be any 
hesitancy on the part of any committee members to have it known 
how they had voted. But in the case of such questions, open voting 
would prevent their acting on the merits of the situation, but would 
force them to choose between voting in a manner to please the em- 
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