OBJECTIVES OF EMPLOYEE REPRESENTATION J
at the bench are susceptible to influences that would have no effect on a repre-
sentative of the employees as provided under union regulation. Here and there
these work councils are being organized in non-union shops with a view to placat-
ing employees and influencing them against joining labor organizations. Not-
withstanding their existence and the publicity given to them by the employers,
the employees gain little advantage if any through them.®
More recently Mr. Gompers’ successor, Mr. William Green has
expressed his attitude toward employee representation as follows:
It seems to me pretty evident that employee representation plans are con-
sciously or unconsciously substitutes for trade unions and are intended to prevent
the development of the organized labor movement as developed by the workers
themselves. Just because the movement is not a development growing out of the
experiences of those most vitally concerned it does not seem to me that it can
possibly be a permanent development but must inevitably give way to the trade
union movement.
There is nothing that can be accomplished by company unions that cannot
be accomplished through the trade union. Trade unions have not had the oppor-
tunity to develop their full constructive service because they have been frequently
opposed by employers. If employers instead of fighting the trade unions will
follow a policy of codperating with them the constructive results will be infinite.’
Much the same viewpoint was expressed in the report of the executive
council of the Federation at the forty-fifth annual convention, held
at Atlantic City, October 5, 1925. “The express and definite pur-
pose of corporations which organize company unions,” said the
council’s report, “is to prevent the organization of workers into
trade unions.” Emphasizing the need on the part of the Federation
for more information about “company unions,” the report continued:
The number of wage earners concerned and affected by company unions is
confined to some transportation lines, some public utilities companies and in some
private manufacturing industries. It is necessary for us to know how these
company unions are operating so we may plan the best way of dealing with them.
We know that company unions deny their members the advantages of national
organization and the benefit of representative officials of that training which de-
velops independent experts. The union has its origin in the needs and aspira-
tion of workers and is necessary to enable them to render their full function service.
It became necessary when management was divorced from the production side of
6 In a letter, dated March 23, 1922.
"In a letter, dated July 18, 1925.
6F
