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- Parte de White House Staff Member and Office Files (Nixon Administration), President's Office Files
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OCR Page 1 of 36CHICAGO TODAY
OCTOBERG 6, 1971
MONDAY, OCTOBER 11, 1971
Nixon unlocks the docks
P
RESIDENT NIXON had no choice but
jurisdictional dispute between two unions
to invoke the Taft-Hartley Act- to get
over off-dock handling of containerized car-
striking dock workers back on the job. They
goes.
had tied up all coasts just as the nation was
Besides the economic damage, the strike
beginning to depend more than ever on ex-
-as the President said in announcing his
ports to get the economy back on an even
decision-was endangering the national
keel.
health and safety. Ships forced to lie idle
It was the first time Mr. Nixon used the
for long periods, as in the 96-day west coast
law, and he did so reluctantly. Certainly he
strike, discharge wastes and aggravate har-
bor pollution.
exercised patience; even after the strikes
There remains the mechanics of Taft-
became nation-wide he gave negotiators on
Hartley before strikers go back to work.
the west coast additional time for talks. It
Mr. Nixon has appointed a five-man board
was only when these broke down that he
of arbitrators to report to him on the issues.
pulled the switch.
On the basis of its recommendations, he
He had good reason to, as we pointed out
may seek a court injunction to stop the
several days ago. Workers are off the job
strike for a 60-day cooling off period.
demanding raises they can't legally get.
It will almost certainly come to that. The
They are not only depriving the country of
decision to invoke the act will make the
export dollars but helping to defeat the pur-
President no friends in organized labor, but
pose of a surcharge on imports. And, in the
the national interest is a much more impor-
case of the west coast longshoremen, they
tant consideration. Mr. Nixon, at some polit-
are doing 50 for the pettiest of reasons: a
ical risk, did the right thing.
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