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require answer. But an examination of
the attitudes expressed by various offi
cials, attorneys and others opposed to
the organization of public employees
indicates that there is at times a con
fusion between a right to associate and
a right to obtain a binding contract.
Association need be no more than a
method by which a group expresses its
opinion concerning some of its terms
of employment. The common feeling of
the country, as well as its national pol
icy, has established clearly the right of
employees to decide for themselves
whether or not they will form an asso
ciation to discuss their problems and to
elect representatives of their own choos
ing, whether public employees or not,
through whom to submit their requests.
Should outside affiliations of em
ployee organization be forbidden?
In private industry it has been es
tablished by the National Labor Rela
tions Act that the employees ' them
selves shall decide what sort of union
they desire and whether it shall be in
dependent or affiliated. In public ser
vice this is to a lesser degree the case,
for certain exceptions are recognized as.
essential. The different forms which or
ganizations of public employees have
Route 4, Box 234
Phone 292
Rogue River Sand & Gravel Co.
P. P. Proctor, Owner
Sand, Gravel & Crushed Rock
East Park St.
Grants Pass, Ore.
OREGON AMERICAN
LUMBER CORP.
Vernonia, Oregon
Manufacturers of
Old Growth Yellow Fir Lumber
D.E.T. Uppers and Commons
taken may be due in special circum
stances in particular branches of the
service to accidental mode of origin, or
to tradition.
In this country no uniform policy
exists. Practice varies both with regard
to permitting individual membership in
associations which operate predominant
ly in non-government employment and
with respect to the affiliation of organ
izations of government employees with
the labor movement in general. Con
cerning policemen, for example, sev
eral of the leading cities have taken a
stand against outside unions organizing
their employees by refusing to recog
nize such representatives, and have
ruled against affiliation of a police as
sociation with the A.F.L., the C.I.O.,
or any other outside bargaining agency.
Public bodies are justified in the pro
hibition of outside affiliation by any
group in the government service solely
when the danger of partisanship or im
paired public confidence is real. A gen
eral, indiscriminate attem pt to dominate
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