Question

The Taft-Hartley Bill amended parts of the Wagner Act of 1935 by placing more restrictions on labor unions. The following is from a radio address Truman gave to the American people before his veto was overturned by Congress. The bill was enacted on June 23, 1947.

We have all been told that the Taft-Hartley bill is favorable to the wage earners of this country. It has been claimed that workers need to be saved from their own folly and that this bill would provide the means of salvation. Some people have called this bill the "workers' bill of rights."
Let us see what this bill really would do to our workingmen.
The bill is deliberately designed to weaken labor unions. When the sponsors of the bill claim that by weakening unions, they are giving rights back to individual workingmen, they ignore the basic reason why unions are important in our democracy. Unions exist so that laboring men can bargain with their employers on a basis of equality. Because of unions, the living standards of our working people have increased steadily until they are today the highest in the world.
A bill which would weaken unions would undermine our national policy of collective bargaining. The Taft-Hartley bill would do just that. It would take us back in the direction of the old evils of individual bargaining. It would take the bargaining power away from the workers and give more power to management.
This bill would even take away from our workingmen some bargaining rights which they enjoyed before the Wagner Act was passed 12 years ago.
If we weaken our system of collective bargaining, we weaken the position of every workingman in the country.
This bill would again expose workers to the abuses of labor injunctions.
It would make unions liable for damage suits for actions which have long been considered lawful.
This bill would treat all unions alike. Unions which have fine records, with long years of peaceful relations with management, would be hurt by this bill just as much as the few troublemakers.
The country needs legislation which will get rid of abuses. We do not need—and we do not want—legislation which will take fundamental rights away from our working people. We have been told that the Taft-Hartley bill is a means by which the country can be protected from nationwide strikes in vital industries. The terms of the bill do not support this claim.

5
What can the reader infer President Truman wanted to accomplish in his speech about the Taft-Hartley Bill?
A.
He wanted to rally support from Congress against the bill and give examples of how it would hurt the unions.
B.
He wanted to clarify that the bill was better than the Wagner Act but would weaken labor unions.
C.
He wanted to make the working class aware of the faults in the bill and explain why he did not support it.
D.
He wanted to warn labor unions that Congress was likely to override his decision to veto the bill.

Answer 1

C. He wanted to make the working class aware of the faults in the bill and explain why he did not support it. The speech addresses the public, lists how the bill would harm unions and workers, and argues against the legislation.