Strikes: Presidential Power

Workers at Alliant Techsystems, a Minneapolis munitions maker, ended a weeklong strike Sunday. While there was no discussion of federal intervention, there are laws governing strikes in crucial industries during war. Among the provisions: * The President has the power during national emergencies to try to stop a strike or lockout if it threatens the nation’s safety.

* He can appoint a board of inquiry into the dispute, which would decide whether the strike “imperils the national health or safety” and involves all or a substantial part of an industry.

* If the board agrees there is peril, the President can direct the U.S. attorney general to petition any federal district court to stop the strike or lockout.