Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-03-17
STRIKE OF TAX|CAB
|. DRIVERS ORDERED
BY UNION HEADS
Action Follows Refusal of
Diamond Owners to De-
clare Closed Shop.
WALK0UT SCHEDULED
FOR 6 Pm. TOMORROW
Operators Do Not Anticipate Any
interruption of Service-Hold
Threat Lightly.

The refusal of associated Diamond
taxicab owners to declare a closed
shop resulted in an order today by
officials of TaXicab Drivers and Chauf-
feurs' Union, No. 1859, for a general
walkout of the company's union drivers,
effective at 6 o'clock tomorrow night.
Although the union claims member
ship of almost 900 drivers, and expects
more than half Of them to refuse to
take the wheels of their cabs after the
zero hour, officials of the Diamond Co.
said there were comparatively few paid
up" members among the drivers.
Harry Davis, president of the indie
pendent Taxi Owners Association, said
today he did not anticipate any inter
ruption of service or that the threat
ened walkout would assume serious pro-
portions.
Ordered to Check in Cabs.
The drivers have been ordered to
check in their cabs to respective owners
in various parts of the city at the close
of the business day tomorrow. Those
who walk out, union officials said, will
be given employment by taxicab opera
tors who recognize the closed shop.
Officials of the local decided to order
the walk-out last night following the
action Of the Central Labor Union in
placing the Diamond Co. on the unfair
submitted by the Cab Drivers Union.
Of1cials Of the union said, however, that
almost all of the larger taXicab oper-
ating concerns here have been placed
on the list.
Willard L. Sudenga, secretary Of the
local union, explained that his organiza-
ton complained to the central labor
group because the Associated Diamond
owners declared for an open shop and
rejected a new contract submitted by
Local No. 169, while at the same time
declining to be bound further by the
old contract.
Local Unable to Supply Men.
The new contract differed from the
old largely in that 1t required all chauf-
feurs, whether they owned the cabs or
merely drove them, to belong to the
union. Heretofore the some 800 owner
drivers had not been members Of the
local.
Mr.. Davis said today that the local
was unable to supply new men in suf-
| ficient numbers. He said If the aSso-
citation of owners agreed to a closed
shop it would put them in the position
of furnishing the union with a new
member for every man they hired.
Mr.. Davis explained further that the
company had never Disseminated
against union men, but preferred
them to non-union men, and that the
company had never been a closed shop
because under the old contract the
owner-drivers were not permitted to be-
long to the union.
Mr.. Sudenga said that the action of
| the associated owners in declaring an
open shop had in effect repudiated an
existing contract between the company
and drivers.
Oisnuta Contract CIauSe
While the agreement expired January
81, the union official said it contained
clause which provided that In case
neither the union nor the company gave
written notice of cessation of contract
within 80 days OF its expiration the con-
tract was to remain in force for another
year.
The company, Mr. Sudenga said. con-
tended this clause had been stricken
from the contract. officials of the local
union said the walkout was suggested"
by representatives of the International
Brotherhood of Transfers, Chauffeurs,
Stablemen and Helpers, under which
they hold a charter.
the Diamond Cab Co., helped to or
ganize the drivers local, said 1t was
his understanding that the proposed
walkout never has been authorized by
the international brotherhood and that
the local charter probably viii be re-
voked If it is carried out.
The cab company official said 1t was
contrary to the bylaws of the interna-
tional organization to admit employers
of other members to membership in the
local union. He said the driver-own-
ers were in effect Contractors" since
many of them hired other men to oper-
ate their cabs.