Evening star., 1934-06-21
Technical and Union Groups
Will Urge Public Review
of Custer.
PECK FIRM IN STAND
AGAINST MIRA. Ex-CLERK
Protest Meeting Starts Reinstate-
ment Fund and Charges john
son With Discrimination.

donovan, formerly a CIcfk ior the
board and president of N. r. A.
Lodge, No 81, American Federation
of Government Employees.
Two committees-one representing
the staff of technical advisors to the
board and the other representing the
union-will appear at the regular
meeting of the board at 10 O'Clock
to present a plea In Donovans
behalf.
1t will be up to the board then to
decide whether a public review OF
the case will be held. Some men,
bers of the union expressed belief
that the board would not be inclined
to 90 into the case since both DR..
Leo Wolman, chairman, who is alb
sent. and DR.. Gustav Peck, acting
chairman, recommended Donovan S
dismissal.
Peck Firm In Stand.
Yesterday DR.. Peck refused to with
draw his stand against the ousted
union leader when a group Of techni-
cal advisors asked him to rescind his
recommendation of dismissal.
Meanwhile, the union Is advancing
its plans to fight for Donovan'S rein
statement and at protest meeting
last night at the Hamilton Hotel
collected nearly $50 in contributions
and then voted to assess each MEM
Der so cents In addition TO their dues
as a special fund to wage their battle
Approximately 200 members of the
union attended the meeting at which
Gen. Hugh S. johnson was charged
with deliberate discrimination against
Donovan because of his union activi-
ties and with efforts to destroy the
present local. which is affiliated with
the American Federation of Labor,
and attempting to set up company
union" within N. r. A. in its place
E. Claude Babcock, president OF the
American Federation of Government
Employees, attended the meeting and
affirmed the belief of Donovan's CO.
workers that such scheme was under
way.
Babcock said that johnson, in a
telephone conversation, had given
him the impression he opposed the
leadership Of the union under Donovan
and his associates because the group
had shown certain left" tendencies,
Babcock also said johnson had sug-
gested he step in and take over the
organization of the NJ r. A. employees.
Today Babcock issued a statement
in which he said:
With respect to whether the lodge
shall be turned into a company union.
am not aware of any illegitimate
action Of the lodge and know of
no cause for which it should be
either criticized or penalized from
a union point Of view. In view of
this. it is completely in charge OF
its membership and 1 understand
that all employees of N. r. A. are
welcome into its ranks.
Lodge Doors Kept Open.
Insofar as 1 know, the lodge has
kept its doors open and failure to
enter it has been more due to petty
administrators than to any other
factor.
so far as the possibility of set
ting up company union, it will not
be done under jurisdiction of this
federation"
The resolution adopted at the pro-
test meeting was as follows:
Whereas, there is evidence that 1t
is the purpose of Gen. Hugh S. john
son, administrator of the National
Recovery Administration, to destroy
Lodge 81, A. F. G. E., and replace
it with company union; and
Whereas, the company union is an
agency created by employers for the
sole purpose of deceiving and betray-
ing the interests of the workers and
at this time of crisis is in widespread
use as a means of industry to defeat
the purposes of the national industrial
recovery act:
BE it resolved that this lodge,
pledging itself to maintain the
principles of organized labor within
N. r. A. and to fight against the at
tempt by Gen. johnson to impose a
company union upon N. r. A. en-
ployes, calls upon the American
Federation of Government Employees
and its affiliated unions to extend all
possible aid to this lodge in its fight.
Two Organizations Act.
Two organizations responded in1me-
diately\ and adopted resolutions de-
manding Donovan's reinstatement
The Civil Service Reinstatement
League charged in its resolution that
Donovan's dismissal directly repudi-
ates the rights of employees to organize
and bargain collectively under the
provisions of section IA of the ma
tional recovery act" The other reso-
luton was adopted by Commerce
Lodge, No. 9, A F. G. E. Both OF
them we're sent to Gen. johnson and
to President Roosevelt.
Babcock today also defended Dono-
van against the charge of inefficiency
made by johnson when he was dis
charged.
Gen. johnson and DIR. Peck spe-
cif1cally told me Donovan was dis
missed for inefflciency,' Babcock
said. Last night I heard one after
another of Donovan's co-workers
stand up and say, without equivoca-
ton, that Donovan was not inefficient
has not been insubordinate, and has
not been absent from duty. Co-worker
after co-worker affirmed that the
charges against Donovan are in
correct.
After hearing this evidence all
the members of the lodge concurred
in a resolution stating that Donovan
was fired because he was president Of
the lodge and not because he was
inefficient"
Babcock also said the American
Federation will take no direct action
in the case because it has not yet
been called upon. At the same time
he repeated the statement he made
last night:
This case must not die. It must
be carried to the bitter end IL it takes
the ears OF every administrator in
N. r. A"