The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1934-01-16

the District Council in Pittsburgh.
When thousands began to complain
against this crushing tribute, C.W.A.
officials scurried about to hide their
completely in the graft. Whether
they received any share Of it, is not,
Of course, known at this time.
Complaints reached Washington.
To put lid on the graft expose
which would involve still higher
officials of the American Federation
of Labor, C.W.A. Administrator
Wallace declared that the matter
was up to the county and state
C.W.A, officials. He said he would
not handle the situation.
These conditions are not restricted
to Pittsburgh. They are statewide,
according to reliable information
coming from Pittsburgh. They are
not peculiar to the Carpenters Union
alone, but involve all the A. F. of L.
officials in the construction industry
When thousands Of union members
complained and the scandal could not
longer be kept hid, william J. Kelly.
business agent for the Carpenters
District Council issued a statement
defending this "kck-back" racket.
In the Rockefeller Center, the
''kick-back" was usually returned to
the sub-contractors, or foremen.
Wages were lowered by this method.
Where the money went from there
has never been clearly established.
That union officials got some is be-
yond dispute.
In Pittsburgh, no roundabout
methods were used. The union off
Gals got the graft, and made the
men come to the office to pay it.
Business Agent Answers
Answering the charges of racke-
teering, Business Agent Kelly said:
Anyone reading the statements
! as published would imagine that
! the Carpenters Union of the City
of Pittsburgh was doing a terrible
| thing by requiring certain cOnsid-
erations from carpenters who have
obtained work on the (MellOn)
Cathedral job
In short, he thought it was the
usual thing for union officials to de-
mand half Of the pay for giving the
workers the privilege of shaving and
trying to- feed their hungry families.
Kelly said he alone was not in
volved. He stated:
"The District Council was unani-
nlOusly of the opinion that some
arrangements should be made 80 as
to take care Of members who were
most in need and to accomplish
this resolution was presented that
a special permit card be granted to
members in arrears and ex-mem-
bers permitting them to work along
with members in good standing
on this work.
Members in need we're told to
poney up 800. Because they were
in need, because they required every
penny they earned to pay their back
debts, to feed their children, the
union officials agreed that one-half
of the pay should go to contribute to
the outrageous salaries of the bureau
Gratis.
Many union members owed from
$40 to 500 for dues. The Job would
never last long enough for them to
pay up the 500 initiation fees and
back dues. Hence, the union Off
Gals had mortgage on half of the
pay the men were to receive on the
Mellon-C. w. A. job.
This action" says Kelly, twas
taken for the purpose Of benefiting
these men and allowing them to earn
livelihood"
To this he added: There was no
compulsion on the part of any of
these men to sign the contract with
the organization that they did sign,
if they were not satisfied"
Here the men were hungry, with
out work. No job was to be had.
This was their only opportunity. It
meant taking this or going to the
breadlines. There was no compul-
sion," says the A. F. of L. officials
under the circumstances.
Kelly argues further that this is
all in line with the G. w. A. The
G. w. A, he contends, has turned the
matter over to the union officials,
and they can force the men to pay
half Of their pay to the racketeers.
eve would like TO add" he de-
clared, that the rules governing the
Federal Civil Works Administration
does not require a union man of any
craft to register with the U. S. En-
ploy1nent Service but distinctly states
that where collective bargaining is in
effect, that skilled labor required on
these jobs shall be secured from the
unions Of the various crafts"
On this ground he insisted there