The Waterbury Democrat., 1935-02-27
Organized Labor Is
 Giuen Severe Blow
tCon.inued from Page D

ploye representatives.
 ''The plans of employe represen- tation of the defendants plan. Judge Yields continued, proved effective and satisfactory. Tho plans were effective in negotiating general demands affecting all em- ployes as we'll as demands affect ing groups or individual em- ployes."
 History of Case
 Interpreting Section "A as pro. hibiting employees representation plans = commonly called com pany unions--the government first sought a temporary injunction against the steel company last May.
 Judge Yields denied the petition. passing his ruling on the Norris La Guardia act providing for open hearings in court before injunc- tions in labor disputes could be granted.
 The hearing on the petition for a permanent injunction opened on October and continued for seven weeks. The chief witnesses for the government were representa- lives of the Amalgamated Associa- ton of Iron, Steel and Tin Workers who charged the company had TO. fused to permit organization or workers in its plants.
 Other employees from plants at Clarksburg and Weirton, w. Va, and Steubenyille, Ohio, testified they had been forced to accept the employees representation plan hnt tHta in inin the outside union affiliated with the American Federation of Labor.
 EmpIoyes Backed Company
 Counsel for the company also called employees from its plans who testified that the so-called company union was accepted voluntarily by tho workers and acted in their in- terests.
 Government counsel showed the Wsirton plants had operated for 20 years without any form of union in its plants and contended that when the formation of MIRA was obviously coming to the front in 1888 the employees representa- ton plan was suddenly accepted by company officials.
 Taking the same past history, counsel for the company argued that there had been no labor troubles in Weirton mills until MIRA was introduced, resulting in strikes which closed the; plants in the fall and winter of 1883.
 Objection of the government to the employees representation plan was centered chiefly against the payment of $25 a month by com- pany to each of the 49 workers composing the executive commit tee, claiming this payment influ- cnced the workers in favor of the management.
 Members of tho executive com mittee of the company union, how ever, testified that the money was paid because it was 'demanded' by them as remuneration for time necessary to administer the repre- sentation plan.
 Far Reaching Influence
 Judge Yields ruling today was expected to have far reaching in- fluence on a number of somewhat similar cases now pending in the courts, as the Weirton case was considered the first real test Of the strength of MIRA as it affects the Interpretation of Section "A.
 Company officials testified at the hearing that Weirton employed only about 13,000 workers and, in the realm of steel. is a compara- lively small concern, being cen- tered mainly in the state where Its plants are located and having no interstate commerce significance.
 Government May Appeal
 Pittsburgh, February 27 -UP) - Michael F. Tighe, president of the Amalgamated Steel Union. pre- dicted today that the federal gov ernment would promptly appeal the Weirton steel decision.