The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1935-02-19
UTILITY CASE
TO Be HEARD
Continued from Page u

even gain an audience with Presi-
dent John c. Parker.
The six workers suspended are all
skilled operators, employed by the
company from FIVE to twelve years.
They are Michael J. O'Sullivan,
Frank Dunn, Thomas Carroll,
Charles Ryan, Carl Peachman and
Charles Pelton, all active union
workers. They we're circulating q
petition among the company power
station employees for a government
supervised election on collective bar
gaining.
The workers, whose efficiency was
never questioned by the company,
were transferred to the inventory
department, with q seven dollar q
week reduction. The company had
previously made statements that the
department will be shortlived. When
faced by a committee Of the work
ers. Vice President Woodrow init
mated that the transferring was the
beginning OF general move Of this
nature. This in effect means wage
cutting and a club for yictimizing
the active union workers. The COM
pany declared categorically that Sc
niority rights are not considered by
the company.
C. P. Backs Workers
The Brotherhood of Utility EN-
ployees is an independent industrial
union. The Brooklyn local as yet
includes a small part of the 1000
employees, but most OF the members
are concentrated in power stations,
with the main station at $50 Hudson
Avenue completely organized. The
union has been recently conducting
an active organization drive. There
is a company union in the plant
which is becoming very much dis
credited as it fails to even take up
the burning issues facing the
workers.
The Communist Party has a we'll
functioning unit in the company's
plants, and its shop paper, the
Power Worker, which appeared
regularly for over a year, has ire
mendous influence over the workers.
The Party will put its whole
strength into support for the fght.
LaGuardia Rebuffs Men
Mayor LaGuardia, occupied with
the task of breaking the growing
walkout movement among the build
ing service men yesterday, sent a
curt wire to the Brotherhood of
Utility Employees in answer to COM
plants of discrimination against
union men, referring their cases to
the Regional Labor Board.
The Mayor, who has plenty Of
time and energy, apparently, to
work towards heading off or break
ing strike movement, didn't have
the time even to make gesture
towards helping the suspended
utility men. Il believe the Regional
Labor Board is the proper govern
mental agency for your organization
to present grievance" he wired the
brotherhood.
The full text OF the Mayors tele-
gram follows:
Mr.. James E. Toher,
Brotherhood of Utility Employees,
800 Brooklyn Eagle Bldg,
Brooklyn, N. Y:
Reply your kilograms February
sixteenth and seventeenth I be-
lieve the Regional Labor Board
is the proper governmental agency
for your organization to present
grievance. Regional Labor Board
has the machinery to hold hear
ings make an investigation and
hand down its findings. have
Just spoken with Mrs. Herrick
head of the Regional Labor Board
and she informs me that you have
been advised that the Regional
Labor Board will be glad to take
up the matter If properly pre-
sented.
F. H. LAGUARDIA,
Mayor.
Resentment against the strike.
breaking attitude of the admins
tration is growing in all the loca
unions. Particular Indignation /
felt at the statement of Maurice P
Davidson, Commissioner of Watel
Supply, Gas and Electricity that hi
had broad police powers to dea
with the situation.