Evening star., 1936-06-23
MOTOR TRADE UNIT
TERMED UNFAIR
Labor Board Attorney
Claims Violations of
Wagner Act.

Charging that the Washington Au-
tomotive Trade Association had re-
sorted to an unfair labor practice"
by employing mechanics through q
central employment manager to take
the place Of men now on strike at
several shops. Jacob Blum, regional
attorney for the National Labor Rela-
tions Board, today declared this ac-
ton to be a violation of the Wagner
labor act.
The charge was laid before Trial
Examiner Daniel M. Lyons at hear
ing in the case of the Nolan Motor
Co., I'LL Eighteenth street, which Is
defending itself against charges Of
domination and coercion of employees.
Blum made the charge at the end
Of the hearing when he reopened the
case for the Government.
w. H. Burr. who said he repre-
sented the Automotive Trade Asso-
citation as employment manager. tes-
titled he had procured prospective
applicants for jobs and sent them to
some of the shops where mechanics
are on strike.
Denies Nolan Requests.
On cross-examination by Nolan's
attorney, Louis H. Mann, Burr said
he had never had any requests from
Nolan to supply employees nor had he
ever sent Nolan any prospective ap-
plicants.
Mann repeatedly protested the testi-
mony of Burr as irrelevant to the
Nolan case. Previous testimony had
indicated there is no official strike at
the Nolan plant, although pickets still
continue to carry signs in front Of it
proclaiming the place is unfair to o.
ganized labor. The company is before
the Labor Relations Board on charges
of the International Association Of
Machinists concerning two former No
Ian employees, one of whom was re-
employed last Saturday.
Explaining his charge Of violation Of
the Wagner act, Blum based 1t on the
famous Brown Shoe Co. case involving
the principle of interference by an
outside agency" In the Brown ease,
it was an act by the Chamber Of Com
merce which was considered such in
reference.
Blum charged that the w. A. T. A..
through Burr, had been guilty OF
unfair labor practice" constituting
interference by an outside agency.
Protests Testimony.
For the Nolan Co., Mann not only
protested against introduction of such
testimony, but defended the associa-
ton itself against Blum's charge.
Whatever the w. A. T. A. has
done" declared Mann spiritedly, rs
obviously not an unfair labor prac-
tice. They are entitled to run their
shops even to the extent OF getting
other men to do the work.
Over protest Of Mann, Blum sue
ceeded In having introduced as evi-
dence a copy of The Washington Star
Of yesterday carrying q CLASSIFIED ad'
vertisement for employees to call at
the McKim Building.
Buri admitted he was placing men
from outside the District as well, In
cluding Maryland and some men from
North and South Carolina.
Shows Carolina Clipping.
When shown clipping from news
paper said to have been from North
Carolina, offering from $40 to $50 Q
week to mechanics to work in the Dis
trict, Buri said he didn't think he had
seen such ads.
He said further: st didn't put the
ads in"
The hearing in the Nolan case itself
closed with Buri's testimony. The
trial examiner indicated 1t would be
some time before the N. L. r. B. reaches
Q decision in the case.
Other witnesses today included
George H. Hoffman, service station
manager for Nolan, and Charles E.
Meyers, a painter for Nolan. Holman
denied that he had Disseminated in
any way against Bruce Luttrell, 1854
Harvard street, a former employe and
one of the complainants in the case.
Myers testified he had been de-
NOTED to q painter by the Nolan Co.
because frequently he had befriended
Joseph S. Acevez, 10 street, who was
discharged but later re-employed by
Nolan. He said the Nolan paint shop
had been closed for major painting
of automobiles by orders of the fire
marshal because it was fire hazard.
Three other men had been dismissed
when the paint shop was closed, he
said.