Evening star., 1936-12-20
SENATE TO PROBE.
GENERAL MOTORS
LABOR CONDITIONS
Committee Inve stiga ting
Civil Liberties Violations
to Launch Inquiry.
c. |. o. DIRECTOR LEAVES
TO PRESS NEGOTIATIONS
Dispatched to Detroit to Draft
Ultimatum Calling for Collec-
tive Bargaining.
BY JOHN c. HENRY.


Government and organized labor
joined last night in moves against
General Motors Corp, giant of the
automobile industry.
The Government participation came
from the Senate committee investI-
eating violation of civil liberties In the
announcement that labor conditions
and policies in General Motors would
be made a subject of immediate
investigation as that committee con.
tinues its probe of labor espionage.
strike e-breaking and interference with
employe organizations.
From general headquarters of labor,
in this case the Committee for Indus
trial Organization. John Brophy, c. I.
o. director, was dispatched from
Washington to Detroit to take charge
of drafting the ultimatum of the
United Automobile Workers of Amer
ica, c. l. o. affiliate, that the
dAOOAAAObAfC AldSAldOCS dSICC dI Ol1N0
to collective bargaining meetings.
Presentation of this demand ID
expected within 4S hours. but no indi-
cation thus far has been given as to
its reception.
On many other fronts labor and
industry were contributing much to
the days news, goodly portion of 1t
emanating from Washington.
Hearing to Be Resumed.
Before the National Labor Relations
Board, employees of the Carnegie -Illi-
nois Steel Corp. wholly owned
subsidiary of the United States Steel
Corp. concluded for the present their
recital of evidence that the company
had dominated and interfered with
free operation Of their employe repre-.
sentation plan. On January II. the
same day the Senate committee Is
now scheduled to resume its probe
into industrial espionage. hearings will
be continued by the board on the
charges against the steel companies,
charges which were prefetRed origi-
nally by C. I. o. officials. Silent thus
far. the industry will open its defense
at that time.
Splicing yesterdays closing testi.
mony was the disclosure of one Will
liam E. Garrity, employe representa-.
tive from the Braddock (Pa.) works
of the Carnegie Illinois company, that
he had been warned of dismissal if
he honored a subpoena of the board
to testify here this week. The warm
ing had been given him. he said. by
his superintendent. who named Ben
jamin F. Fairless. president of the
company. as authority for the ulti.
matum.
So incensed was one member of the
board at Garrity's disclosure that he
ordered him to notify the board at
once if his position is not available
when he returns to his home plant In
Duquesne, Pa, tomorrow.
Interesting also was the testimony
of John J. Kane. steel worker. that
the company had kindly suggested
that Frank j. Hogan, Washington
lawyer and attorney for Andrew Mel.
Ion, represent the employees at hear
ings before a former National Labor
Board. The employe group was told.
Kane said, that Hogan never had been
connected with the steel industry. As
it worked out, Kane continued, two
attorneys from Hogan's Office did rep
resent the workers before the board
and the employe group found them
selves in the position of defending the
company union which they had come
to attack.
"Progressives" tc Meet.
In Pittsburgh today is planned .
meeting of some $50 progressive"
members of the employe representa-
ton plans in the steel industry, at
which time efforts will be exerted for
adoption of a resolution condemning
company unions.
OF significance as the c. I. o. "dug
itself in" in its bitter fight with the
automobile and steel industries, among
others, was the report Of last night
that peacemakers within the Ameri-
can Federation of Labor have virtu-
ally abandoned their efforts to bring
about a reconciliation with the G. I. o.
The federation's Executive Council
last Fall suspended 10 unions of the
c. I. o. on charges of dual unionism,
(See LABOR, Page A-17)