Evening star., 1937-05-01
WORKERS R0USED
BY 0UST|NC FROM
GREENBELT Jobs
Work Only Half Complete,
Democratic Meeting
Is Told.
HEARING ARRANGED
BY R. A. FOR MONDAY
Gathering Told of Discrimination
Against Non. Unionists and
Marylanders.
By Stan Correspondent OF The Star,

BY stan correspondent Of The Star
BRANCHVILLE, Md, May l.
Despite recent heavy employe layoffs
from the nearby Greenbelt housing
project, the job is only half completed,
according to charges by workers at
meeting of the Twenty-flrst District
Democratic Club here last night.
While it was learned the Resettle-
ment Administration has agreed to
hearing on labor disputes there, work.
men declared the wholesale discharges
have been made in the face of only
SO per cent job completion.
Read at the stormy and sometimes
unruly gathering last night, letter
from Representative Stephen Gam
brill Of the fifth Maryland district
revealed the hearing would be held in
the project administration building at
pm. Monday.
Complaints of discrimination against
non-unionists and Maryland workmen
in periodic layoffs were first made
some 10 days ago. Brought to Sena-
tor Millard Tydings of Maryland, the
charges were subsequently taken to
the Labor Relations Division of Reset
tlement. After an investigation, R. A.
officials said the complaints were "un-
substantiated." Disgruntled non
unionists had charged that Washing
ton labor groups were trying to con-
troll the job"
Hearing Is Arranged.
A committee from the local Demo-
cratic organization then took the mat
ter to State Senator Lansdale G.. Sas-
seer, who contacted Gambrill, Tydings
and Senator Radcliffe of Maryland.
Mondays hearing was then arranged.
Grievances against labor conditions
on the project were freely aired last
night by outspoken workmen, many
OF whom have been discharged.
Henry W. Cord member of the
Prince Georges Caunty Democratic
State Central Committee, who has
been working on the project, claimed
that Maryland is not receiving its
OF men there" He said out of State
residents have received a dispropor-
tlonate share of jobs and predicted
that the employees remaining after
the lay-off would take a year and a
half to finish building the loW-rent
housing community.
Another worker, Block Superinten-
dent Joseph Vance, of Hyattsville. de-
clared the personnel is full of politi-
cal appolntees whose presence is
worthless" He said the unions had
tried to make him discharge workers
he didn't want to fire" Vance and
Cord both estimated that the Job is
only half finished, with "a handful
Of men left to finish it."
Job Threats Charged.
Several men said the unions had
threatened them with loss of their
jobs unless they Joined organized
labor groups. Pete Diben. Laurel
plumber, declared he would testify to
this at the hearing
Robert Morris, head of the clubs
Investigating Committee, said he had
"a whole stack of afidavits from
workers. These, of which at least a
half-dozen will be backed by workers
presence at the hearing, charge dis
elimination and threats by Washing
ton unions, he stated
About third of the projects 5000
employees" are now being terminated.
r. A. officials have announced. Re-
settlement claims the layoff is neces-
sary "as the work nears completion