The potters herald. [volume] (East Liverpool, Ohio) 1899-1982, 1939-06-22
How Federation
(Continued From Puue One)
for neither, 60.
C. 1. O. Transport Workers Ditched

lOT IoICIleF, OU.
C. 1. O. Transport Workers Ditched
In explaining the important sig
niicance of this victory The Union
Leader gave the following account of
the long struggle it has had with the
management of the Pennsylvania
Greyhound Lines, the c. I. O. Trans
port Workers and the Brotherhood Of
Railroad Trainmen to secure the right
to bargain collectively for the en-
|ployes of the P. G. L.:
"The Transport Workers, headed by
Red Mike Quill, one-time Irish rev.
olutionary and now Bronx politician
accused Of membership in the Com
munist party, count their strength,
such as it is, on the subway, elevated
and Fifth Avenue coach lines of New
York City. They also claim to rep
resent the bulk Of New York's taxi
drivers. They disrupted and took over
Amalgamated Locals in the strong c.
l. O. centers of Flint, Mich, and
Akron, Ohio, but have made no further
progress since they started their dual
movement in 1885.
"The results of the election were
no surprise With no experience in
the organization or representation of
interstate transit employees and no
background or affiliation with bona
fide groups in this line, the Transport
Workers were not even conceded an
outside chance. Nevertheless, the La
hor Board accepted their claims that
they represented a majority of the
Pennsylvania Greyhound employees and
directed that an election be held.
"The voting began on May Is and
continued through the week. When
| the final returns were in the falsity
of the Transport Workers contentious
were established beyond doubt and
the Amalgamated Association was Of
fcially affirmed to be the majority
choice of the personnel of the system.
Thus the Transport Workers not only
erased themselves from the picture
but provided the means for the Anal
gamated Association to receive the
certifcation of the National Labor Re-
lations Board as the official collective
bargaining agency on the Pennsyl-
vania Greyhound Lines.
"This action brings to climax a
four year fight by the Amalgamated
Association to bring the benefits of
bona fide union organization to the
Pennsylvania Greyhound employees.
| early in 1885 the Pennsylvania
Greyhound men at Pittsburgh organ
lied and formed Division 1868 Of the
Amalgamated. Several Of them were
promptly fired for their union ac-
tivity.
"When the Wagner National Labor
Relations Act went into effect in July
of 1885, the Amalgamated brought
charges of unfair labor practices
against the management. This was
the first, case to be heard by the Ma
tional Labor Relations Board, ther
consisting of j. Warren Madden, Ed
win S. Smith, who still are members
and John M. Carmody, who was later
succeeded by Donald Wakefield Smith
whose post is now filled by DR.. w
M. Leiserson.
| lIc IN. ID. lOuIlu VIC COIIl-
pany guilty. The company took the
case to the federal court of appeals
in Philadelphia, charging that the
Wagner law was unconstitutional
This court tried to pigeonhole the
case but through the constant efforts
Of the Amalgamated it eventually
found it's way to the United States
Supreme Court. This body declared
the Wagner law was constitutional.
"The Almalgated won Pyrrhit
victory. They were victorious, but
they lost all their troops. Despite the
fact that the discharged men were re.
instated with full pay for all time lost
the members began to listen to the
Establishments and extravagant prom
ises of other organizations and Di.
vision 1868 ceased to function.
Trainmen and Transport Workers
Fade Away
"The Trainmen arrived on the
scene, promising the sun, moon and
stars, and these neophytes in trade
unionism followed them. A phony
strike followed, and the drivers be-
gan to discover they were giving aid
and comfort to the enemy and paying
for the privilege, by being members of
a steam railroad organization.
Meanwhile, the C. |. o. Transport
Workers signed up some shopmen at
Pittsburgh and then drifted off. Moth
ing was done for these men beyond
the collection of their dues. They never
got recognition, much less a contract
"After a few months under the
Trainmen, the Pennsylvania bus
drivers, realizing their mistake, sought
out the Amalgamated to rescue them
from the predicament into which they
had gotten themselves.
"The drivers We're told that the
Amalgamated could and would dc
nothing for them so long as they be.
longed to another organization which
had contract, no matter how rotten
with the management.
Chartered Six Divisions
when this contract expired Dec
1888, great numbers of these employees
again sought affiliation with the