The potters herald. [volume] (East Liverpool, Ohio) 1899-1982, 1939-08-10
Capitol S Firenen
ToJoin AFL Union
Congress Abolishes the 1920
Law Prohibiting Union
Membership

Washington, D. C.-The Congress
sional Record is frequently described
as a prosaic and uninteresting pub
lication. But in its most prosaic col
umns there are often concealed mat
ters of great value to human liberty.
An instance Of this prosaism and
concealment is the following item
which was published in the Senate
proceedings of the Congressional Rec
ord for July 18, 1899:
classification of District Fire De-
partment.-The bill Oh. R. 1882 to
amend the act entitled AN act to
classify officers and members of the
Fire Department of the District of
Columbia, and for other purposes
was considered, ordered to a third
reading, read the third time, and
passed"
The casual reader would ignore this
announcement as nothing of import
ance. But what bill H. R. 1882, al
ready passed by the House of Repre-
sentatives, did was to accord to the
employees Of the Fire Department of
the District Of Columbia the right to
join the International Association of
Fire Fighters, affiliated with the
American Federation of Labor.
Repeats 1920 Anti Union Law
This right was taken from the fire
men in the Nations capital in 1920
following the Boston police strike, but
after many years of persuasion by Of
ficjals of the international Association
Of Fire Fighters and representatives
of the firemen, the House Of Repre-
sentatives, on March 16, 1889, and the
Senate on July 1S, unanimously passed
the bill introduced in the House by
Representative Jennings Randolph
chairman of the House District Com
mittee, at the request Of the Inter
national Association of Fire Fighters,
The 1920 Act contained this provi-
sion:
"No member of the Fire Depart
ment of the District of Columbia shall
be or become a member of any or
ganization, or of an organization affili-
ated with another organization, which
itself or any subordinate, component
or affiliated organization of which
holds, claims, or uses the strike to en-
force it's demands"
The Randolph Bill strikes out this
ban on joining a union and substi-
tutes for the deleted words the fol-
lowing:
"No member of the Fire Depart.
ment Of the District of Columbia shall
directly or indirectly engage in any
strike of such department"
In addition to being sponsored by
the International Association Of Fire
Fighters, the Randolph Bill was ap.
proved by the District of Columbis
Commissioners, the District Budget
Bureau, the Chief of the Fire Depart.
ment, many civic organizations anC
the American Federation of Labor.
Strikes Barred by Fire Fighters Unior
In explaining the purpose of the
bill to the District of Columbia com
mittees Of the Senate and House o1
Representatives, George ]. Richard
son, secretary-treasurer of the Inter
national Association of Fire Fighters
said the provision barring fire fight
ers from engaging in strike "woult
not, in reality, have any bearing o.
effect upon such firemen becoming Of
being affiliated with the Internationa
Association of Fire Fighters, since
this association itself definitely pro
vides, in its constitution, that NJ
member of the association shall en-
gage in any strike" The constitution
of the International Association O.
Fire Fighters, Mr.. Richardson added
contains and has contained for man!
years the following non-strike clause
"We shall not strike or take activ,
part in any sympathetic strike, sine
the work Of fire fighters is differen
from that performed by many othe
workers, as we are employed to per
form the duties of protecting the live
and property Of communities in cas-
of fire or other serious hazards"
Ends Discriminatory Legislation
,DcllcNc IL VIII IlOC NC ucHlcu, NAI
Richardson declared, "that any legis
lation which prevents the District o
Columbia fire fighters from being affili
ated with an organization of their owl
choosing, when it is proven fact tha
such affiliation will not in any wa,
be determinental to the efficiency o
discipline Of the Fire Department,
discriminatory legislation.
"Let me point out further that
this discriminatory legislation now il
effect is corrected by the propose
amendment, this naturally would hav
no effect whatsoever on any member
of the District of Columbia Fire De
partment who do not desire to affili
ate with the international Association
of Fire Fighters, since this association
is purely voluntary one.
"The amendment would simply re
suit in the fire fighters of the Distric
Of Columbia being allowed the sam
privilege, by law, to join an organi