The potters herald. [volume] (East Liverpool, Ohio) 1899-1982, 1939-01-19
Exposed Drug Co S.
Workers Suffering
Patronage Of McKesson and
Robbins Drug Company
Urged BY AL
FIRM HAS PACTS
Employees Not Responsible
For Action Of For
mer Head

AA4SA AACAA
Washington, D. C.-Lewis G. Hines,
director of Organization of the Amer
lean Federation of Labor, sent COM
munication to all A. f. Of l.. organ
izers stressing the Importance Of con-
tnuing union patronage of McKesson
& Robbins Drug Company, which is
now operating under a trustee due to
the irregular transactions of its late
president, +. Donald Coster.
Emphasizing the fact that the
American Federation Of Labor has a
and that A. f. of l.. affiliates have a
large number of local agreements, Mr..
Hines said the products of the COM
pany have not suffered from the
maneuvers of it's former management
and that there should be no diminu
ton in patronage because of former
maladministration.
The text Of Mr.. Hines letter fol-
lows:
Employees Organized by A. f. of L..
'In the late Spring of 1887, a num-
Der of employees of the McKesson &
Robbins Drug Company, in several of
their Offices, warehouses and plants
throughout the country, became af
filated with the American Federation
Of Labor.
"On July 7, 1887, Organizer John
Van Vaerenewyck was assigned by
the American Federation Of Labor to
conduct an organization campaign
among the employees Of this company
which was inaugurated on July Is,
1887.
National Agreement Negotiated in
ain the latter part Of the Summer
of 1887, an agreement, which had been
negotiated on behalf of the employees
who were members Of the American
Federation of Labor, was entered into
between the McKesson & Robbins
Drug Company and the American Fed
GRAFTON of Labor. This agreement pro-
vided that the American Federation
of Labor would be recognized by the
company as the sole collective bar
gaining agency for it's employees in the
various places of business throughout
the country where a majority of the
employees were members of the Amer
lean Federation of Labor or it's affili-
ated organizations. The agreement
further provided for overtime rates,
seniority and vact.-aa<3s with pay.
at was further agreed that the Ma
tional Agreement is to be supplement-
ed by local agreements providing for
wages and other working conditions
to be negotiated between the Local
Unions and the company in the re-
spective localities.
Fifty-Five Plants Covered
''In our report rendered to the last
Convention of the American Fedora
tion of Labor, we cited that as a re-
suit of the organization campaign that
had been conducted, local agreements
covering 5,443 employees working in
55 plants in 40 cities throughout the
United States had been negotiated.
These employees are members of the
International Brotherhood of Team
sters, Chaufeurs, Stablemen and Help
ers of America; the Retail Clerks In
ternational Protective Association;
Office Workers; Warehousemen, and
Winery Employees who are organized
in Federal Labor Unions.
"The report further indicated the
various cities throughout the United
States where our local unions have
agreements and cited the fact that in
few instances where agreements
were not in existence is was due en-
tirely to the fact that the employees
themselves apparently did not desire
to take advantage of the terms of the
National Agreement. However, these
employees were also the beneficiaries of
the National Agreement, inasmuch as
the terms of the agreement, which
provides for overtime rates and va
cations with pay, were applied to them
as well as to the employees who were
affiliated with the Federation.
incidentally, at any time that these
employees desire to be represented by
the American Federation Of Labor in
negotiations for hours, wages and
other working conditions they may
come under the terms of the National
Agreement.
at is worthy of note that substan-
tial wage increases and other benefits
accrued to our members throughout
the country as a result of local agree
mentS negotiated
Benefits of National Agreement
'The industrial relationship develop
ed since the signing of the National
Agreement and the manner in which
both parties to this agreement have
subsequently developed mutual re-
spect for each other, has resulted in
setting up contractural relationship
whereby grievances, wages and hours
Eare constantly being handled in a
most satisfactory manner by the In
dustrial Relations counsel of the COM
pany, Mr.. Frederic Wingersky, and
various representatives of the Amer
lean Federation of Labor.
eve feel that there is room fol
justifiable pride on our part for what
has been accomplished on behalf OF
the thousands Of workers who are EN-.
| Moved by tha McKaSSOn e. Robbins