Evening star., 1940-04-25
TwoviewsGiiven
Jury in Trial
Of Union Heads
Witness Testimony
Conflicts on Cause
Of Building Tie-up
BY ]. A. FOX.

BY J. A. FOX.
The jury in the District Court
trial of five officers of the Teamsters
Union today got two pictures of the
building tie-up here last fall which
resulted in the conspiracy indict-
ment of the labor leaders under the
Serman Antitrust Act prohibiting
Illegal trade restraints.
George l.. Potts, Baltimore con-
tractor, who operates dump trucks,
testifying for the Government, said
the strike of all teamster union men
on the Census Building September
IL resulted from dispute between
the Teamsters' Union and Operating
Engineers Union over the operation
OF concrete mixer trucks by the
latter. The Government, as a part
OF the Nationwide drive for reforms
In the building industry, based it's
charge against the labor men on the
contention that inter-union troubles
lay at the bottom of the local situa-
ton.
Knew of No Tie-ups,
Under cross-exa ton, however.
Mr.. Potts said he knew of no tie-ups
of truck operations after a settle
ment OF a wage and hour dispute
IN which dump truck drivers were
involved September 26. The defense
is contending that the wage hour
issue plus union troubles with
one contractor actually caused the
strike of the teamsters which the
Government ascribes to Jurisdiction
al troubles.
Mr.. Potts, under direct examina-
ton by Walter R. Hutchinson, spe-
clal assistant to the Attorney Gen
eral, said that their contract with
the teamsters union for the opera
tlon OF the dump trucks expired
August 81 last and that negotiations
were undertaken for a new contract.
He said the operators were averse
to granting the wage increase the
drivers sought because they had jobs
on which they had bid on the basis
OF the existing labor scale. He said
that in company with other opera
tors he came to Washington Sep
tember II to meet the union repre-
senatlVes who are now accused.
These are: Thomas O'Brien of the
International Brotherhood of Team
sters and four officials of local 639-
Stuart M. Keyser. Charles J. Bell.
LinWood A. Trainham and Aubrey
w. Stream.
Warned of Trouble.
He said that on going to the site
OF the Census job he met Mr.. Keyser
and Mr.. Trainham and was told by
Keyser that sit looks like we might
have trouble here" Continuing the
witness said he asked what kind of
trouble was anticipated and Mr..
Keyser said "juridiction over the
mixture trucks"
Mr.. Potts said that he told them
that the dump truck operators
weren't involved in any mixing truck
dispute, but that Mr.. Keyser said
well, whether you do or not, I
think there's going to be trouble ;"
Mr.. Potts added that Mr.. Kevser
then said He thought he pulled the
job"
In the middle of that afternoon,
MI. Potts continued. while he was
meeting with Mr.. Bell and Mr..
Stream, he received a telephone call
that the teamsters had struck at the
Census Building. Shortly there
after, he said, Mr.. Keyser and Mr..
Trainham came into the meeting
and said the job had been pulled
and, according to the witness, Mr..
keyser added that it was for
"turisdictional reasons"
Mr.. Potts said that he said then that
there was no use going any further
on the negotiations over the dump
truck wage question, but that Mr.,
Bell urged that the negotiations be
continued, saying that I'VE can get
that case Strengthened out-that has
nothing to do with the pulling off
the job"
Labor Department Intervened.
The Labor Department eventually
intervened in the dump-truck dis
pute and that was settled by an
agreement to arbitrate on Septem-
Der 26.
Under cross examination Joseph
A. PadWay, counsel for the Amer
lean Federation of Labor with both
teamster and operating engineers
are affiliated, asked Mr. Potts if he
had not been informed that a strike
would be caused September II if
the dump trucks did not reach an
agreement, but he said no. He also
asked the witness if 'in a general
way the teamsters did not strike
on all jobs here. The witness said
that the strike was only staged
where the teamsters had dump truck
operations and could control the
jobs Mr.. Padway then asked If
the witness lever knew of any dump
truck job being struck after Sep
tember 26" and the witness said Not