Evening star., 1941-08-24
Union Activities
Barred in D. {.
Vital Services
City Heads Don't 'tWont
Any More Locol Units
Set Up, Mason Says

STRIKES or any other union &C
tivities" which would interfere with
continued or orderly operation OF
vital municipal services" are
banned under a statement OF for
NAL policy adopted by the Commits
sioners.
In announcing this policy. Com
missioner Guy Mason declared yes
terday the city heads were opposed
to development of any more union
local chapters" as such, among
workers in vital" governmental
agencies, and he listed police, fire,
health, the Jail, workhouSe and re-
formatory.
He said the Commissioners be-
lieved in and supported unionism
as a broad national policy" and
were not opposed to individual work
ers Joining national unions but that
In the case of vital municipal serv-
ices set up for the protection and
care of the public ''the line must
be drawn somewhere as TO the eX-
tent of activities.
DIR. BocOck Reversed.
Commissioner Mason, acting as
spokesman for the Board OF Com
missioners, said that under the
newly adopted policy municipal
workers. organized or unorganized.
were assured the right to select their
own spokesman to present COM
plants or suggestions as to work
ing conditions for consideration OF
department executives and that II
they were dissatisfied there they
might appeal cases to the Commits
sioners.
In this latter point. the record OF
correspondence disclosed the Com
rnissioners had overridden deci-
sion by DR.. Edgar A. Bocock, super
intendent of Gallinger Hospital, that
he should not have to negotiate
with both the spokesman for a
C. 1. o. union unit among domestic
workers at the hospital and with
a representative of the national
office of the same union, the United
Federal Workers of America.
New Policy Outlined.
The new policy was announced as
follows, in an order sent to Deputy
Health Officer Daniel L. Seckinger
and referring to a memorandum on
the Gallinger issued forwarded by
DR.. Bocock .k.
Referring to your memorandum
of August II and to the accompany
ing memorandum from the superin-
tendent of Gallinger Hospital. dated
August /, it has been the policy of
the Commissioners, in dealing with
organized groups of its employees to
permit sucflyorga ar4isations to choose
their own representatives to speak
for them at conferences with the
superintendent of the institution or
agency under whom they are di-
rectly employed as to working con-
ditions. This embraces the right to
select as their representatives one
who is not actually employed by the
District of Columbia.
1T has also been the policy OF
the Commissioners to permit an ap-
peal to the Commissioners if the
finding of the superintendent as to
the alleged grievances is inequitable
or unjust.
I'm confirming these policies it
should be borne in mind that the
Commissioners, as stewards of the
public's interests, cannot and will
not tolerate interference in any way
by any others than lawfully consti-
tuted authorities in the operation
maintenance and management OF
such strictly governmental instru-
mentalities as the Jail, workhouse
reformatory, Police, Fire and Health
Departments"
Firemen Organized.
In the Gallinger Hospital case. 1t
was said, the local chapter of the
U. F. w. A. there had demanded an
addition to their wages to cover the
cost of meals and abolition of the
present system under which meals
are served them by the hospital
DR.. Bocock argued, and Commits
sioner Mason agreed, it was said
that this maintenance provision
was adopted under congressional
action and that the municipal off,
cials were not free to make q
change.
For some years members of the
District Fire Department have been
members of union, and it has
been generally understood they did
not have the right to strike. Refer
ring to this union and to the fact
that orderlies, maids. kitchen and
laundry workers at Gallinger Hos
pital are members of a unit of the
U. F. w. A., Mr.. Mason said, These
locals exist and we can't do any,
thing about it, but we don't want
any more locals, although this does