Evening star., 1941-07-13
Secretary Perkins
Has Labor Trouble
In Her Own Office
C.I. O. Asks Fair Hearing
For Mrs. Helen Miller,
Ousted os Communist

Ousted us Communist
Secretary of Labor Perkins had
labor trouble at her own offlclal
doorstep yesterday.
The local C. l. o. had made
major issue of the suspension of
Mrs. Helen Miller, a Labor Depart
ment employe. charged with Com
munist activities, and the labor Or
ganization was demanding thus
far without result-that 1t be given
a chance to represent the accused
worker at some impartial proceed
ing before final action is taken re-
garding her dismissal or reinstate-
ment.
Meanwhile. the Washington c. l.
O. Committee for the Reinstatement
of Helen Miller had been formed,
and it issued statement yesterday
charging Secretary Perkins with re-
fusing "a fair and impartial hear
ing of the charges which she herself
has filed against Mrs. Miller
The statement also declared that
lit is, indeed, ironic that the Labor
Department is found TO be un-
willing TO accord its own employees
even the most simple rights of COL
lective bargaining, such as are con-
stantly being urged upon private
Employers by its conciliation
service"
Denial of Charge Filed.
Mrs. Miller, member OF the
United Federal Workers of Ameri-
ca, Local II, affiliated with the
C. I. o. has filed with Secretary
Perkins a formal denial of the
charge.
The charge specified that she al
legedly was a member Of the Amerl-
can Peace Mobilization and the
Washington affiliate of that organi-
zation; that she either was a mem
Der or was closely affiliated with
the Communist party and that she
asked at least one Labor Depart
ment employe to join it.
Mrs. Miller denies that she ever
was a Communist or that she was
guilty of any subversive activity OF
asked anyone to join the party.
The accused employe has been a.
the Labor Department seven years.
She has a supervisory position in
the Bureau of Labor Statistics and
has been promoted several times dur
ing her tenure at the department.
A committee of so from local
c. I. o. organizations failed Thurs
day in an effort to see Miss Perkins
But on Friday she received a dele
cation of three.
Collective Bargaining Urged.
The union committee urged that
collective bargaining be invoked in
this case. and the union allowed to
represent Mrs. Miller at hearing
at which both sides would be al
lowed TO present evidence
Miss Perkins refused. She made
it clear that she felt the RESPONSE
bility was hers alone.
Il don't have a chance to prove
my innocence. Mrs. Miller said last
night. Il have no way of knowing
on what evidence the charges were
based. A copy of the charges was
handed me and I was allowed to file
formal reply. which I did yester-
day. That's the end of it. Secre-
tary Perkins alone can decide
whether I'm to be fired. and mean
while I'm suspended and might con-
ceivably remain in that state for
years without a decision
Mrs. Miller is under civil service.
and it was said at the Labor De-
partment that the Secretary simply
is following out civil service law.
which provides for this procedure.
Rights Fully Protected"
When an employe is so charged "
said spokesman, 'he Is served
with a copy of the charges and su
pended automatically He then is
allowed to file a reply If the de-
oartment head fires him. he has the
tight of appeal to the Civil Service
Commission. If, on the other hand,
1 The department head or the COM
mission dismisses the charges. the
smploye is reinstated with full back
| oay. Mrs. Miller's rights are being
fully protected under the law This
is not case where collective bar
gaining is involved"
The statement by the commit
ZEE for the reinstatement of Helen
Miller, signed by Cecil Owen. presi-
lent of the Washington industrial
Union Council. and Robert Sher-
nan, secretary of the council and
president of the Commerce Depart
nent local, declared that the C.
[. o. in this community does not
intend to stand idly by while the
| major union is destroyed through
arbitrary action of Federal OFF,
| Gals"
Anti Union Activity Charged.
The committee added: "Oues-
lions involved in the Helen Miller
case run to the very heart of Fed
eral labor policy, not only toward
It's own employees but also in rela-
Ion to labor generally This is so
because the department involved is
the Labor Department, which is
charged by law with the duty of
promoting the welfare of wage
sarners throughout the United
States"
The committee expressed the
opinion that the department
should observe at least those mini
mum standards of collective bar
gaining which are recognized under
civil service as allowable to Fed
sral employees" The statement
added:
This has not been done so far
n this case and We therefore re-
gret to saw that We must charos