The Wilmington morning star. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1909-1990, 1944-05-13
By WEsTBROOK PEGLER

NEW YORK. Mark Sullivan the Washing.
ton journalist has been pointing out the SINH.
larlty Of the cases of Montgomery Ward and
John L. Lewis, both of whom refused to sign
contracts covering union relations, and the
dssinilarity of their treatment by the nation
a. government, particularly, by President
Roosevelt. Montgomery Ward was seized by
the Army and Sewel Avery was carried out
ct lis Office but, although Lewis, By his re-
fusa], he'd tied up war production as Mont
gome,y Ward had not, nothing was done to
MIN or 10 his union.
This is an interesting comparison but here
is aeiler illustration of privilege ana inn
munity in a recent dispute in Indianapolis
between uncle Daniel Tobns teamstels' I'm.
ion, a vigorous political ally of the new deal
administration, and II girls emplo yed in the
Union office to address copies of his monthly
magazine called the International Teamster
This magazine is actually Mr.. Tobns own
bugle. He uses it to glorify himself to the
membership and to ingratate himself with
the White House. from which he has received
flattering personal honors for his vanity.
The girls complained that they were not
getting overtime pay for hours in excess Of
40 week and that they were required to
make up for time taken off on Labor day and
Christmas. So uncle Dams mailers joined the
mailers' union and, in good legal order, their
business agent asked the teamsters' union to
sign a contract just as the CLIO asked Avery
to sign. In Avery's case, there was doubt that
the union actually did represent the workers
but no such question was raised in regard to
Uncle Dams bevy of mail clerks. The team
sters' union refused to negotiate at all and
the mailers union, with the support of the
printers, declared the teamsters magazine to
be unfair to organized labor Inasmuch as
Uncle Dan is the editor, this meant that the
president of one of the biggest American un-
ions, member of the executive council Of
the AFL and one of President Roosevelt's ad-
visers and confidential agents in labor policy
was an enemy of labor.
In the course of events, last winter, the
Transfers executive board met as usual in
Miami, where a mansion is maintained for
their comfort, and, on the pretext of saving
white paper, Of which the magazine is en-.
titled to its regular quota authorized Uncle
Dan to suspend publication temporarily and
use other means of publicity. By suspending
Uncle Dan would be enabled to fire the girls
who had joined the union. The mallers, in
cidentally, were charging that Mr.. Tobin was
trying to make them join the stenographers
and typists union This would have been a
serious violation of the Wagner Act, which
Mr. Tobin has often praised and invoked, in
that he would have been interfering with their
right to choose their own affiliation
The magazine did t suspend however
But when the April issue came out the mail
ers' union refused to handle it and Mr. Tobin
fired the girls. This crisis occurred just at
the time of the trouble at Montgomery Ward
and, after a little public opinion had been
generated in the Indianapolis Times uncle
Dan began to negotiate An agreement was
reached in two days but the girls transferred
from the employ of the teamsters union TO
that of the printing firm which prints the
paper.
During the dispute the mailers' union ap-
pealed to the Labor Relations Board out the
board stalled for three months, and Wnen the
publicity broke, set May 5 as the Gay 0!
! hearing This now is obviated, with the girls
| mn longer in Uncle Dams employ.
| Uncle Dan gets 10000 year and, Tor his
special benefit, an amendment to the team