Toledo union journal. [volume] (Toledo, Ohio) 1942-current, 1944-09-15
NLRB To
L-amson
Case

An NLHD nearing Has OCClA
scheduled for Lamson's for
Sept. Is according to Larry
Steinberg, State director for
the United Retail Clerks
CIO. The hearing is to deter
mine whether or not an cleo
ton shall be held under NLRB
authority to determine the
proper bargaining agent for the
company employees.
Lamson's which has been in
process of organization for
some time under Director Stein
berg has experienced marked
upswing in recent weeks in the
number of employees who have
signed up with the CIO union.
Every effort to discourage the
store workers from becoming
members of the CIO have, in
every instance, actually stimu-
lated memberships.
Accuse Oscar Smith
Members of the CIO have
openly accused Oscar Smith,
head of the Retail Associate,
Inc. of attempting to prevent
their organization on the
grounds that his organization
acts for the store management
and that the employees are gov
erned by phoony AFL con-
tract.
Lamson employees say they
do not belong to the AFL, have
never met to ratify any contract,
do not pay dues to the union,
do not attend meetings and have
not seen any evidence that they
are represented, by the older
labor organization.
Acting through Mr.. Smiths Re
tail Associates, Inc, practically
all of the downtown Toledo de-
partment stores are covered by
similar contracts although actu-
al membership in the AFL is
negligible when compared with
the number of people employed
in these establishments.
To Show Facts
In the NLRB hearing, the CIO
expects to show that it has a
majority of Lamson employees
signed in the union and that the
employees have no knowledge
of any union contract and do
not belong to any rival labor
organization.
Based upon these and many
other established facts, the CIO
has every hope that they can
establish their claim that an
election should be held under
NLRB supervision to determine
a proper bargaining agent for
store employees. All evidence
will be produced and presented
to the hearings officer who will
come here from Washington to
listen to all sides of the case.
Following the practice of the
NLRB, the case will be referred
to the National Labor Relations
Board in Washington which will
make the final ruling based
upon the weight of the evidence
presented. This usually requires
several weeks. If the merits of
the case warrant it, and there
is every reason to believe the
Lamson case does, the Board
will order an election to be held
within 80 days of its order.
Workers Free Choice
Every opportunity will be
given the workers to make a
free choice under NLRB regula-
tions. If the Board gives a favor
able ruling, the workers will be
given an opportunity to vote for
the CIO or No Union, or, if the
AFL has a desire to place its
name on the ballot, between the
rival labor union. Whichever
side wins the election by a
majority vote is then certified
to the employer, in this case the
Lamson Co., as the bargaining
agent for the store employees.
CIO members at Lamson's are
hopeful that their election will
be granted so they can express
their choice freely. Both the
Lamsonites and CIO officials
are confident that the results
of the election will be decisive
and that they can finally secure
their own union free from the
connivery of an association and
union whose m a n purpose
seems TO have been IN nrevent