Montana labor news., 1945-12-06
LABOR AND HELENA SCHOOL BOARD
IN THE COURT CASE OF VIOLET EASTMAN

Apfll Lfln, Ule Il6iC0d DNHOOl DOdr(
refused to renew their contract witt
Violet Eastmen TO teach in the schools
of Helena, refusing to give their rea
son for so doing, although Miss East
man was an efficient teacher and theii
is a shortage Of experienced teacher.
in the state.
Miss Eastman commenced action il
court to force the Helena Schoo
Board to reinstate her with pay for all
time lost, claiming that the Board hat
not acted according to the laws Of
Montana in recinding her contract.
On September 9th, a committee. rep
resenting the Helena Trade and Labor
Council accompanied by James D.
Graham, President of the Montana
State Federation OF Labor. Graham
being Chairman, appeared at a session
OF the Helena Board and requested the
school trustees to meet them as a col
lective bargaining committee to dis
cuss the merits Of the Eastman case,
with a view OF settling the case out
of court and presented petition sign
ed by over 900 residents of Lewis and
Clark County requesting the school
trustees to reinstate Miss Eastman as a
teacher.
Floyd Young, Actuary for Western
Life Insurance, Chairman of the School
Board laid the subject before the
trustees, motion was made and Sc
conded that the petition be accepted,
acted upon and made part Of the re-
cords, The motion was carried
A discussion took place between the
members of the Board and the Chair
man Of the committee. Mr. Young,
Chairman Of the Board stated that all
the members of the Board were not
present and that it was desirable that
all should be present before the sub
ject of reinstating Miss Eastman was
acted upon. This was discussed bymem-
bers OF the Board and Of the committee
and agreed upon.
Mr. Young stated that the Board
would hold a special meeting as soon as
all members could be present and that
the committee would be notified, in not
over two weeks when the Board would
meet with them Although the School
Board met in October, it was not until
after the meeting Of the Board on Nov
ember 18th, and after the date was
set by the court for a hearing Of the
Eastman case, that the committee was
notified that the school trustees would
meet with committee on the subject of
petitions.
The letter from the school trustees
addressed to James ID. Graham Chair
man of the comittee is dated November
10 and postmarked Sunday, November
IS, and delivered November the 10Th
The letter contained the information
that the school trustees would meet with
the Labor Committee when conven-
lent. On November 20th., the repre-
sentative of the school trustees was in
formed that the committee could meet
with the trustees on November 2lst,
or g. These dates we're not salts
factory to the School Board and the
representative Of the Board was told
that the committee would meet the
trustees on any date they agreed upon.
The date was set for November 9th,
at 8 o'clock PM, less than 48 hours
before the Eastman case would be
heard in court
When Labor's representative appear
ed at the meeting of the School Board, |
two of the trustees were absent, the
Chairman Of the Board having left the
City a few days previous and shortly
after the date for the court hearing
was set.
James D. Graham, Chairman Of the
Labor committee, opened the discussion
with the statement, that it was almost
nine weeks since the committee first
appeared before the Board requesting a |
hearing and was promised by the Board |
that they would be informed in not to
exceed two weeks wnen lne board |
would meet with the committee, but it
was dluOSL 6lRuL WSSk6 ldtSl uCAoAS
the committee was informed when to
meet the trustees and the court hearing
to commence within two days, which
left little time for discussion of the
merits Of the case. Members of the
BBoard gave excuses for the delay.
Graham then stated to the trustees
ut is my belief and conviction and the
belief and conviction of the members !
of Organized Labor in Helena, and
in Montana that this Board has dis
criminated against and victimized Vic
let Eastman when you cancelled her
contract for the reason that she was
Secretary of the Teachers Union and
a DELEGATE to the Helena Trades and
Labor Council from the Teachers IN
ion, and we are here tonight as a
committee representing Organized La
Dor of Helena to request you to con-
slider your previous action and rein
state Violet Eastman as teacher in the
al SHOPPING