Evening star., 1946-11-11
|ITU Officer Threatens
To Suspend Manbeck
If Printers Stay 0ut

III IIIIG1S Juuy Vu
Jesse B. Manbeck, president of Co
lumbia Typographical Union, No.
101, today was threatened with
suspension from the International
Typographical Union If printers in
District commercial shops are alb
sent from work as a result of action
taken at a meeting of the local
yesterday.
The threat was contained in a
letter to Mr. Manbeck from Elmer
Brown, second vice president OF the
ITU, who has attempted for several
weeks to negotiate differences be-
tween printers and employers and
whose recommended wage settle
ment was rejected for the second
time by vote of union members at
yesterdays meeting. +.
Mr.. Manbeck, who announced re-
ceipt of the letter, said he would
accept the challenge"
He questioned the authority of Mr..
Brown to suspend him or any other
member of the Columbia local, but
added:
1T they are going to suspend me
for carrying out the mandaSes Of
my union, then they'll have to
suspend"
Vote Is 252 to 140.
Actions taken in yesterdays meet
ing which precipitated today's show
down in a dispute involving about
500 printers in SO commercial shops
of the District were:
/. Rejection by a vote of 252 to
140 for the second time of wage
increases for commercial shop print
ers as recommended by Mr.. Brown.
2. Resembling of request for per-
mission from ITU to take a strike
vote. And,
5. Approval Of a resolution provid-
ing that any member of the local
with established priority in q local
shop may be granted special permis-
sion by the president Of the union
(Mr. Manbeck) to accept temporary
work for not to exceed 80 days in any
local printing plant which has a
current contract with the union
without loss of priority while 50
employed"
Question Of Jurisdiction.
Mr.. Manbeck said he interpreted
these actions as meaning the with
drawal OF the wage controversy from
the jurisdiction of ITU and authori-
zation to printers in commercial
shops. upon request, to stay away
from their jobs and to seek employ
ment in other printing establish
ments having contracts with the
union.
Mr.. Browns letter to Mr.. Man.
beck said. however, the Executive
council (of ITU) does not recognize
the reported vote Of 1872 members to1
the Columbia 1ocaD as representa-.
| tive of the union
Mr.. Manbeck said the Columbia
local had about 3,4o0 members.
The letter from the international
vice president directed officers ano
members of the local ito refrain
from any nuisance acts" which
might cause work stoppages in ths
commercial shops involved.
May Be Suspended.
The communication specifically
directed Mr.. Manbeck to notify
printers that "they shall be deemed
to have engaged in illegal work
stoppages." for which they may be
suspended from I1U membership
if they absent themselves from theil
employment under the actions taken
Sunday.
Mr.. Manbeck also was directed tc
report to the ITU council the names
of any printers who do not report
! for their usual duties.
Failure of the local president to
comply with the instructions will
make him liable for suspension from
the International Typographical
Union" the Brown letter concluded.
Mr.. Manbeck said he had not re-
piled to the letter, and had no I'M
mediate intention Of answering 1t.
He questioned the authority OF
Mr.. Brown to act or speak for the
ITU Executive Council and char
acterized as "one mans opinion
the international vice president s
charge that actions taken by the
District local violated IIU regu-
lations.
Shops Almost All Manned.
Meanwhile, George P. Mallonee
spokesman for the Graphic Arts As
sociation, said the shops were
manned virtually 100 per cent
today. Thirty of the So commercial
printing concerns involved in the
present controversy are GAA men,
bers.
Mr.. Manbeck said printers in the
non member shops of GAA also
were working today. pending efforts
at settlement of the dispute.
Both he and Mr.. Mallonee ex-
planned that the shops were not OBJ
serving the Armistice Day holiday
Vary Among Shifts.
Under Mr.. Browns recommended
settlement, commercial printers
would receive hourly wages of $1.87
for day shift, 81 for night shift and
s2.094 for the third, or lobster, u
shift. This was the plan rejected
yesterday and in union referendum
last October 10.
Present scales, under the contract
which expired last August II, are
s1.529, 31.659 and $1753.
The union, according to Mr.. Man
beck, is asking for 81, $2.14 and $2.29
for a 371z hour week.
The local president also said nego-