Evening star., 1946-06-28
ITU Laws Issue
Thrown Out Of Case
Against Two Papers
Nv tho k..ociofsd Press

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla, June
28.-Trial Examiner Thomas S. VIII.
son ruled today that arbitration of
international Typographical Union
laws was not an issue in the Ma
tional Labor Relations Board hear
ing here on the strike by composing
room crews of two st. Petersburg
newspapers.
Mr.. Wilson ruled out of the evil
dence 19-page statement read on
the witness stand by Nelson P.
Poynter. editor of the st. Peters,
burg Times. and testimony about
her-bedding" by Stewart w.
Beckett. former member of striking
Local $50.
The examiner agreed that further
briefs might be submitted by counsel
to support the claim by the Times
and the Evening Independent that
although the strike began last No
vember 20 on the issue of wages, the
principal issue was not arbitration.
The ne" spapers were cited on
charges OF refusing to bargain COL
lectively and prolonging the strike.
If necessary, a further hearing
will be held in St. Petersburg, Mr..
Wilson said. Otherwise the points
will be argued before the NLRB in
Washington.
Testifies on Feather BEDDING"
Mr.. Beckett yesterday testified
that 'feather-bedding' was wasteful
and causes ineficiency.
The former union member testi-
fed yesterday that he was expelled
March 3 by the union for "deliber-
ate rafting without being given .
hearing. He told of his long ex-
perience in composing rooms, and
said he is employed as day foreman
by News Printing, Inc, new COM
pany jointly owned by the two news
papers to serve as their common
composing room.
Counsel said it was the first time
feather bedding" practices had
been written into the record for an
interested Government agency. Un-
der questioning by Cody Fowler.
Tampa, associate counsel with Thur
man Arnold for the publishers, Mr..
Beckett brought out these points:
That 1TU laws" permit only
journeymen printers to move type,
clean up machines and do other
menial tasks which could better be
done by unskilled labor at less cost.
That rules forbid the use Of typ
lists or Teletypesetter machines even
where there is a shortage of union
help, and requests for sufficient
union men to do the job cannot be
met.
Case Of Typists.
That typists cannot do composing
room weTk under the laws, although
they are capable of doing such work
and often do it better and faster"
than union men.
That composing room foreman
serves under union rules and any
union worker can harrass him and
threaten him with charges of viola
tions that might lead to a fine, sus-
pension Or expulsion Many union
sea lawyers" keep notes on what
they believe to be violations of
union laws by the foreman.
At the end of the fourth day of
the hearing a statement from Wood
run Randolph, Indianapolis, presi-
dent of the ITU, was made public
here in which he termed false testi-
mony that union printers refused
to set up an advertisement which
publishers sought to have printed
in an effort to obtain trained
printers
My investigation of alleged re-
fusal of our members to set an ad
for the Indianapolis Star proves the
statement false" Mr.. Randolph said.
Such action is contrary to ITU
policy
Following Mr.. Randolphs state
ment, publishers made public tele-
gram dated January 19 and signed
Indianapolis Star, w. W. White"
which stated:
Sorry printers in composing room
refuse to set News Printing, Inc, ad.
Unable to publish