Evening star., 1946-10-06
Printers Local Votes
Against Acceptance
OF Proposed Contract

Six hundred Columbia Typograph-
ical Union printers last night
adopted a resolution asking MEM
bers to vote down a new. contract
agreement urged by an International
Typographical Union representative,
Columbia President Jesse B. Nam
beck said.
The question of whether the union
will accept the agreement reached
between Vice President Elmer
Brown of the ITU and the Graphic
Arts Association will be put to q
referendum of all 5000 members
of the local next Thursday.
The union members almost
unanimously" voted for a resolu-
ton urging all members to turn
down the Brown proposition for set
tlement of the contract dispute that
has dragged almost three months,
MIR. Manbeck reported.
Confidence Voted.
"They also gave vote of conf
dence to their president and to the
1916 Book and Job Scale Commit
tee," he added. The Scale Commit
tee has supported Mr.. Manbeck in
opposition Of the agreement signed
by Mr.. Brown and the Graphic Arts
Association.
Beginning at midnight Wednes-
day, the unions 500 commercial
printers, for whom the contract is
being negotiated, will join 600 news
paper printers and 1900 Government
Printing ONCE employees in voting
acceptance or rejection of the
Brown-GAA agreement.
Mr.. Brown was called into the
picture last month when the local
Scale Committee and the GAA sew
cred negotiations over jurisdic-
ticnal clause. When Mr.. Brown re-
sumed negotiations with GAA, as
Stunning all responsibility for the
settlement under ITU law, the dis
puted clause was amended to
satisfy the employers.
Then they agreed on what Mr..
Brown has told the union member
ship is "the largest increase ever
negotiated for Columbia Typograph-
ical Union No. 101." The agree
ment calls for a 20 per cent increase,
boosting the hourly scale from $1.53
to $1.87 for 371a hour week. The
pay would be retroactive to Au-
gust IL.
Mr.. Brown told members 'to give
careful and thoughtful considera-
tion to this agreement. Acceptance
means back pay, an ITU-approved
contract and very substantial
raise in pay.
Strike Benefits Secuted.
"A strike, if granted by the ITU
executive council. could produce
little, If any, further increase, and
might result in permanent disrup-
tion of harmonious relations with
many employers" he said.
"Your vice president could not
Justify a recommendation that the
executive council grant strike sane
ton in face of the gains peacefully
negotiated"
Mr.. Brown said approval of the
agreement meant an immediate in
crease in pay from $57.35 to $70.13,
with back pay.
Should the union vote for the pro-
posal, it would Immediately replace
the old contract that expired in
August. Should it vote against it,
the situation again would be thrown
into a stalenlate, with an TIU repre-
sentative attempting to negotiate a
settlement with the GAA.
The union membership already
has voted to ask the ITU for per-
mission to take a strike vote. This
must be sanctioned by the ITU four
man Executive Committee, of which
Mr.. Brown Is % member.
Voting on the Brown-GAA pro-
posal will start at 10 union chapels
midnight Wednesday and continue
until pm. Thursday. The ballots
will be counted Thursday evening,
beginning at pm.
The referendum gives 1000 print
ers of the Government Printing
Ofice a chance to vote. They do
not have a contract with the Gov
ernment, but work by an agree
ment which reopens October IS,
when they will ask the Govern
ment printer for $2.25 an hour.