Evening star., 1946-10-01
Pittsburgh Power Firm
Backed Independent
Union 10 Combat CI0
By Hermon Schoden
Sior Stuff CORRESPONDENT

4
| By Herman Schaden
Siar Stuff Correspondent
PITTSBURGH, Oct. 1.-The in
. dependent power workers union
whose striking $500 members have
revolutionized life for 10000
Pittsburgh area residents, once was
regarded as q company sponsored
organization.
4 Labor leaders say the Duquesne
Light Co. union was born with the
sanction of management anxious to
combat CIo foothold in the utili-
ties company.
The upshot was bitter jurisdic-
tional fight, with the CIO charging
the company with unfair labor
practices, to which the Pennsyl-
yania Labor Relations Board at first
agreed. Later, in an unprecedented
decision, the board reversed itself.
Out of the 80 independent union
organizers came George L. Mueller, :,
an unknown in labor circles. First
he was vice president; two years
later he was president and today he
is the immovable object in the path
to settling the eight-day power
strike.
Union Has Had Many Battles.
Mr.. Mueller's evolution has COM
plemented that of the union. Now,
with a vast industrial center Grip
pied by shortage OF electricity, he
| is regarded as the one man who can
end the strike.
The unions brief life has been
marked with jurisdictional disputes
with the CIO and AFL, tiffs with
the city government, strikes and
threats of strikes, and battles Tor
collective bargaining rights.
The struggle for recognition al
ways found Mr.. Mueller in the fore
ground until he became synony-
nous with the unions growth.
Organized in April, 1887, the union
began angling for sole bargaining
rights two months later. 1t warned
that the United Electrical and Radio
Workers (CIO) were preparing a
major campaign. The CIO had sue
ceeded only in organizing employees
at the Colfax power plant.
Regional Board Upheld.
IJnholding the regional board, the
National Labor Relations Board
ruled it had no authority to sponsor
an election because the company was
not engaged in interstate commerce.
At the same time, the union ap-
piled for a charter and was turned
down by Common Pleas Court Judge
Ralph H. Smith pending the NLRB
decision.
Before the years end, the CLIO
union had filed unfair" charges
against the company before the
State Labor Relations Board. 1t
argued the company had fostered the
independent union and had fur
nished company cars for organiza-
ton work.
Company Ordered TO Desist.
Mr.. Mueller, now g. leading spokes-
man for the independents, told the
board there was far more unrest
among the employees since the CIO
was granted a contract at the Col
fax plant.
On April 20, 1888. Harry H. Meizlek,
State board trial examiner, ruled the
company had engaged in unfair
labor practices and ordered 1t to
desist from restraining and coerc-
ing employees in exercise OF their
rights to self organization and to
bargain collectively"
Three months later, union Attor-
ney Nicholas Unkovic reopened the
case, asking that charges be dis
missed since the complaining CIO
union had been absorbed by the
Utility Workers Organizing Commit
tee (CIO).
Company Offered 1900 Witnesses.
When the new CIO union took up
the fight, the company union pa
raded 1900 of its then 1886 mem
bers before the board to testify they
were not influenced or coerced in
their decision to join the union.
The drawn-out hearing finally
ended August %, 1899, as the State
board reversed itself and ruled the
company had not interfered with
its employees union activities.
On May 8, 1910, the employees
voted the independent union as
their collective bargaining agent by
a tally of 1915 to SIS. Later that
month, the union was awarded q
charter, once denied by the Court
of Appeals.
Mueller Pledged to Continue Work.
On June 8, 1941, the CIO con-
tingent at the Colfax plant threat
ened to strike for the right to bar
gain with the company. Now presi-
dent of the Independent group. Mr..
Mueller said:
We'll make sure there is no in
terruption OF service. Well go
through picket lines first
He called the CIO gesture "one-
man proposition" headed by C1O
Union President u. s. Lusk.
Later that month, as the jurisdic-
tional strife continued, the Defense
Mediation Board set up three
man panel to hear the dispute. The
42-man committee of the independ-
ent union refused to appear.
During September, 1941, Mr.. Muel-
ler's union picketed construction
work at $5,OO0,000 Curtis Wright
propeller plant near Pittsburgh for
II days. The dispute was over re-
fusal of AFL unions to contenance
Duquesne Co. union electricians.
Cut Power in Dispute.
On another occasion, independent
,,r,i.,, r,inkntS r,narchad in front of