Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1947-12-15
HUDenies TakingPar
In Contract Talks i
With Baltimore Firms
BY the Assoeioted Press

by the Associated Press
BALTIMORE, Dec. 15.-The IN
ternational Typographical Union
commended today it had never been
involved in contract negotiations
between its Baltimore local and a
group of printers and therefore
could not be guilty of unfair labor
Practices as charged by the Ma
tfonal Labor Relations Board.
The Government and the print
ing firms, known as the Graphic
Arts League, disputed this and
asked the board for an order against
a.closed shop, 'featherbedding" and
other practices they said were in
violation of the Taft-Hartley La
Dor Act.
They asked for a blanket decree
which their opponents insisted
would revoke" the entire collective
bargaining policy mapped out by
the international.
Four Briefs Submitted.
Four voluminous briefs-for the
~NLRB, the league, the ITU and its
Baltimore local-went to Trial EX-
aminer William R. Ringer today, who
will study the documents and then
make his recommendations to the
full board Mr.. Ringer heard tes-
timony in the case in Baltimore and
Washington.
His ruling will end only one phase
of the dispute-the first of its kind
arising under the Taft-Hartley Act
but which has been duplicated since
its inception in many sections of the
Nation Either side is virtually GER
tain to appeal from an adverse find
ing.
The original complaint charged
the unions with failure to bargain
collectively in good faith. 1t was
later broadened to include an accu-
.sation of coercion of the employers.
- Both ITU briefs denied the
charges and asked dismissal of the
ease.
- Defense Outlined.
- The International brief - sub
united by Washington attorneys
Henry Kaiser and Gerard Van Ar
-kel, former NLRB general counsel
pointed out that at no time did the
union refuse to meet with the league
upon request"
. Besides making at least four ma
.jor proposals, they continued, the
local offered to sign and execute a
written agreement on several occa-
-sions."
: The league brief, filed by Earle K.
Shaw and Joseph Bernstein-in-
sisted the ITU was "the only labor
organization which has openly ar
nounced defiance" of the Taft
Hartley Act.
The brief asked for an order
which would stipulate that the
union:
. /. Desist from refusing to bar
: gain collectively
- 2. Cease requiring employers to
accept the closed shop.
90. 3. Desist. from insisting upon sec
~ondary boycotts.
, Would Stop Assignment of Work.
4. Desist from requiring employ
ers to pay for work not performed
CUnion rules ban the transfer Of
mats from one shop to another un-
less in the. new shop the copy is
: again set up).
5. Cease assigning particular work
to union members rather than to
those in another organization trade
or class.
6. Cease~insisting on inclusion of
; general laws of the ITU in con-
tracts.
7. Cease coercing employ
through issuance of bulletins, in
structions or other forms of COM
r. munication. which encourage men,
bers of the unions to engage in
strikes or other concerted refusals
to work"
8. Desist from insisting and
: threatening employers, either ex-
pressly or by implication. in selec-
ton of their representatives for
=. collective bargaining.
g The league asked that the ITU
be required to publish in its journal
statement CT future" ITU policy
which would embody the provisions
Of the order.
Insists 1t Bargained.
The brief for the union local,
Baltimore No. IL. insisted through
out that the union had offered to
bargain in good faith, and just as
vigorously insisted that the local
was an-autonomous unit.
The local lis under no compulsion
to follow any directions from ITU,
the brief said, and the national
organization actually had no proper
place in the present proceedings.
The locals brief also contended
that charges had been added in the
case until the union finds itself
accused of nearly every unfair prac-
tice in the book
1t added that none of the alleged
coercive and illegal practices" COM
planned of have been substantiated
by even, scintilla of evidence in the