Evening star., 1948-05-07
Loyalty Issue
AT Agriculture
Cafeteria Raised
Welfare Association -
To Discuss Whether
To Follow GSI Lead

Directors Of the Agriculture De-
partments Welfare Association will
discuss next Friday the question
whether the approximately 200 en-
ployes Of cafeterias in Agriculture's
buildings should be required to take
loyalty oaths
This developed today after 1t be-
came known that the $500 employees
Of Government Services, Inc, must
sign loyalty oaths by May Is or lose
their jobs.
The loyalty oath order has beer
issued to Maj. Gen. U. S. Grant, III
GSI president, by Maj. Gen. Philip
B. Fleming, Federal Works Admin
strator. GSI operates cafeterias in
AZ Federal Buildings, and Gen
Fleming represents the Government
in dealing with the non-proflt
corporation.
1t was explained that GSI work
ers are quasi-Government employees
and that Gen. Fleming felt that as
landlord an oath was the minimum
assurance ne should require of the
loyalty of the cafeteria workers. It
was explained they work in Govern
ment buildings and mingle with
Government employees.
Members Of Same Local.
The Agriculture Department cafe
terias are not operated by GSI, but
by the Welfare Association, a cor
poration owned by Agriculture De-
partment workers. Workers in Agri-
cultures cafeterias are members of
Local All (CIO) United Cafeteria
Workers. as are GSI employees.
Frank H. Spencer, president of
the Welfare Association, said the
organizations directors will have to
consider the question of loyalty
oaths for Agriculture's cafeteria
workers since Gen. Fleming has
taken his action.
The cafeteria workers in Agricul-
ture did not strike last January
when GSI employees struck. Mr..
Spencer said that while 6la cents
an-hour increase was granted the
workers at the beginning of the
year, there is no contract with the
union. Operations are on a gen
tleman's agreement" basis, he said.
Paraphrase Of Regular Oath.
The oath to be asked of GSI work
ers is a paraphrase of the regular
Civil Service oath and affidavit all
Government employees have sub
scribed to for years. 1t pledges
loyalty to the Government and that
the employe does not advocate nor
does he belong to a political party
advocating the overthrow of the
Government by force.
Any GSI employe who fails to
sign the oath by Saturday of next
week, Gen. Fleming decreed, will be
denied entrance to work in any
Federal building.
Gen. Grant said GSI has con-
templated requiring loyalty pledges
on its own, but that the move was
postponed until union difflculties"
with Local All, United Cafeteria
Workers (CIO) were Strengthened
out completely.
j. Z. NelhuSs,~ GS1 personnel chief,
who will supervise the loyalty pro-
gram, said forms will begin to 60
out to workers Monday. He said he
felt certain the program could be
completed during the week. All
the corporations workers-regard-
less Of whether they work in Fed
eral buildings-will be required to
sign the oath.
Held Of No Concern to Union.
Gen. Fleming said his authorize
ton for issuing the order was under
terms Of the agreement between
the Government and GSI."
Mr. NeihuSs said the loyalty pro-
gram is an administrative matter
that does not concern in any way"
the Cafeteria Workers Union. Off
cials Of the local union, which con-
cluded an 11-week strike against
GS1 on March %, already have
signed loyalty pledges in COM
pliance with the Taft-Hartley labor
law. officials of the United Public
Workers of America, the parent
union. have not