Evening star., 1948-01-02
!611-Cent Raise
Granted by GS|;
Stand Outlined
Company Says Union
Must Clarity Position
On Communist Churqe

Government Services, Inc, to-
day announced 6a-cent-an-
hour pay increase effective i'm
mediately.
GSI, in a letter to the press, OUT
lined its position in the dispute
with the CIO Cafeteria Workers
Union.
The unions failure to furnish
non-Communist affidavits and f.
nancial statement as required by
the Taft-Hartley Act has caused
complete breakdown in GSI,s
negotiations with the union, which
is asking Is cents an hour in
creases, the GSI statement said.
The union has scheduled strike in
all GSI cafeterias for Monday.
Maj. Gen. U. S. Grant III. presi.
dent of GSI, said the corporation
had heard charges that the United
Public Workers of America, with
which the cafeteria workers are af-
lis Communist = inspired
and We think it is our duty to
have this matter clarified before
contracting for employment exclu-
sively within Government build
ings."
Union SCOTS at Raise.
Gen. Grant said employees were
Informed today that the company
had mo wish to see them suffer
because of the failure of union off,
cials" and therefore was granting
them a raise.
This increase was designed to
offset the increase in the cost Of
living, and the giving of this
amount has been under considera-
ton since the latter part of No
vember," Gen. Grant declared. He
said request for approval of this
amount had been made to the Fed
eral Works Agency on November 81.
Informed of GSI's action, union
officials declared the pay boost will
not do GSI any good-it won't en-
tice our members away from the
union"
"GSI will find out on Monday how
our members feel about the situa-
tion,' union official declared. He
disclosed that the union had signed
new contract with the National
Food Corp, which gives 61a cents an
hour raises to cafeteria employees in
18 MFG operated cafeterias and
snack bars in the Pentagon.
Phony Issue Charged.
The fact that MFG signed with
out requiring the Communist
affidavit shows that GSI is raising
a phony issue in it's drive to destroy
the union" the official said.
In stating GSI's position, Gen.
Grant said the n-Communist af-
fidavit requirement under the Taft
Hartley Act becomes particularly
significant when applied to union
attempting to represent employees
working in Federal buildings"
With the present emphasis being
placed on the loyalty of the Gov
ernment's own employees, it seems
not only incongruous but peculiar
that these union officials should re-
fuse to sign such affidavits," Gen.
Grant continued
Cannot Understand Attitude.
I'VE cannot understand why the
officials of the UPWA, which claims
to represent Federal employees, have
not filed non-Communist affidavits
and have not insisted that its local
union officials do likewise" he
added.
Explaining why GSI is insistent
that the affidavit be signed by the
union before negotiations can get
under way. Gen. Grant said:
IAN unqualified union cannot
utilize the services of the National
Labor Relations Board in solving
labor relations problems. Thus.
when it fancies itself injured, all
it can do is call a strike This
would place Government Services,
Inc, in an intolerable position when
it is considered that its service to
Federal employees would be in con-
stant jeopardy of interruption.
Moreover, it would be unfair for
our employees to have to resort to
a strike instead of utilizing NLRB's
orderly procedures"
Fears Jurisdictional Strikes.
Gen. Grant also said ''it was
known that other labor unions are
interested in organizing GSI en-
ployes. BY signing a contract with
an unqualified union, GSI would be
sitting duck for raids by COM
peting qualified unions. Thus the
corporation might be placed in the
anomalous position of holding a
contract with one union and being
forced to deal Nth another union.
Jurisdictional strikes would be a
distinct possibility
Gen Grant said the company has
real doubt that the union has
the majority of its employees"
The union claims nearly 100 per
cent" membership among eligible
GSI workers. Union officials assert
the question of wage increases is
the only issue involved" declaring
that the average take-home pay
of GSI employees is s21.90 weekly.
Compromise Failure Recalled.
Gen. Grant, referring to a COM
promise agreement reached last
year by company and union and
which was then rejected by men,
bership, said: The corporation
strongly suspected that this ma
neuver which overturned the CON-
promise agreement was Matched in
the upper hierarchy of UPWA,
because local union officials were
satisfied at the time they accepted
it,
GSI employees went out on strike
last January, and subsequently the
unions wage demands were submit
ted to arbitration, which granted
the employees a larger wage increase
than had previously been offered.
4 ~, T~ankfe Game S&aion