The potters herald. [volume] (East Liverpool, Ohio) 1899-1982, 1949-08-18
Non Connie Oath Signed ByFTA Head;
But Union Is Not On Alaska Ballot

Washington LPA) - Donald
Henderson, recently resigned pres
ident of the Food, Tobacco & Agri-
cultural Workers and now the
unions national administrative
director" last week filed a non
Communist affidavit with the Natl
Labor Relations Board, the office
of the boards general counsel dis
closed.
Henderson, long considered a
! firm follower of the Communist
party line, said that he was not a
member of the Communist party or
affiliated with that party, that he
did not believe in, did not belong
to and did not support any organ
ization that believed in or taught
the overthrow of the US govern
ment by force or illegal, unconsti-
, tutional methods.
The NLRB general counsel said
decision would be made shortly
w h h er Henderson's affidavit
would be referred to the Attorney
General for an opinion as was the
affidavit recently submitted by
Max Perlow, secretary-treasurer
of the Furniture Workers.
At that time, the NLRB itself
pointed out that it was not author
lied to investigate affidavits filed
with it. However, Perlow was re-
ported to have said that he still be-
lieved in the principles of the Com
munist party.
The general counsers office also
announced that although all of the
officers of Eta had now filed af-
fidavits that it would not be "ad-
ministratively feasible" to place
Eta on the ballot in a bargaining
election to be held August 16
among the 1,200 employees of the
Alaska Salmon Industry, Inc. The
union filed request to be includ
ed in that election along with the
affidavits of Henderson and the
rest of the officers.
Eta stopped using the facilities
of the NLRB after the Taft-Hart-
ley act was passed because its of
ficials refused to sign the nom
Communist affdavits. Early this
month Henderson resigned as pre-
sident and was succeeded by John
lisa who assumed the title of act
ing president. Henderson was then |
appointed national administrative
director.
At this point, lisa along with
Armando Valdez, secretary-trea-
surer, and Armando Ramirez and
Robert Latham, vice presidents,
filed affidavits, claiming they were
the unions sole officers. The union
asked to be included on the ballot
in the Alaska election and in two
elections to be held at the R. j.
Tobacco Co. in Green's
boro, N. c., and the Piedmont Leaf
Tobacco Co. in Winston Salem, N.
C. The latter two elections have
not yet been scheduled.
The NLRB felt that Henderson
was still an officer of the union
since there was no provision in
the FTA's constitution for a ma
tional administrative secretary,
and since the unions executive
board announced that his appoint
nent "well assures our members
Of his continued service as leader
If" the union.
Accordingly, the board ordered :
he Eta to show cause by August
; why Henderson should not file
IN affidavit as a union officer. The {
lnion asked for time extension ,
n which to prepare its reply and I
vas granted it, but the delay bar {
ed it from the Alaska ballot, the I
NLRB general counsel said.
The union asked that the cleo =,
ion be delayed, but the general I
counsel ruled that to delay the $
yoting might mean that the peak
# the salmon season would be i
missed and that many employees I
would not have an opportunity to
asst their ballots. The general {
ounsel also ruled out an Eta i
'ffer to waive notice of the voting q
n order to speed things up. AS a 1
the only union on the t
'allot will be the AFL Fish Can a
lery Workers. t
During Union Label w e k,