Evening star., 1949-12-14
Court Action Expected
Today in Pressmen's S
Fight 10 Keep Charter
By jones Y. Newton

Dy JOHeS !. I\SWtOH
District Court action was ex-
pected today in the fight of Wash
ington Local No. l to prevent re-
vocation of It's charter by the AF'L
International Printing Pressmen'S
Union.
Attorneys for the 1,000-member
local, a leader in the dispute over
the estate of the late George L.
Berry, long time international
president, were set to ask the court
for a restraining order and in
junction to prevent lifting of the
charter.
Louis A. Lopez, president of
Local /, oldest local in the Press
mems union, said that two inter-
national vice presidents entered
the locals office in the Carpenters
Building, Tenth and K streets
NV, late yesterday in an effort
to take over the books and records
of the local. Mr.. Lopez said he
refused to give up possession of the
Office and the two officers, Charles
Ernest and A. j. De Andrade, went
away.
Probe May Be Reopened.
Local. No. is charter was re-
voked by the Internationars
Board of Directors for alleged
violation of bylaws involved in a
suit filed against the estate of Mr..
Berry in October. Two members
of the local participated in the
suit. The court action was under
taken in an effort to recover most
of the Berry estate for the unions
membership.
The tangled financial affairs of
Mrs. Berry were investigated by a
House Labor Subcommittee last
summer. 1t was testified that Mr..
Berry in his long tenure as presi-
dent of the international made
free use of union funds for pri-
vate business ventures.
Representative Jacobs. Demo-
crat, of Indiana, said that in view
of the action against Local No. l
he will try to have the inquiry
reopened at the coming session of
Congress. Mr.. Jacobs was chair
man Of the investigating subcom-
mittee.
Newark Charter Revoked.
The charter of the Newark,
N. j., local, which has TOO mem
bers, also was revoked yesterday
by the unions international board.
The Newark local joined No. l
in the fight to take over part of
the Berry estate for the union.
The two locals, together with
other unnamed groups, estab-
lished a National Policy Commit
tee to press their claims in court.
Local l represents pressmen at
the Government Printing Office,
Bureau of Engraving and Print
ing and commercial shops here.
After revoking the charter of
No. /, the international set up a
new union known as No. la, and
gave the old locals pressman 80
days to join it. If they fail to &C
cept the invitation, presumably
their union cards will be lifted.
Repeated Violations Charged.
j. H. De La Rosa, international
president, said No. l and the
Newark local were ousted because
of repeated violations of the
unions constitution. He said that
such violations continued, al
though the union officers invited
inspection of their records.
Mr.. De La Rosa said officers of
the local refused to look at the
facts and instead embarked upon
a program to have other local
unions assist them in filing a suit"
Mr.. De La Rosa declared that
the rights of union members have
been protected by a suit which
the international has filed against
the Berry estate and which "was
and is being prosecuted vigor-
ously."
Louis A. Lopez, No. l president,
told reporters that the interna-
tional gave the locals an ulti-
matum in New York last Friday.
He said it was this: That they
withdraw the suit against the
Berry estate and issue a statement
praising the present international