Evening star., 1950-02-17
IPressmen' S Local
Wins Court Battle
To Retain Charter

A Washington local of the AFI
International Printing Pressman's s
Union has won it's fight to prevent
the international from lifting its
charter.
District Court Judge Matthew
F.. Mcclure handed down a de-
cision late yesterday permanently
enjoining the international from
revoking the charter of the 1000
member Local No. l. The local
includes pressmen working for the
Government and in commercial
shops here.
The local took the case to court
in December after the interna-
tional had attempted to discipline
it for filing suit claiming for the
union nearly all of the estate of
the late George L. Berry. long
time president of the interna-
tional and former Senator from
Tennessee.
Members of Local No. l have
charged before a House investi-
eating committee that Mr.. Berry
in his 40-year tenure as president
of the international had used
union funds for his own private
business ventures. The local filed
its suit in Tennessee.
Charter Ordered Returned.
After that the international re-
voked No. is charter and at
tempted to set up new local
here. Judge MCGUIRE ordered the
charter returned and Local No.
restored in full" to it's former
status within the international.
The judge was sharply critica
OF the actions of the international
officers in disciplining the local.
THE local had an interest in
the resolution of the question as
to whether any assets Gin the
Berry estate) in which they had
a vested right had been seques-
tered or embezzled," Judge Nc
Guire said. land to expel them
from membership in the interna-
tional and to revoke their charte,
because they forced the later to
take steps to protect that right
and their own, Is to wreak upon
them vengeance violative of those
principles of natural justice OF
which we all are aware and which
need embodiment in neither code
or statute"
At another point the Judge said
referring to the Berry estate suit
"by what they did in the present
controversy the plaintiffs (the To-
cal union) indicated no repudia-
ton OF the union GnternationaD
its constitution or its bylaws and
they committed no act directed
toward it's disruption.
Right to Intervene.
"They had a right apart from
any spelled out by contract, based
on principles of natural justice
to compel the international Off
GERS to intervene (to recover al
legged union assetS) and under the
circumstances to do so themselves
and, as a consequence. the action
taken by the defendant in ex-
pelling them was not only highly
improper but illegal and void
They had pursued their remedy
within the organization, if it can
be said they had any . ="
international officers r.iusee
immediate comment on Judge Nc
Cures decision. Louis A. Lopez
president of No. 1, said he woulc
call a special meeting of the
local to explain the ruling to tht
membership.
I'VE are net gloatt..og because
we won this court case" Mr.
Lopez said. 1--WE have no hare
feelings toward any one. We fee
that we are doing the interna
tional union a real service by seek
ing to recover from the Berry
estate some of the assets which
rightfully belong to the union. We
never tried to get out of the inter-
national or of the AFL. We want
to stay where We are"