Evening star., 1950-08-20
Printers Union Opens
Annual Convention;
100 Issues Pendinq

ANAS SAASSA AAS~V4S4A04 FSS~~
cal Union opened It's 92d annual
convention here yesterday by set
ting up more than 100 issues for
debate this week, including pro-
posed changes in strike vote re-
quirements and financial assist
ance methods.
Meeting in Washington for the
first time since 1908, this Oldest
trade union in the United States
tomorrow will hear AFL Presi-
dent William Green. Senator
Morse, Republican of Oregon, and
Reuel D. Harmon of st. Paul,
Mimi, president of the union
employers section of the Printing
Industry of America.
ITU attorneys will speak at an
afternoon session devoted to the
unions attack on the Taft-Hart-
ley Act and it's differences with
Robert N. Denham, general coun-
sci for the National Labor Rela-
tions Board.
The convention will continue
daily through Friday at the May
flower Hotel, with more than 400
delegates and several hundred
other ITU members and guests.
Taft-HartIey Act Hit.
The Hartley Act, the
NLRB and Mr.. Denham were de-
nounced yesterday in the opening
address of Woodruff Randolph,
who last May was reelected for
a fourth two-year term as inter-
national president.
Mr.. Randolph also read mes
sage from President Truman re-
newing his promise to seek repeal
of the measure. The ITU, first big
union to collide with that law in
1947. has sought to cling to ira
ditional closed shop in commercial
print shops and newspapers. The
Taft-Hartley Act bars the closed
shop arrangement under which
only union members may be hired.
The ITU president asserted that
o shameless and brazen combi-
nation continues" between Mr..
Denham and employer associa-
tons
He said "the constant harping
by the American Newspaper
Publishers Association appears
to have induced the NLRB to
give Denham a new opportunity
to wage his destructive war
against the union" He referred
to the boards instruction that
Mr.. Denham seek a court order
to enforce a board decision re-
quiring the ITU to drop any ef-
forts to obtain closed shop agree
mentS-
Vigorous Debates Planned.
The TITUS principal parties
the Progressives and the Inde-
pendents-see eye to eye on those
general policies. But their spokes-
men yesterday showed that many
specific issues and methods will
be vigorously debated this week
President Randolph Is identified
with the ProgreSsives.
A list Of ia proposed policy
changes or resolutions was sub
nitted to the various committees
yesterday. and more may be filed
before the $50 pm. deadline to-
morrow. - -
The laws COMMITTEES, with the
support of the Randolph admin
istration. has presented 10. About
80 Of the others, offered by indi-
vidual delegates or locals, were
put in by Jesse B. Manbeck, for
mer president of Columbia Typo
graphical Union No. 101, here.
An administration proposal
would have locals decide strike
action by votes of simple major
tty instead of three-fourths of the
membership after the executive
council gave strike authorization.
The suggested provision also would
apply to voting on proposed
changes in wage scales.
Mr.. Randolph said the major
ity vote proposal would merely
put the procedure in line" with a
present practice whereby members
of locals decide by majority vote
on settlement of strikes. Several
other members said privately that
they would oppose the proposition
because they regarded it as "an-
other move in a trend away from
long-standing policy and labor
philosophy of the ITU."
Minority Fund Report.
A debate concerning unior
funds also is in prospect, Presi.
dent Randolph disclosed. One oi
the three members of the unions
board of auditors has filed notice
that he will submit a minority re-
port this week ION the way we
count the funds spent for special
assistance to local unions"
officers and various delegates
declared they knew nothing of the
nature of the impending report
Mr.. Randolph said he welcomed
any such report and was confident
that auditing and financial assist
ance methods were businesslike
and would be upheld by the con.
vention.
In the only floor discussion yes
terday Mr.. Randolph won a test oi
strength. Several members OBJ
jected to his appointment of ar
appeals committee. They con-
tended it would be more demo-
cratic" if that seven n-member com.
mittee were nominated and elected
from the floor.
On a voice vote Mr.. Randolph
ruled that a majority supported
his right to appoint that key COM
mittee.
The convention was opened by
William Field, a Government
VI AZ lHgf IA al