Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1957-10-23
Wage Farley
Sham Told at
Labor Probe
Negotiation Asked
After Pact Signing.
Union Aide Soys
BY CECIL HOLLAND

Bakers Union teStified today he
was asked TO set up a sham"
committee to negotiate a con-
tract with the Morton Frozen
Food Co. Of Webster City. Iowa,
after q contract already had
been signed.
Merle Smith OF Chattanooga,
Tenn. the union official. said
the contract had been nego-
tiated and signed by the unions
top officials and q representa-
tive Of the Continental Baking
Co.. parent company Of the
Morton firm. He added that
workers were never fully in
formed Of provisions Of the
contract.
Mr.. Smith gave the testimony
before the Select Senate Com
mittee investigating improper
labor management relations.
The committee is now looking
into possible collision between
employers and union officials.
Senator Mcclellan. Democrat
of Arkansas, the committee
chairman, said there was per
fectly plain evidence OF collu-
sion" between the Morton COM
pany and the Bakers Union.
Disgust" at Contract
Mr.. Smith. who was in
charge Of the organizing drive
at the Morton plant. said his
attitude was one OF disgust
and disappointment" when he
received the contract. and that
II almost blew my top"
The union ofiicial asSailed
the contract as substandard
and failing to take into con-
sideration some demands the
worker has been discussing.
Senator Mcnamara, Demo-
crat OF Michigan. said there
was every reason for the COM
mittee Ito be suspicious" that
the 1856 agreement was "a
sweetheart contract" He asked
Mr.. Smith II he agreed and the
witness replied:
That's right"
Senator Mcnamara said
workers were being cheated"
by such procedures in negotiat-
ing contracts. He added that
out Of the committees findings
legislation may be born giving
workers the right to pass on
contracts.
Senator Curtis. Republican OF
Nebraska, said that "even more
shocking than corruption was
the fact that workers have NO
rights" and were "pawns" In
such matters.
Seheiferman Role
Mr.. Smith also testified that
the company supplied a list
of officers for the Bakers local
which included one man who
had led an antiunion move
against another union some
months earlier.
The witness revealed more
about the strange role Of Ma
than Shefferman and his firm
Labor Relations Associates OF
Chicago. in the Morton labor
negotiations. The COMMITTEES
received testimony yesterday
that the Shefferman outfit
helped the company keep down
an organizing move by the
United Packinghouse Workers
and then turned down and
helped sweeten the attitude OF
the workers toward the bakers,
Mr.. Smith said that a Shelf
ferman representative suggest
ed the formation Of a sham
committee to negotiate with
the Morton company after q
contract had already been
signed. He added that he re-
fused to do this.
Mr.. Smith testified that he
did not know whether James
c. Cross. president Of the
Bakers international. knew
about the Shefferman role in
the organizing drive. But as
president Of the union. the
witness said. "he should have
known"
Cross, also a witness, pro-
fessed to have no direct knowl-
edge Of the part Of the Sheffer-
man firm in the organizing eff
fort.
II never discussed anything
with Mr.. Shefferman in my
life." Cross said.
Questioned on Call
Committee Counsel Robert
F. Kennedy said Shefferman's
ONCE called Cross on October
10. 1866. at 1924 pm. at his
home in nearby Bethesda. Md.
Continued on Page As, Col. I