Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1957-05-20
AFL-CIO Council Finds
Beck Guilty, Gusts Him
Continued From First Page

issue INTO court. he naQ nlnCec
Of such q step after he was sus.
pended by the council on May q
following his resort to the Fifth
Amendment before the Senate
Committee.
Teamsters Not Asked to Act
The councils actions did moi
call on the Transfers Union tt
take any steps with regard tc
Back. Mr.. Meany pointed oul
that this was q separate matter
and comes within the scope Of
the AFL-CIO Ethical Practice:
Committee, which Is considering
charges that the Transfers ere
under the domination Of "cor.
rupt influences"
These charges are based to Q
large extent on Beck's actions
They were presented to the
union at q May 6 hearing which
was postponed until this coming
Friday. May "a, to give the
union time to answer them.
Twenty-Five members of the
council were present for the
hearing. The council normally
totals 20 members, including Mr.
Beck and AFL-CIO secretary
treasurer William S. Schnitzler
There is one vacancy because Of
q death and two members were
absent.
Mr.. Meany said the council
would probably fill the vacancy
caused by the custer Of Beck at
its meeting here this week. He
pointed out that any AFL-CIC
member in good standing can
be named to fill the vacancy.
Beck to Get Letter
After Beck left the hearing
the council spent only about 80
minutes in its council room on
the eighth floor Of the AFL-CIO
headquarters. Mr.. Meany said
there was q discussion of "vari-
Gus phases Of the case"
The councils decision was
reached after Beck had de-
parted. Mr.. Meany said he would
write q letter" notifying Beck
of his custer.
When he appeared for the
hearing. Beck insisted that he
was still vice president Of the
AFL-CIO and a member Of the
Executive Council.
The 62-year-old Teamster
leader attacked his suspension
and the charges preferred
against him on several points.
The charges, Beck told the
hearing. do not relate to NAL
feasance and maladministra-
ton as an officer of the AL
CIO. and do not relate to events
alleged to have occurred at q
time when the AFL-CIO consti-
SAsAO1 was VpCAotAVG.
A1sO Cites Indictment
In addition to pleading the
ex post facto nature Of the pro-
ceedings against him, Beck also
cited the indictment pending
against him in Washington State
on charges Of evading income
taxes.
ITO require me to answer
charges before this body which
relate In any way 70 my defense
against that indictment would
appear to violate my rights as
an American citizen Is wen as
my rights a. Q long -standina
member Of the trade union
movement" Beck said In Q state
ment released g. he entered the
closed hearing.
He also said the Select Senate
Committee Investigating Labor
Management wrongdoings still
holds him under subpoena and
added:
ANY answers to charges made
here could be readily subpoenaed
BY that committee.
Beck said the Executive Coun-
ell should revoke "its unauthor-
lied action purporting" to sus-
pend him, quash the charges
Med against him. and defer a
hearing on any charges which
might relate to his indictment
until after his trial.
Hearing Unprecedented
There was an air of quiet
drama as members Of the Execu-
tive Council assembled for the
unprecedented hearing in the
Council Room on the eighth floor
OF the AFL-CIO headquarters on
Sixteenth street.
Beck himself came bouncing
through the headquarters lobby
Just in time for the 10 O'Clock
hearing, declining repeatedly any
comment on the hearing.
He went to the eighth floor,
where the Executive Council
convened without him. When he
was called for a little later. Beck
said he had an important tele-
phone call to make and de-
scended to the lobby floor to
make the call from a pay tele-
phone booth.
He stood around talking with
two Teamsters Union attorneys,
Gerard Treanor and Fred Tobin.
while completing his telephone
conversation.
A little later Beck strobe to
the elevators. whistling a sad
and unrecognizable little tune to
himself. Symbolic or not. the
elevator which he boarded de-
scended to the subbasement
before carrying Beck back to the
eighth floor for the council
meeting.
Senate Probe Led TO Charges
The charges preferred against
Beck by Mr.. Meany we're based
largely on accusations brought
against him by the Senate COM
mittee headed by Senator Nc
Clellan. Democrat of Arkansas.
Cutting across all Of them was
the blanket charge that in in
voking the Fifth Amendment
privilege against self incrimina-