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Show THE 3 SEARCHLIGHT Union Teamsters Demand Investigation of Utah Milk Distributors Hidden Profits The hefty AFL Teamsters monkey wrench Union threw a good into the scheme of Salt Lake milk distributors to boost the price of milk to patrons in this city when its officers filed a written protest with OPA, Thursday and followed it Friday with an unfair labor charge before the Utah Labor Relations Board against the Cloverleaf Dairy. It appears from the Teamster’s letter to OPA that operational savings made by some of the distributors have been quietly pocketed while the producers have been egged on to demand a price increase before OPA. Milk drivers also were left out in the cold on savings effected in the delivery of milk to consumers. The unfair labor charge before the Utah Labor Relations Board indicates that Cloverleaf Dairy re-shuffled its delivery service, compelling its patrons to buy ery, where and making they two days milk on each deliv- its drivers formerly covered cover two routes one. alleges the Cloverleaf management The Union short-changed its drivers out of four days relief time formerly given them each month, while they operated single routes. The Searchlight welcomes the demand made by the Teamsters for an investigation of the profits made by distributors before any increase in the price of milk is made to consumers. There is more than a suspicion that profits have soared for the distributors while both producers and employees have suffered. We also suggest that the inquiry by OPA be directed toward ascertaining why Salt Lake milk has been thinned to little better than skim-milk proportions. We publish the text of the Teamsers protest: Office of Price Administration Salt Lake City, Utah Attention: Mark Greene Gentlemen: We protest the proposed price increase of milk to the general public of the Salt Lake area for the following reasons: The Distributors have made many changes. in the delivery of milk in the past few months that have been to their advantage, without pass- ing any of these savings back to the public or to their employees. Drivers are paid no higher salaries or commissions than in January, 1941, while Distribu- tors have changed from daily delivery to an every-other day delivery which has cut down the number of routes on the street to approxi mately half and forced drivers to deliver two routes instead of one, thus cutting in half former delivery costs. In several instances they have discontinued service on Sundays, which has elim- inated relief men and pay for drivers on their days off which they have previously received. Drivers are working unlimited hours with no penalty on the Distributor for overtime pay. The introduction of the two quart bottle and other containers has also widened the margin of profit to the Distributor. Credit losses which were always considered in normal times as part of the operation cost and deducted from net profits have been eliminated almost entirely, because of more rigid credit restrictions and the consumers’ ability to pay. Wages of inside production workers have not been increased to the prevailing rates for labor of this type and do not in any way compare with rates paid in creameries and condenseries in the Cache Valley and surrounding territory. With these extensive savings in delivery expenses and equipment, due to service changes, we feel, that if the producers are entitled to a raise in the price of butterfat, the general public should be protected against any unfair raise in the retail price of milk until an investigation of Distributors’ profits have been made to determine whether or not the local milk Distributors cannot absorb this proposed price increase. The Teamsters Union, representing thousands of dairy workers throughout the United States, has studied these problems and consider it their duty to speak out in defense of the public against unjustifiable: price increases. Very truly yours, TEAMSTERS LOCAL UNION NO. 222 By Fullmer H. Latter, Sec’s.-Treas. JOINT COUNCIL OF TEAMSTERS NO. 67 By A. O. May, President. |