Salt Lake Telegram | 1937-07-19 | Page 13 | Board Hearing in Dairy Labor Dispute Opens

BOARD HEARING IN DAIRY LABOR DISPUTE OPENS Employes Examined by Council Upon Coercion Claim Operator! and labor lined up againit each other for the first time Monday under the Utah labor relation! rela-tion! law aa the atate labor relations board heard the first witnesses examined ex-amined in a case against the Clover Leaf-Harris Dairy company. Two emgloyes of the company were examined by counsel during the morning, and the hearing continued con-tinued on into the afternoon. William Wil-liam M. Knerr, chairman of the board, presided as trial examiner, with B. D. Nebeker and O. F. Mc-Shane, Mc-Shane, other members, assisting in bearing the case. Members of the board moved ca,u- tiously as the trial opened, and Chairman Knerr asked newspaper men not to attend, In "keeping with a national labor relations board policy." However, reporters were not prevented from remaining. Coercion Charged The dairy company is charged with "restraining and coercing" its employes into joining a "company union" in the complaint, which was issued by the state board upon request re-quest of the International Brotherhood Brother-hood of Teamsters, Chauffeurs. Stablemen Sta-blemen and Helpers of America. A defense move to have the labor counsel. Clarence M. Beck, amend the original complaint to list specifically spe-cifically those persons accused of coercing the employes and to list those coerced was denied by the state board. Roy D. Thatcher, Ogden, counsel for the dairy, sought the amendment amend-ment on' the grounds the present complaint was "misleading and ague." In denying the motion. Commissioner Commis-sioner Knerr stipulated Mr. Beck must furnish the names desired in a bill of particulars. Shotgun' marge "Although, admitting the complaint com-plaint was somewhat of a 'shotgun charge.'" Mr. Beck resisted the defense de-fense move on the ground it placed "employes in a precarious position." A defense motion for dismissal also waa denied. J. Van Rowley, who said he was a bargaining agent for the Clover Leaf-Harris Dairy union, was the first witness examined end steadfastly stead-fastly denied he had been urged to join the organisation by any of the officials of the dairy. "I joined the union because I thought it was a good thing," Mr. Rowley answered. He further testified than Frank J. Callagber, manager at the dairy plant expressed "surprise" when approached with terms for a contract con-tract "apparently not knowing that a company union had been formed." Methods of naming officers and members of the union bargaining committee was stacked by Mr. Beck. Rowley testified the elections had been made in an open vote and that he did not know who had counted the ballots. "In other words, you are just assuming as-suming you were elected and that you should present grievances to the company." Mr. Beck asked. "I supposed I had authority," Mr. Rowley answered D. R. Miller, who said he had been an employe of the dairy company com-pany for eight years, waa the second witness called to testify. He also testified that he had not been asked to join the company union by any of the dairy officials, but said A. Pratt Kesler, a local attorney, had attended the meeting at which the union was organized. He said he did not know why Mr. Kesler was there. Later he told the board he had conversed with Orson Johnson, a company foreman, on hia activitiea In the complaining union, of which he formerly waa a member. "Mr. Johnson asked me If I thought the union (International Brotherhood of Teamsters. Chauffeurs. Chauf-feurs. Stablemen and Helpers) was worth while," Mr. Miller testified.