Mr. BURKE. Was the business that you did with this National Surety Co., was that purely local? Mr. CONN. No; we engaged them all over the country. Mr. CONN. I believe they do; that's correct, isn't it? Mr. CAHOON. Yes. Mr. CONN. And then Mr. CAHOON. There's another element in that bond situation that caused us a lot of trouble, and I think possibly the greatest cause arises out of the exceeding eagerness of the clerk of the Superior Court of Edgecombe County to discover any technical objection that can possibly be raised to the acceptance of a bond. We have had a great deal of trouble with him. The last experience we had, we had two boys put under $1,500 bond each. He raised an objection to the use of National Surety on the technical ground that the letter which had been furnished to him by the company didn't permit the type of bond, criminal bail bond; and then we procured a local bonding company at considerable cost, $300 fee, to write these bonds; and we guaranteed that the bonds would be paid; they would never have to suffer any loss on account of it. He raised then the objection that the seal that had been imprinted on the piece of paper that the bond had been written on prior to the time that these boys were placed under bond and that the wording on that particular piece of paper didn't correspond with the type of bond we were now filing and there had to be some change in the wording. We had to go to a great deal of trouble to call a man, to send in wires and authorize men to adopt a different seal. We were willing to guarantee anybody putting up the money. The most amazing thing about the clerk's attitude was the great glee with which he would bring up these technical points. Mr. BURKE. It was just a matter of harassment? Mr. CAHOON. A matter of what? Mr. BURKE. Of harassment? Mr. CAHOON. Harassment; yes; that's all. Mr. CONN. I have, Mr. Chairman, a number of exhibits which I would simply like to incorporate by reference, which will furnish some background on this. This is a letter to the editor of the Daily Southerner regarding one of the strikers, expressing the feelings of one of the strikers regarding the strike itself. Mr. BURKE. Exhibit No. 15, without objection, will be incorporated in the record. (The document referred to was marked "Exhibit 15, November 21, 1949," and is as follows:) EXHIBIT 15 [The Southerner, Tarboro, N. C., September 30, 1949] LETTERS TO THE EDITOR THE EDITOR: I am answering your statement of a paragraph made yesterday's Southerner in Etcetera regarding our feelings about the defendants and one of our union officials going free. Well, I talked with and have mingled with them freely on the picket lines, and I believe I can truthfully say that we all feel just dandy. It saves our union bond money which we had to put up while our case is appealed. This money comes from textile workers like myself all over the country. One thing your observers don't seem to understand is that we are the union. It's all the same; we have nearly a half million members all over the country. Just a few words about the people who have gone back to work. Only a few of our 550 workers or production workers have returned; the others are just anyone the company could pick up and some others who have been laid off or fired, some who have never worked. Thank you. BESSIE H. BRADDY, Tarboro, N. C. [The Southerner, Tarboro, N. C., October 4, 1949] DEAR EDITOR: I would like to ask a few people or more how many read a column on the editor's page of another newspaper Friday, September 30. In my mind that paragraph covers a lot of ground. I will quote that paragraph: "In some instances distance is an aid to objectivity, but that has not been true in Tarboro. Too many personalities and too many strictly local issues have roles in the Edgecombe dispute to allow the New York president of the mill to rend decisions compatible with the local situation. Repeated offers of the textile union to submit the issues to arbitration, and repeated refusals of the management to arbitrate, point up the difficulties involved." I am asking you citizens of Tarboro, Can you read between the lines? You have been criticizing us the whole 42 months of this strike. You say business has been hurt, but have you done anything to try and help us bring about a settlement? It would be to your advantage as much as ours. At the time we won our election and got our contract with the company in 1945, and the first 4 months of 1948, I was making 53 cents an hour. When we did get a raise the company said, "If you do thus and so, we will raise your wages 3 to 4 cents per hour." During the war years we received 7 cents an hour, which raised my wages to 53 cents. What happened after we got the Textile Workers Union of America here? My wages were raised the first raise 12 cents an hour, so at the time of the strike I was receiving 96 cents an hour, time and a half for all over 40 hours, time and a half for five holidays a year if I worked; and we won a 1 and 2 weeks' vacation with pay in our contract. Can you blame us for sticking to our union? Who, I ask you merchants that critcize us and want us to go back to work on any conditions, who reaped the benefits of the pay raises we got through our union? You have sold us everything from homes down to pins. You have reaped the benefits, and we have become bitter over those criticisms. Why don't you give us and the Textile Workers Union a boost? Yours truly, BESSIE H. BRADDY. Mr. CONN. A full-page feature story on the life that these strikers have been leading for 5 or 6 months. Mr. BURKE. We will accept it for the files of the committee by reference in the record. (The document referred to was marked "Exhibit 16, November 21, 1949," and will be found in the files of the subcommittee.) Mr. CONN. You may want to do that with this other material, too. Two news stories from the Tarboro paper, the Southerner, where Carter has indicated he would give paid vacations to those employees who would return without a contract. These would give the committee a full picture of what is going on. Mr. WIER. I think that should be put in the record. He was offering inducements through the press. Mr. BURKE. Yes. Exhibits 17 and 18 will be included in the record, without objection. (The documents referred to were marked "Exhibits 17 and 18, November 21, 1949," and are as follows:) EXHIBITS 17 AND 18 [Daily Southerner, Tarboro, N. C., September 17, 1949] MILL QUIETER; VACATION PAY The situation at Hart cotton mill, with one or two exceptions, was just about the same this morning as yesterday. County Sheriff Bardin stated it was "much quieter this morning than it was yesterday." He added that "there was more compliance with the court order." M. W. Carter, general manager of the mill, stated that "several more workers returned to their jobs this morning." About 67 went back to work yesterday morning. Carter also announced that he is preparing vacation pay roll for those workers who have returned to work and who "qualify in the usual way." He said the money will be paid next week. "This policy will continue until further notice," he added. [Daily Southerner, Tarboro, N. C., September 22, 1949] BACK-TO-WORK LIST HITS HIGHEST POINT-CARTER DECLARES 100 EMPLOYEES REPORT FOR WORK THIS MORNING MEDIATION CONFERENCE STILL IN SESSION; SAME ISSUES BLOCK STRIKE SETTLEMENT Hart cotton mill's list of on-the-job workers, which has grown sluggishly since last Friday, reached its highest peak this morning, but a still greater number of workers continued to man picket lines in the costly strike which ends its nineteenth week at midnight. M. W. Carter, general manager of the mill, said this afternoon that 100 workers came to work this morning. On the first day of work, last Friday, 67 had returned. At the time of the strike the mill employed between 500 and 550 workers. Carter said vacation pay-roll checks already had been paid to workers who returned last week. Checks for those who have returned this week will be issued later, he added. MEDIATION There were still no reports from the labor-management conference which got under way at 11 this morning. Sponsored by the Federal Conciliation Service, the meeting is attended by Seth Brewer and Yates Hefner, of Durham, State mediation officials. At 2:30 this afternoon the meeting was still in session and a joint labormanagement conference had not developed. Union officials were grouped in one room; management representatives in another. Mediation officials were conferring with both sides in an attempt to work out a peaceful settlement. Carter said the same issues-the check-off system and the no-strike clause-were still in dispute. SHERIFF'S REPORT Meanwhile, Edgecombe County Sheriff Tom Bardin reported activity on the mill front this morning was in "pretty good shape." Capt. D. T. Lamber, commander of State Highway Patrol Troop A, again was on the scene. Bardin added that Lt. Tom Brown, member of Troop A, had been temporarily assigned here. Mr. CONN. A column by a local columnist in the Daily Southerner, exhibit 19, dealing with rumors that Tarboro may lose the Hart mills because of the strike, and Marcus Carter refusing either to confirm or deny the rumor about removing the mill. Mr. BURKE. Exhibit 19, without objection, will be accepted for inclusion in the record. (The document referred to was marked "Exhibit 19, November 21, 1949," and is as follows:) EXHIBIT 19 [Daily Southerner, Tarboro, N. C., September 29, 1949] As I SEE IT By Lewis Heilbroner Sorry to learn this morning that Luke Cherry is very sick at his home in Speed. Here's hoping him a fast recovery. The Business and Professional Women's Club's charity fund will receive the proceeds from the Peter Pan fashion show which will be staged on the night of October 7. This is a most worthy fund, and should have the support of the local folks. The fashion show last year was a big hit, and this year's promises to also be a success. The concert season opens here October 10, and it will mark the opening of a new era in Tarboro for the lovers of better entertainment. Three fine entertainments have been booked. The Tarboro Tigers step out tomorrow night in search of a second victory. This time they tackle the Enfield team, and it stacks up as a good contest. Tarboro people have already shown great interest in the local high-school gridders, and the 1,500 or so folks out at the park Friday night represented the largest crowd in a decade at a local football game. Let's keep up that kind of support. The band will be out tomorrow night to furnish music and half-time entertainment for the crowd. Rocky Mount's concert season will begin in a few days, and Tarboro memberships will admit local people to the concerts over there. Rumors are making the rounds here that Tarboro may lose the Hart cotton mills. I hope this is not true, because it would be a blow to this town that would set Tarboro's progress and economy back several years. Upon hearing the rumor for the second time, I telephoned Marcus Carter about it, seeking either a confirmation or denial of the rumor, but he was noncommittal. He did say that the recent damage at the mill did not help the situation any. He is leaving today on vacation for an indefinite time. Belated congratulations to Mr. and Mrs. Ray Kominecky on the birth of that fine daughter, born last week. Duke showed a great offense last Saturday against Richmond, but had no real test for their defense. This week against the powerful Vols of Tennessee, their defense will get the acid test. If they come through with a win, they will be a power, nationally. Carolina will have its hands full against Georgia this week end. This is always a bitter battle, with Wally Butts seeming to prefer beating Carolina to any other team on his slate, except for Georgia Tech. Tomorrow we'll have that guessing contest on the games in this column. There are some really tough ones this week, too. Mr. CONN. This is not too pertinent. I think you could include this in the file, but that's simply a comment on local reaction. Mr. BURKE. We'll accept this for inclusion in the record. Mr. McCONNELL. Mr. Chairman, I think we are getting our files a little loaded here. We don't care about all these newspaper articles that appear on the strike. If we have the main details, I think that's sufficient. Mr. BURKE. We will include exhibit 20 in the file, then, by refer ence. (The document referred to was marked "Exhibit 20, November 21, 1949," and will be found in the files of the subcommittee.) Mr. CONN. Exhibit 21 is the reply to the Governor by Marcus Carter, outlining the new issues which he injected, and his entire answer to the union's proposal for settlement by secret election. Mr. BURKE. I think this is important for inclusion in the record. Exhibit 21 will be admitted for inclusion in the record. (The document referred to was marked "Exhibit 21, November 21, 1949," and is as follows:) EXHIBIT 21 REPLY TO THE GOVERNOR, OCTOBER 8, 1949, BY MARCUS W. CARTER Hon. W. KERR SCOTT, Governor of North Carolina, Raleigh, N. C. HART COTTON MILLS, INC., Tarboro, N. C., October 8, 1949. DEAR GOVERNOR SCOTT: In accordance with our agreement we are writing to let you know what our considered judgment is with regard to the proposal which the union made to us at the time of our conference in your office on Thursday of this week. We are, of course, forwarding a copy of this letter to the union. Our understanding of the union's proposal is that an election shall be conducted by the North Carolina Department of Labor among our employees to determine whether or not they still desire to be represented by the Textile Workers Union of America, CIO; and that if the union wins in such election, it shall not only continue to be the bargaining agent of the employees but shall also immediately receive from us a contract in which we shall agree to the terms which the union has been insisting upon with respect to check-off or deduction of union dues from employees' pay and with respect to clauses pertaining to strikes and work assignments; and that, on the other hand, if the union loses the election, there shall be no contract upon any terms nor will the union continue to be bargaining agent of the employees. We have give this proposal thorough and earnest consideration from every standpoint. Our conclusions are as follows: We are willing for an election to be held among our employees. We think one should be held, for it has been 4 years since these employees have had an opportunity to vote by secret ballot as to whether they still desire this union to represent them or not. If the union won in such election, we would, of course, continue to recognize and deal with it as bargaining agent of the employees. On the other hand if the union lost in such election, we cannot say that we would thereupon cease to recognize the union nor fail to make a contract with it; for, as we understand, the Federal law controls our duty in this respect and it would seem that the suggested election, regardless of its outcome, could not relieve us of such duty. As to that part of the proposal to the effect that if the union wins in the representation election. We would then be required to accept the union's terms as to the three issues which are now in dispute, this we are not willing to do. The union undoubtedly considers that it is right in regard to these issues, but we believe just as sincerely that we are right about them. And so long as the union insists upon these provisions in a contract, we will not be able to come to agreement. We are willing, however, to enter into a contract containing all the clauses and sections which we have already agreed upon and making provision as we have heretofore insisted with respect to the three matters which remain in dispute, that is, that there shall be no check-off or deduction of union dues from employee's pay, that there shall be no strikes during the life of the contract, and that in case of changes in work assignments, earnings shall be guaranteed on an average basis. We would also insist upon effective guaranties that the people now working in our plant shall not at any time hereafter be subjected to any form of threat, intimidation, pressure, or retaliation from the union or its members. And in order to prevent any later misunderstanding, it is probably incumbent upon us to state now that we will not take back into our employment any person whom we find to have taken any direct part in assaulting officials of our company, damaging our property or feloniously assaulting other persons for working in our plant. In declining to make concession on the issues which remain in dispute between us and the union, we hope, Governor Scott, you will not overlook the fact that during our past negotiations with the union we have made numerous and broad concessions. We hope also it will not be overlooked that we offer to our employees no harsh or unfair treatment in any respect, but the very best of working conditions, under liberal and progressive policies and upon a level of wages as high as any in the textile industry. |