A letter from a member of Local 802, International Hod Carriers' Building and Common Laborers' Union of America, Wilmington, Calif., in calling for an investigation of wholesale embezzlement and theft from the union treasury poses the following questions: "Ask Lafe McClain, financial secretary-treasurer of Local No. 802, what became of all the money that has been collected from members of Local No. 802 for political assessments for the past 10 years. See if he can give you an accounting of this money. It amounted from $25 to $50,000 at least." "Ask Lafe McClain what became of the thousands of dollars collected on permits that were issued to schoolboys who were working during their vacation and also other permits. Ask him for an accounting of this money. Ask him for the record for all this money" (letter No. 37, October 1953).

A Teamster Union member (freight and general drivers) from San Jose, Calif. writes, "I don't know if you are aware that the majority of the members of our Teamsters Union Local 287, AFL here in San Jose, Calif., would welcome an investigation here immediately, as it appears such action is necessary. There has been quite a bit of larceny in several of our larger unions here in the last few years*** and the rumors are going around about No. 287 again" (letter No. 34, November 1953).

A Los Angeles citizens cites an example of "AFL Gangsterism" in that city wherein an AFL local took over a 16 millimeter movie projection service and forced the Community Chest to submit to their contract. The business agent of the union is quoted as saying, "They were taking over the contract completely and if the Community Chest did not sign with them they would be forced to advise all AFL membership that the Chest was not cooperating." He is further quoted as saying, "We control our men, if they don't do what we say they don't eat." The letter continues, "Local 150-without any 16 millimeter charteris still engaged in private business, operating a 16 millimeter projection service from their union offices in violation of State and Federal laws. Communism, dictatorship, gangsterism, unionism—indeed a rose by any other name" (letter No. 15, October 1953).

A New York member of the Brewery Union writes, "* * * it isn't the workers who want to strike. In most cases or in all cases it is the union leaders mistakenly called labor leaders. I know * * * how these Reds and racketeers work. Two years ago we were out 4 months and received $15 a week for 5 weeks and 2 months unemployment checks and I had to picket in order to get that $75 for 4 months. Of course it will take me 15 years to make up my months' losses" (letter No. 16, November 1953).

A Cleveland A. F. of L. labor union member writes, "I have been in organized labor for over 15 years and still believe in unions. But I know the rank and file in Cleveland are very much disgusted with their leaders in Cleveland. We have ex-convicts at the head of some of our locals. The rank and file voted against every one endorsed by the leaders we would welcome an investi

gation" (letter No. 20, September 1953).

A Harrison, Mich. labor man writes, "* * I know as a laboring man that there is nothing rottener than the labor rackets of this country" (letter No. 23, November 1953).

An Ecorse, Mich. union member writes, "I am writing to let you know that we, the decent respectable union men, approve the investigation of corrupt unionism. It seems most of these unions are controlled by self-created dictators who don't believe in elections" (letter No. 26, December 1953).

A Flint, Mich. member of the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers appeals for a congressional investigation to correct a labor racket in a letter, in which he says, in part, **Mr. Favell (international representative) has placed an additional fee of $2 per week, or $8 per month, on the members, known as working dues. This action was done without a vote by the membership. He calls it working dues but it is actually 'doby' or money paid for a working permit. Money paid for the right to work. During the past 18 months Mr. Favell has collected roughly $175,000 by this method. * ** For almost a year Mr. Favell refused to issue a financial statement to the members * * *" (letter No. 29, November 1953).

A labor man from Flint, Mich. writes, "There has been a lot of racket labor stuff going on in Flint, I know in factories and outside work ***" (letter No. 28, December 1953).

An AFL union member from Detroit writes, "I have read recently about your committee investigating the A. F. of L. insurance racket. Maybe through your committee you can find out ** * when they (an employee) quit

do they (the union) pocket all this money that's been paid and destroy the employees record?" (letter No. 2, November 1953).

A disgusted Detroit UAW-CIO union member says, "The dues paying members of Detroit owe you a vote of thanks for your exposé of graft and corruption. If you will check *** you may discover the source of ReutherMazy-Gosser political slush fund" (letter No. 6, November 1953).

An official of a UAW-CIO local in Detroit writes, "We are asking that you do everything within your power to conduct an investigation in this region" (letter No. 8, December 1953).

A window cleaner in Detroit says, "I tried to get in the union, but they refused to admit me. While working in May 1953, a union goon squad came by and took me to the union office where I was told * * * if I did not shut up they would throw me out of a window" (letter No. 3, November 1953).

A self-employed refrigeration service man and his wife write from Detroit, "Last winter the AFL put on a campaign to force the contractors association to join their union. They have no refrigeration group, but insisted they join pipefitters local No. 636, located at 6517 Grand River Avenue, Detroit * a couple of months ago a Charles Mowat, business representative of the pipefitters local, called. I told him we had no employees that we were self-employed, and the union could offer us nothing of benefit. He was courteous enough, although he remarked that 'we could be put out of business the same as anybody else they decided to stop'. Their contention is that, because my husband is classed as a contractor, he has no right to do any work himself; he is supposed to sit and twiddle his thumbs, and hire AFL men to do the work" (letter No. 1, July 1953).

A Detroit contractor writes, "Starting November 14, 1951, Local Union No. 58, International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (AFL) has collected from contractors employing electricians a payment of 5 cents per hour worked per employee for a group insurance program. This payment was required to be paid on all men working under a temporary permit issued by the local union as well as on all card carrying members; however the men working under temporary permit were not protected by this insurance. The factor that makes this matter significant is that there are reputedly more men working under temporary permits than there are regular members of the local union (letter No. 4, November 1953).

A Detroit electrical contractor writes, "When you are in Detroit investigating labor rackets, it would be well to investigate the Electricians' and Plumbers' Unions, which control all labor and industry in these trades" (letter No. 7, September 1953).

A Detroit small businessman writes, "What chance has a small businessman got against these powerful unions?" (letter No. 5, November 1953).

An attorney representing 1,146 dues-paying members of Teamsters Local No. 614 (general drivers) of Pontiac, Mich. writes as follows: "The situation that exists in the Teamsters Local No. 614, Pontiac, Mich., is only a sample of the tyrannical authority that James Hoffa and his agents exert over many other Teamsters locals throughout the Middle West. This is a deplorable situation and demands the attention of the Members of Congress, without further delay, to protect such workers in the pursuit of their employment, free from threats of loss of their jobs, personal intimidation to themselves and their families and other forms of duress, unless they abide by the extortion and racketeering of their officers who perpetuate themselves in office" (letter No. 9, December 1953).

A Colon, Mich., citizen writes about a situation where his brother's employees were approached by the union in an effort to organize them. A vote was held and the employees rejected the union. His letter states, "He told the union he would not force his workers to join when they did not want to. 'Well, then, you pay their union dues to us and we will let them enter the freight yards even though they do not join.' And that is what he has been doing. Paying a racketeering fee in order to stay in business. Service rendered for this fee *** absolutely nothing" (letter No. 22, September 1953).

A union member from Boyne Falls, Mich., who was forced to join the International Hod Carriers, Building & Common Laborers' Union, has this to say, “I did not receive the union wages as agreed and took it up with the steward on the job, he stated that I would get my back pay. I never got it and I took it up with the Union located at 821 15th Street NW., Washington, D.C. Their reply was that I had not belonged to the union. Later the business agent, R. W. Barrett of

Route 1, Grawn, Mich., came here and offered me my dues and fees back * * *” (letter No. 38, December 30, 1953).

A letter received from a citizen of Mount Clemens, Mich., states, "If monopoly in business, why not monopoly in some of these Teamster and A.F. of L. practices. And why not stop the racketeering of any and all of them" (letter No. 41, December 28, 1953).

Four officials of Local 834, International Association of Machinists, Wichita, Kans., requests an investigation by Congress into "irregularities" within the local. This request for relief is made after failing to get action on the local level. A portion of their letter says, *** there is no reason why union officials and certain members should carry firearms, blackjacks, brass knuckles, other than to let the rank and file members know that they carry such weapons, and in doing so, discourage the majority from attending the meetings for fear of personal harm *** local 834 had a membership of more than 14,000, but due to the gangster tactics used by the business representatives and certain members of the union, membership has dropped to less than 7,000" (letter No. 27, August 1953).

A mother from Mission, Kans., writes, "As a mother of two boys I pray that if they work under the jurisdiction of a union; they will not be dominated by thugs" (letter No. 25, November 1953).

A letter addressed to Martin P. Durkin, president of the United Association of Journeymen and Apprentices of the Plumbing and Pipe Fitting Industry by members of a Huntington, W. Va., local of this union, and a copy of which was sent to me, says, "We are shocked and amazed that you would uphold two men, who by their records are a disgrace and a stench in the nostrils of organized labor. We hoped to see organized labor, and especially in our own union to be a respected and honorable segment of American society and have taken our stand against what we know to be corrupt, dishonest, and scandalous leadership imposed upon us by your authority. You must remember that our stand in the matter of Carr and Switalski was taken with a majority of our membership concurring in lawful accord with our constitution" (letter No. 35, December 1953).

A letter from a member of the Plumbers and Fitters Local at Oak Ridge, Tenn., working on the AEC project there says, "I also as well as the other fitters working out of Local 102, Knoxville, Tenn., that belong to other locals, are required to pay $2, a week dobey to a fund called Welfare and Relief fund. The members of 102 Local are not required to and do not pay into this fund. It does not appear to me that such a fund has been set up, because when a member is hospitalized or a serious illness or death, there is a collection from all the men working to help the cause. I do not object to contributing to a collection for that purpose, but if there is a welfare and relief fund set up for that purpose which I know hundreds of dollars a week is collected as dobey, I do not understand why an additional collection would be necessary" (letter No. 36, December 1953).

A Virginia trucker writes, "Only last month my firm was victimized by longshoremen at a New York dock. We were forced to pay for the privilege of unloading defense materials. The extent of the labor performed by the longshoremen consisted of signing and handing to one of my drivers a dock receipt" (letter No. 18, September 1953).

From New Haven, Conn., comes this letter, "Please check how the CIO operates. United Wholon Retail Employees, Local 282, CIO, located at 865 Chapel Street, New Haven, Conn. The union sets the rates and collects the premiums monthly. The rates are much higher than any insurance company. Who is protecting the employer and worker from the latest racket?" (letter No. 24, November 1953). A lawyer from Benton, Ky., writes, "It will be greatly appreciated if you will send your investigators to Paducah, Ky. *** (where) *** the ABC is constructing a multibillion dollar atomic energy plant *** the situation is atrocious. It has been described to both the Senate and House Labor Committees in hearings on the Taft-Hartley Act, and 3,500 people have signed petitions to the House Committee demanding an investigation (of labor racketeering). Nothing has been done. All A.F. of L. crafts are involved; however, the Operating Engineers were the first and worst offenders" (letter No. 13, September 1953).

A family from Minneapolis, Minn., writes, “*** it is about time Minneapolis, Minn., was cleaned up as well as (local) 544" (letter No. 33, November 1953).

A Minneapolis, Minn., citizen writes, "Many of their (union) gains have been won by violence, threats, and intimidatione, they have committed murder in the past" (letter No. 39, December 1953).

A New York citizen writes, "Something should be done to stop these (union racketeers). Extortion and bribery have been going on for years (letter No. 17, September 1953).

A Jamaica, N.Ÿ., man representing the Home Owners-Taxpayers Association, Inc., writes, "The conversations that I have (on wire recorder) are from subcontractors who have been called upon to pay various sums of money in order to work on particular jobs. Others complain of having to pay various sums for the so called welfare fund, etc., and others have information about the delegates (of the union) collecting various sums of money, new cars, and in one particular instance a motorboat" (letter No. 31, November 1953).

An electrical contractor in Cleveland, in calling for a congressional investigation of labor racketeering in that city said, "Jobs are padded many percent in bidding to innocent owners and American contractors who will not 'play their ball' as they call it, are restricted work is sabotaged and effort is made to drive him out of business" (letter No. 19, September 1953).

A Cleveland florist says, 66 * * have been presented with contracts by the A.F. of L. and we have been told to either sign it or expect trouble. Trouble could mean only one thing, physical violence" (letter No. 21, September 1953). A letter addressed to Gov. Frank J. Lausche of Ohio, and a copy of which was sent to me, from the United Truck Owners of America, Inc., says in part, "On Sunday, December 20, there appeared in the newspapers the following statement: "Trucks of 10,000 owner-drivers in the 10 Midwest States will be pulled off highways in a strike January 15, if the Ohio Usage Tax is enforced.' James R. Hoffa, president of the A.F.L. Teamsters Union, Central States Conference, said in Detroit Saturday 'that the strike is planned and will be concentrated chiefly in Ohio.' The above was an Associated Press release Saturday. In making this decision and announcing this illegal act, James R. Hoffa and the Teamsters Union are not speaking for and are not authorized to represent the owner-drivers of motor equipment in the State of Ohio. We have been maintaining and still maintain that although in the interest of peaceful pursuit of our business, many owner-drivers have joined the Teamsters Union in order to avoid violence, trouble, force, and destruction of equipment, we are all separate, individual contractors with the various carriers and are now maintaining legal proceedings before the courts and boards to maintain this position" (letter No. 40, December 1953).

A Webster Groves, Mo. man writes pointing to a grand jury report which, "reported that labor racketeering was worse in St. Louis and Kansas City than anywhere in this country" (letter No. 30, November 1953).

An employer from Spokane, Wash. faced with certain union demands sent a telegram which said in part, "* * * the (union) contract, which, in my opinion is even more un-American than the welfare (program). It consists of working to the effect that I can't sell my business without their approval" (letter No. 32, November 1953).

An attorney from Chester, Pa. writes in part, "Labor racketeering on the waterfront of Philadelphia has reached the point where to complain against this union or that means immediate hospitalization of the complainer" (letter No. 42, December 1953).

A union member from New York writes, "Talking of unions, of which I hap pen to be a reluctant member, why don't we investigate the wave of strikes cooked up by our so-called labor leaders. If it was left to the people themselves they have no cause to strike in 98 percent of the cases" (letter No. 44, dated August 2, 1953).

A husband and wife, both labor union members, from Osawatomie, Kans. writes, "We believe in unions, but not in hoodlum-ridden associations" (letter No. 45, dated July 4, 1953).

A New York contractor writes, "*** the International Brotherhood of Elec trical Workers Local No. 3, New York City *** are demanding a payment of $4 per day for each man employed *** I had no part in formulating this plan nor was I consulted or given a chance to vote upon it. I am engaged in the electrical contracting industry and work together with my son in doing various types of electrical work. We hire no other help yet I am compelled to pay this

tribute to the union for my son under threat of picketing of my establishment" (letter No. 46, December 28, 1953).

A businessman in Chicago writes, "The Joe Lowe Corp. is being forced to 'pay off a staggering sum each year to the local labor leaders' in return for the union not unionizing one of the corporation's plants-a plant that does not want a union to begin with" (letter No. 47, January 4, 1954).

From Trenton, N.J., comes this letter, "*** the control which labor unions seem to exercise over Government contracts * * * I refer specifically to the practice of hiring superannuated union members on jobs as watchmen when by every agreement their services are entirely unnecessary and the very little work they do can be properly performed by other persons on the job. In one job we are paying almost $1,000 a month for a watchman to throw one switch a day, and specifications which have been drawn seem unable to avoid this situation and definite threats to strike the whole job have been made by the union unless their terms *** are met" (letter No. 48, January 5, 1954).

A member of Local Union 1010, United Steel Workers, CIO, Chicago, writes, "Our local is the second largest of steel unions, nearly 18,000 employees, I have along with thousands of others failed to get the proper cooperation in finding out, what has become of the millions of dollars we have paid into our treasury since its establishment (1935). For instance, our building fund, 70 cents of our monthly dues ($3) is to go in reserve in buying a home, we never did buy a home until about last September *** and in order to pay for this structure we borrowed the purchase price $100,000 from our international union, the question again is, Where is this money that had been in the building fund reserve? Why have we no money in our treasury? Let's do something about this, I am an American, I'm proud of my country. Is this one of the reasons I went through hell in World War II throughout the Pacific area for 31⁄2 years? I fought for right and no one indulging in such racketeering are going to get away with it" (letter No. 49, January 3, 1954).

A member of Teamsters Union Local 449 (truck drivers) from Buffalo, N.Y., writes, "I am a member of truck drivers local union No. 449. This union has gotten to be so corrupt and rotten, that it smells to high heaven. There are about 5.500 members in this union. We never have had any accounting of the treasury. The way the officers of the union conduct elections is a farce, thinking only of feathering their own nest" (letter No. 50, dated January 9, 1954).

A painting contractor from Great Falls, Mont., who has been forced to join the local union (Great Falls Painters Local No. 260) writes, “* * * am enclosing a copy of an open letter to the Congress in regard to a shop card racket and a shakedown exacted from myself and 12 other painting contractors, members of the Great Falls chapter of Painting and Decorating of America, by Painters' Local No. 260 of this city" (letter No. 51, dated January 2, 1954).

Mr. HOFFMAN. I want to add to that the statement that he was three times tried. Although he was the victim he was the beaten complainant against the union, he was arrested, tried three times, twice the jury disagreed. He was convicted finally. Ultimately he was acquitted but the men who did the beating never were tried out there. The reason I suppose being lack of law enforcement.

The other is an analysis of letters received from members of labor unions and others requesting investigation into labor racketeering, January 1954. If I may have the two things put in and then give this back to me. I think it will be helpful on that point as to the futility of the members of the union complaining.

Here is one case that was cited, one more, Supreme Court of the United States, October term, decided March 16, 1953, on picketing. Mr. SCHMIDT. What is the title of the case?

Mr. HOFFMAN. Local Union No. 10, Association of Journeymen Plumbers & Steamfitters. Then there is one more from Virginia that I want to get where Justice Jackson wrote a dissenting opinion. Chairman BARDEN. Without objection.