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IB—Joplin HeraldWednesday, May 18, 1949School BoardRejects LaborUnion ProposalA request for a local A F. of L. union to act as the bargainingagent of oil city schools custodians,bus drivers and engineers was unanimously voted down by the board of education last night.The board also refused to grant union status to two school caipen-ters.In both cases, the board acted on the advice of Haywood Scott,board attorney, who ruled that labor strikes against Missouri school districts are outlawed by the Madison act.A delegation of four representedthe custodians, bus drivers and engineers - Harry Thuner, president of the building service custodians of the St. Louis city school district; D. J. I»ary, Joplin attorney, Elmer Belk, a school bus driver, and Cail Davis, an engineerat East Junior high school.NO I. A BO It GRIEVANCESThuner, acting as spokesman for the gioup, said the Joplin school custodians came to the board with no specific labor grievances, hut wanted the right to act as a body “and iron out any troubles that might come up.”His statement was contradicted by Belk, who told board members the school employes want to bargain for the adjustment of w-ages, hours and working conditions. He said hours were too long and that there were not sufficient custodians to staff the school.Joe Harding, president of the board, asserted that meetings of the board w'ere always open to the public and urged the school em-|p ployes to meet with the board.ccEtamn«afeatlohilittrstin“I expected that, you’re against organized labor,” Davis remarkedto Harding. #“I’m not against organized labor or any kind of labor,” Harding answered.“You cun call me anti-labor ifyou want to,” Herbert Van Fleet, aboard member asserted, “but Ishall never, as long as I’m on thisschool board, vote for its employe?to be represented by a union.”Reads .Madison Aet.Scott rend parts of the Madisonact to the employe delegation and told them a school district is a political subdivision of the state and at rannot be forced to recognize a union,“You can’t strike against a ichool district,” Scott explained.Thuner assured the board there uvas no intention to strike.After the rejection of their request, the school employe group dc igreed to meet with the board at se its next session Tuesday night, j te June 7. foBoard members similarly refused m % request from A W. Westerhouse, fa business representative of the bt United Brotherhood of Carpenters, local 311, that two school carpen-|(it lers be recognized as union members.btatoflotoCPla
Newspaper Details
Joplin News Herald
Joplin, Missouri, US
Wed, May 18, 1949
Page 9
Full Page
Clipped by
Joplin P.
MO, USA 07 Jul 2023
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