Imperial Valley Press

INDEPENDENT
IMPARTIAL
and
INDIVIDUAL

SPORTSMANSHIP, THE
MISSING QUANTITY

There is something at once ridiculous and revolting about the howl set up by the AFL Teamsters Union in its attempt to smash Imperial Valley's youngest, tiniest independent union, the Cramers Employees Association, Inc.

The Teamsters charged to the National Labor Relations Board that the association was "sponsored" and "encouraged" by the company for which its members work. They seek by this means to have the little union outlawed.

The real fact is that there never was a more independent union, in the true meaning of the word "independent." If the men who belong to the association were company dominated, they would now be members of the Teamsters Union—and Teamsters Union officials should know it.

The company did "encourage" membership in a union—but the union was the Teamsters. Acting under possible threats of action against the company's plants in San Diego and Los Angeles if they did not order their men here to join the Teamsters, the company told its salesmen and checkers in Imperial Valley that they must join the Teamsters.

One official of the AFL union, feeling that he had already won his organization drive, even boasted to a Cramers employee that "we don't have to deal with you fellows now: we're dealing with the company."

But the Teamsters officials went too far. They tried to inflict a $15 penalty in the initiation fee charged Cramers employees, because the men had not joined the union sooner.

The men revolted against both the company and the Teamsters Union. They formed their own union. They did so at the risk of incurring the displeasure of their superiors in the company, and with the certain knowledge that they would incur the wrath of the Teamsters Union and the union organizers.

Yet, in the face of those facts, the Teamsters Union now has the temerity to file a charge with the National Labor Relations Board, declaring that the tiny union was "sponsored" and "encouraged" by the company; that it is, in fact, a company dominated union.

The Teamsters, seemingly, have not even the good sportsmanship to take a beating gracefully.

THE LABOR BOARD'S CHANCE
TO PROVE ITS FAIRNESS

The National Labor Relations Board, which has too often leaned over backward to favor the big unions against all comers, has its opportunity in the Cramers Employees Association case to prove to Imperial Valley that it is not a sort of officially constituted offshoot of the major unions. It has the chance to demonstrate that it can render a decision protecting the right of individual laborers in any given industrial plant to organize as they wish, regardless of outside pressure.

We believe NLRB agents will find not one shred of actual evidence which does not support the independent union. We believe they cannot find one honest witness to declare that the independent union is "company dominated." We believe, on the other hand, that the board's representatives will find a gigantic mass of evidence supporting the independence of the tiny union.

Evidence, for instance, such as that indicated by the fact that the little union recently rejected a contract written by the company, and has refused as yet to sign any agreement with the company because mutually agreeable terms have not been arrived at.

Company dominated?

If anybody can convince us that the Cramers union is company dominated, then we're willing to admit that Snow White organized the Teamsters Union.