(The telegram is as follows:) DAVE DOVE, Business Representative, Local Union 155, Little Rock: This will confirm our telephone conversation of recent date in regard to working assessment on the Pine Bluff Arsenal. The members of local unions 155 and 665 employed on this project will not be required to pay working assessment to local union 706, El Dorado, Ark., who have job jurisdiction. JERRY V. RYAN, General Organizer. Mr. DUFFY. This is another wire that contains the same information, that this particular local, Mr. Chambless' local, would not have to pay assessments to local 706. These were instructions from Washington. The CHAIRMAN. This is another wire from the same Mr. Jerry V. Ryan, I believe, to Mr. Chambless of the local 665 in Pine Bluff to the same effect as the previous wire advising that they would not be required to pay this assessment fee to local 706. Mr. DUFFY. That is right. The CHAIRMAN. This wire also may be printed in the record and may be made exhibit No. 8-A. (The document was marked "Exhibit No. 8-A" and may be found in the files of the subcommittee.) (The telegram referred to follows:) RAY CHAMBLESS, Business Representative, Local Union 665, Pine Bluff, Ark.: This will confirm our telephone conversation of recent date in regard to working assessment on Pine Bluff Arsenal. The members of local unions 155 and 665 employed on this project will not be required to pay working assessment to local union 706, El Dorado, Ark., who have job jurisdiction. JERRY V. RYAN, General Organizer. Mr. DUFFY. We received information to the effect that members of these two locals, 665 and 155, did in fact pay in assessment money to 706, even though instructions came from Washington that these two locals were exempt from payment of assessment money. So we thought it important enough to contact Mr. Chambless and Mr. Dove themselves and discuss the subject. We secured from them affidavits. I would like, if I may, read a portion of the affidavit of Mr. Chambless covering this subject matter. The CHAIRMAN. All right. You have an affidavit from him? Mr. DUFFY. Yes, sir. The CHAIRMAN. It may be printed in the record at this point, and you may read the pertinent part of it, and it will be made exhibit No. 9. (The document referred to was marked "Exhibit No. 9" and may be found in the files of the subcommittee.) (The affidavit referred to follows:) AFFIDAVIT I, Ray Chambless, who reside at 1312 Alabama Street, Pine Bluff, Ark., freely and voluntarily make the following statements to LaVern J. Duffy, who has identified himself to me as a member of the staff of the U.S. Select Committee on Improper Activities in the Labor or Management Field. No threat, force, or duress has been used to induce me to make this statement, nor have I received any promise of immunity from any consequences which may result from submission of this statement to the aforementioned Senate select committee. During the period of 1951 through 1954 I was business manager of Steamfitters and Plumbers Local 665 located in Pine Bluff, Ark. I did not run for reelection in 1954. I recall in 1951 we had a problem concerning jurisdiction of the Pine Bluff job. It was decided that local 706 should have the job. Following this decision locals 706, 155, 665 entered into a joint venture agreement on the $3.50 weekly assessment money that all workers on the job had to pay. It was agreed the money would be put in one bank account and split three ways. However, soon after this I learned that the national union did not approve this agreement and I received a wire to that effect. The wire stated that local 706 should not receive assessments from locals 665 and 155. Soon after this, however, I learned that the men from my local who were working on the Pine Bluff job were still paying this money to local 706. I went to see Earl Griffin of local 706 and complained that the men from my local were forced to pay an illegal assessment to local 706. The only thing that Griffin would say the men could be let go at any time. I concluded that the best thing for me to do was not to complain further if I wanted my men to stay on the job. My local 665, or I personally, did not receive any money by check or cash from Earl Griffin or anyone else from the joint venture agreement that was entered into and signed in 1951. Sworn to before me this eighth day of January 1960. [SEAL] RAY CHAMBLESS. J. U. CRAFT, Notary Public. The CHAIRMAN. All right. That has been introduced. What else do you have there? Mr. DUFFY. I have another affidavit from Mr. Dave Dove who was in charge or manager of local 155 in Little Rock, and I would like to read just certain excerpts from his affidavit. The CHAIRMAN. His affidavit may be printed in the record at this point, and it will be made exhibit No. 10. (The document referred to was marked "Exhibit No. 10" and may be found in the files of the subcommittee.) (The affidavit referred to follows:) AFFIDAVIT I, Dave Dove, who resides at Route 1, Box 96, Mabelvale, Ark., make the following voluntary statement to Mr. LaVern J. Duffy, who has identified himself to me as a member of the staff of the U.S. Select Committee on Improper Activities in the Labor or Management Field. No threats, force, or duress have been used to induce me to make this statement, nor have I received any promise of immunity from any consequences which may result from submission of this statement to the aforementioned Senate select committee. From the period January 1950 to January 1956, I was business manager of Local 155 of the Steamfitters & Plumbers Union located in Little Rock, Ark. I resigned from my position with this union January 1956 due to ill health. Concerning the Pine Bluff Arsenal job that was started in 1951, I recall the problem came up as to which local would receive jurisdiction over the project. The international union finally gave jurisdiction over the job to Earl Griffin, 706 local, in El Dorado, Ark. I recall shortly after local 706 received jurisdiction over the project, an agreement was signed between the locals in Pine Bluff, Little Rock, and El Dorado that the $3.50 weekly assessment money collected would be put into a joint venture account and the moneys split three ways. I signed the agreement for local 155, the Little Rock local. Shortly after this agreement was signed, I was in telephonic contact with Jerry Ryan, general organizer of the international union in Washington. He advised me that Mr. Durkin, president of the international union, would not approve weekly assessments to be paid by the workers out of the Little Rock and Pine Bluff locals on the Pine Bluff job. I asked him to confirm this information to me in a wire, which he did. Subsequently, I learned, however, that members of my local were forced to pay this $3.50 weekly assessment money or not work. They were refused receipts for the assessment money they paid to local 706. This made it very clear to me that Earl Griffin, who was in charge of local 706, was charging men from my local, weekly assessment money in direct violation of the orders of the international association; that the workers from my local would not be required to pay assessment money to local 706. I did not make any complaint about this illegal assessment to Earl Griffin because I knew if I did, the men from my local that were on the Pine Bluff job would be let go. I would also like to add, local 155, or I personally never received in check or cash any moneys from Earl Griffin or anyone else from the joint venture agreement that was signed in 1951. I have read the foregoing statement and, to the best of my knowledge and belief, it is true and correct. Sworn to before me this 8th day of January 1960. [SEAL] DAVE DOVE. GLADYS H. HAMILTON, Notary Public. Mr. DUFFY. Senator, we have one other affidavit that we secured on this subject matter of assessment money being collected from the members of local 665, and it is an affidavit from Mr. Orris M. Nix. This states in substance: I worked at Blaw-Knox Construction Co. at Pine Bluff, Ark., out of local 665, paid $3.50 per week to El Dorado local 706 for assessment money. When I got behind they laid me off. I had to go to 706 in October of 1951 and pay up and Earl Griffin gave me another work order back to the job. There were about 10 of us laid off at the same time. The foreman would take the $3.50 per week assessment and would not give us a receipt for our money. Then the foreman would give the assessment money to the steward, who was Red Yocum. The CHAIRMAN. This affidavit may be made exhibit 11 and printed in the record. (The document referred to was marked "Exhibit No. 11" and may be found in the files of the subcommittee.) I was employed by the Blaw-Knox Co. of Pittsburgh, Pa., with employment at Pine Bluff, Ark., during the period from July 7, 1951 to November 1952 as a During the period above I was a member of local 655 Pine Bluff, Ark. ORRIS M. Nix. I have read the above affidavit consisting of one page and the above is true and correct to the best of my knowledge, information and belief. ORRIS M. NIX. Subscribed and sworn to before me this 21st day of November 1959. [SEAL] JOE HOLMER, Notary Public. My Commission expires February 16, 1963. I worked at Blaw-Knox Construction Co. at Pine Bluff, Ark., out of local 665, but paid $3.50 per week to El Dorado local 706 for assessment when I got behind they laid me off. I had to go to 706 in October 1951 and pay up and Earl Griffin gave me another work order back to the job. It was about 10 of us laid off at the same time. The foreman would take the $3.50 per week assessment and would not give us a receipt for our money, then the foreman would give the assessment to the steward which was Red Yocum. ORRIS M. NIX, Mr. DUFFY. He stated he visited Mr. Earl Griffin in October 1951, and this was after the wire had been received from Washington, to the effect that Mr. Griffin should not collect assessment money from these people in the local. Mr. MUNDIE. I would like to add to that, that this man had to travel one hundred and some miles to secure this work permit from Pine Bluff. The CHAIRMAN. From Pine Bluff to El Dorado. Mr. MUNDIE. To pay up before he could go to work. I would also like to add that the men that I talked to during my investigation stated that had Mr. Griffin given them receipts that upon return to their home locals and had turned those receipts in to the secretary-treasurer, they would have been forwarded to the international secretary-treasurer here, and Mr. Griffin would have had to reimburse for all of those receipts. Since they had no receipts, they could put no claim on this assessment money that was paid. Senator ERVIN. Evidently Mr. Griffin knew that a little scratch of the pen was worth a slip of the memory of many witnesses. He took pains particularly to see that no written record was made, because he not only would not give receipts and directed that no receipts be given for the payments, but he also gave directions that no check on any out-of-town bank or from any person who did not belong to his local should be received. So it looks like the whole thing was planned from the beginning. Mr. MUNDIE. Yes, sir. Senator ERVIN. To accomplish the result which apparently was accomplished. Mr. MUNDIE. That is correct. Mr. DUFFY. I have one more affidavit from a member of local 706, which covers this matter relating to this collection of the $3.50 assessment. If I would be permitted, I would like to read certain excerpts from it. The affidavit is from Mr. T. A. Hulsey, who resides at 403 East Main Street in El Dorado, Ark. The main portion of the affidavit is as follows: In 1941, I joined Local 706 of the Steamfitters & Pipefitters Union, El Dorado, Ark., as a charter member. In the year 1951, I worked as a fitter out of local 706 on the Pine Bluff, Ark., arsenal job. I worked on this job from 1951 through 1953. While working at Pine Bluff, I rode to and from work with "Red" Yocum in his automobile. Yocum was the union steward on the Pine Bluff project. Yocum was quite a drinker on the job. Often at the end of the day when we went home he was in bad condition. Yocum's duties included collecting the $3.50 weekly assessment that each worker had to pay and did pay, in order to remain on the job. I can recall on a number of occasions when we rode into town after a weekly pay period, "assessment money" would be scattered all over the automobile. Some would be stuck in the glove compartment, some on the floor, and some in paper sacks. Some of the money was in small envelopes, with the name of the individual contributor written on it. In some cases, however, even the name of the individual on the envelope was not legible. I accompanied Yocum to the home of Earl Griffin, business agent of local 706, where the money was deposited. The crew that I worked with during the Pine Bluff job had at least four workers out of the Pine Bluff local who paid this assessment money. They were refused receipts for the assessment money they paid. Also, some of the members of the crew that I worked with from 1951 to 1953 were out of the Little Rock local. They were also required to pay this assessment money, and were refused receipts. The workers from the Pine Bluff and the Little Rock locals did not complain so much that they had to pay the assessment money, but their complaint went to the point that they were refused receipts from the assessment money that they paid. The CHAIRMAN. That affidavit may be printed in the record, and made exhibit No. 12. (The document referred to was marked "Exhibit No. 12" and may be found in the files of the subcommittee.) (The affidavit referred to follows:) AFFIDAVIT I, T. A. Hulsey, who reside at 430 East Main, El Dorado, Ark., make the following voluntary statement to Mr. LaVern J. Duffy, who has identified himself to me as a member of the staff of the U.S. Senate Select Committee on Improper Activities in the Labor or Management Field. No threats, force, or duress have been used to induce me to make this statement, nor have I received any promise of immunity from any consequences which may result from submission of this statement to the aforementioned Senate select committee. In 1941, I joined Local 706 of the Steamfitters & Pipefitters Union, El Dorado, Ark., as a charter member. In the year 1951, I worked as a fitter out of local 706 on the Pine Bluff, Ark., arsenal job. I worked on this job from 1951 through 1953. While working at Pine Bluff, I rode to and from work with "Red" Yocum in his automobile. Yocum was the union steward on the Pine Bluff project. Yocum was quite a drinker on the job. Often at the end of the day when we went home he was in bad condition. Yocum's duties included collecting the $3.50 weekly assessment that each worker had to pay and did pay, in order to remain on the job. I can recall on a number of occasions when we rode into town after a weekly pay period, "assessment money" would be scattered all over the automobile. Some would be stuck in the glove compartment, some on the floor, and some in paper sacks. Some of the money was in small envelopes, with the name of the individual contributor written on it. In some cases, however, even the name of the individual on the envelope was not legible. I accompanied Yocum to the home of Earl Griffin, business agent of local 706, where the money was deposited. The crew that I worked with during the Pine Bluff job had at least four workers out of the Pine Bluff local who paid this assessment money. They were refused receipts for the assessment money they paid. Also, some of the members of the crew that I worked with from 1951 to 1953 were out of the Little Rock local. They were also required to pay this assessment money, and were refused receipts. The workers from the Pine Bluff and the Little Rock locals did not complain so much that they had to pay the assessment money, but their complaint went to the point that they were refused receipts for the assessment money that they paid. I have read the foregoing statement and, to the best of my knowledge and belief, it is true and correct. Sworn to before me this 13th day of January 1960. [SEAL] (S) T. A. HULSEY. SYLVIA J. EVANS, Mr. MUNDIE. At the beginning of my investigation, the period of July 1, 1952, they had a cash balance on hand in three accounts known as the general fund, organizing fund, and the building fund, in the amount of $91,677.21. The CHAIRMAN. That was what union? Mr. MUNDIE. This was local 706. The CHAIRMAN. As of what date? Mr. MUNDIE. July 1, 1952. During the period of July 1, 1952, to December 30, 1958, this local collected $644,167.56. During that period they expended $691,686.15. On December 30, 1958, they had a balance of $44,158.62. The CHAIRMAN. Had they done any building during that period of time? 62255-61-3 |