INVESTIGATION OF IMPROPER ACTIVITIES IN THE LABOR OR MANAGEMENT FIELD THURSDAY, APRIL 9, 1959 U.S. SENATE, SELECT COMMITTEE ON IMPROPER ACTIVITIES Washington, D.C. The select committee met at 10: 43 a.m., pursuant to Senate Resolution 44, agreed to February 2, 1959, in the caucus room of the Senate Office Building, Senator John L. McClellan (chairman of the select committee) presiding. Present: Senator John L. McClellan, Democrat, of Arkansas. Also present: Robert F. Kennedy, chief counsel; Walter R. May, assistant counsel; John P. Constandy, assistant counsel; Arthur G. Kaplan, assistant counsel; Sherman S. Willse, investigator; Ruth Young Watt, chief clerk. The CHAIRMAN. The committee will be in order. (Members of the select committee present at the convening of the session: Senator McClellan.) The CHAIRMAN. Yesterday we recessed until 10:30 this morning. At that time we thought we would have a quorum and could proceed with the hearings as scheduled. However, some things have intervened since and we now find that none of the other members of the committee can be present this morning. Most of them, if not all-so far as I know all of them-are engaged in other legislative duties that make it impossible for them to attend this morning's session. Therefore the committee cannot proceed to hear witnesses in public hearings without a quorum, and under the rules of the committee, two members must be present to constitute a quorum for that purpose. Therefore, the committee will have to recess again until 10: 30 in the morning, at which time I am reasonably assured a quorum will be present and the hearings will proceed. The hearings tomorrow, I may advise, will be in room 1202, New Senate Office Building. (Whereupon, at 10:45 a.m. the select committee recessed to reconvene at 10:30 a.m., Friday, April 10, 1959, in room 1202, Senate Office Building.) 17513 36751-59-pt. 48 -20 INVESTIGATION OF IMPROPER ACTIVITIES IN THE LABOR OR MANAGEMENT FIELD FRIDAY, APRIL 10, 1959 U.S. SENATE, SELECT COMMITTEE ON IMPROPER ACTIVITIES Washington, D.C. The Select Committee met at 11 a.m., pursuant to Senate Resolution 44, agreed to February 2, 1959, in room 1202, Senate Office Building, Senator John L. McClellan (chairman of the Select Committee) presiding. Present: Senator John L. McClellan, Democrat, Arkansas; Senator Karl E. Mundt, Republican, South Dakota; Senator Homer E. Capehart, Republican, Indiana; Senator Carl T. Curtis, Republican, Nebraska. Also present: Robert F. Kennedy, chief counsel; Walter R. May, assistant counsel; John P. Constandy, assistant counsel; Arthur G. Kaplan, assistant counsel; Sherman S. Willse, investigator; Pierre E. G. Salinger, investigator; Walter C. DeVaughn, investigator; B. Franklin Herr, Jr., investigator; Robert E. Manuel, assistant counsel; Ruth Y. Watt, chief clerk. The CHAIRMAN. The committee will be in order. (Members of the Select Committee present at the convening of the session were Senators McClellan and Mundt.) Mr. Kennedy, call the first witness. Mr. KENNEDY. Mrs. Anderson. The CHAIRMAN. Come forward, please. Be sworn. You do solemnly swear that the evidence you shall give before this Senate Select Committee shall be the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth, so help you God? Mrs. ANDERSON. I do. TESTIMONY OF MRS. ANNIE MAY ANDERSON The CHAIRMAN. State your name, your place of residence, and your business or occupation, please. Mrs. ANDERSON. My name is Annie May Anderson. I live at 2566 Pennsylvania. I washes cars. That is my occupation. The CHAIRMAN. In what city do you live? Mrs. ANDERSON. Detroit, Mich. The CHAIRMAN. In Detroit, Mich. And you wash automobiles? You work at a garage or someplace where they wash cars? Mrs. ANDERSON. I do. The CHAIRMAN. And you work as a car washer? Mrs. ANDERSON. That is right. The CHAIRMAN. What is the name of the place? Mrs. ANDERSON. Tony's Five-Minute Auto Wash. The CHAIRMAN. Where is it located? Do you know the street address? Mrs. ANDERSON. It is on Seven Mile, but I don't know the address. The CHAIRMAN. Do you know what street it is on? Mrs. ANDERSON. It is on Seven Mile. Mr. KENNEDY. It is 13724 East Seven Mile Road, Detroit. The CHAIRMAN. Do you have an attorney to represent you or do you desire the advice of counsel? Mrs. ANDERSON. I don't understand. The CHAIRMAN. I mean, do you want a lawyer? Mrs. ANDERSON. No, I don't. The CHAIRMAN. You don't need a lawyer? Mrs. ANDERSON. No. The CHAIRMAN. All right, Mr. Kennedy, you may proceed. Mr. KENNEDY. Mrs. Anderson, how long have you been working in car washes? Mrs. ANDERSON. Ever since the latter part of 1954 and the early part of 1955. Mr. KENNEDY. Where were you working originally, Mrs. Anderson? Mrs. ANDERSON. At Tony's Five-Minute Auto Wash. Mr. KENNEDY. Have you always worked at Tony's Five-Minute? Originally, when you first went to work for an auto wash, where were you working? Mrs. ANDERSON. At Steam Auto Wash at Miller Road and Van Dyke. Mr. KENNEDY. How much were you receiving? First, would you tell the committee what hours you were working at the Steam Heat Auto Wash? Mrs. ANDERSON. I was working 10 hours a day for 7 days a week. Mr. KENNEDY. What time in the morning did you go to work? Mrs. ANDERSON. I went to work at 8 in the morning and got off at 6 in the afternoon. Mr. KENNEDY. And you worked 7 days a week? Mrs. ANDERSON. I worked 7 days a week. Mr. KENNEDY. That is 70 hours a week? Mrs. ANDERSON. Seventy hours a week. Mr. KENNEDY. How much were you getting paid for that? Mrs. ANDERSON. $35 dollars a week. Mr. KENNEDY. While you were working there, did the union come in and attempt to organize you? Mrs. ANDERSON. Yes, the union came in. Newman and Shaw came in. Mr. KENNEDY. And you understood they were two business agents of the union? Mrs. ANDERSON. Yes, I did. Mr. KENNEDY. That is Albert Newman and Jewell, or Bill, Shaw: is that right? Mrs. ANDERSON. That is right. Mr. KENNEDY. What did they promise you at that time? Mrs. ANDERSON. They asked the employees at Steam Auto Wash if we would join the union, that they would shorten our hours and get us more pay. There was another woman working there with me. So he told us women if we would join the union that they would get us shorter hours and get us more pay. Mr. KENNEDY. This is back where you worked originally in 1954, when business agents of the union came in. They promised that they would arrange for a steward there that you could take your complaints to? Mrs. ANDERSON. Yes, they did. Mr. KENNEDY. And for the women you would only have to work 40 hours a week? Mrs. ANDERSON. That is right. Mr. KENNEDY. And that there would be 10 cents a day deducted from your salary to pay the union dues for the services? Mrs. ANDERSON. That is right. Mr. KENNEDY. Did you sign an application card and a dues authorization card at that time? Mrs. ANDERSON. No. We had to put our names on a piece of paper the first day they came out there. Mr. KENNEDY. Did you put your name on a piece of paper? Mrs. ANDERSON. Yes, I did. Mr. KENNEDY. What did you hear next? Mrs. ANDERSON. One day I was off of work, and when I got back to work they told me that Newman and Shaw had been back out there and that they had talked with the boss. So then the boss had some white cards for us to sign, so we had to sign those. Mr. KENNEDY. Did you sign the cards? Mrs. ANDERSON. Yes, I did. Mr. KENNEDY. What happened then? Did you become a member of the union? Mrs. ANDERSON. Well, he didn't explain it to us until next Sunday, which was payday. Mr. KENNEDY. What happened on payday? Mrs. ANDERSON. He told us we had signed our names to a paper that we wanted to be in a union, and after we wanted to be in the union, he was going to have to cut our pays $10, which the union didn't require him to pay us but $25 a week. Mr. KENNEDY. All the union contract required was that you get paid $25 a week? Mrs. ANDERSON. $25 a week. Mr. KENNEDY. So nonunion you were getting paid $35 a week? Mrs. ANDERSON. $35 dollars a week. Mr. KENNEDY. So you joined up with the union and your pay was cut to $25 a week? Mrs. ANDERSON. That is right. Mr. KENNEDY. And that is for a 70-hour week; is that right? Mrs. ANDERSON. That is right. Mr. KENNEDY. Did you call the union and protest? Mrs. ANDERSON. The union told us that we had pointed out a man for steward, so we went to this man and asked him would he call the union, so he did. He called the union building downtown, and asked to speak to Newman. But Newman wasn't in at the time. So when Newman came in, he got the message and he called back. He told the man that we had appointed for steward-the man explained to him that our wages had been cut, and he explained to this man, and told |