The following item has been extracted from the Fobruary issue of "Labour News from the United States" a handout of the U.5.1.5. Road builders ordered to end intimidation
The National Labour Relations Board has found Florida's biggest roadbuilding firm - Cone Brothers Contracting Co. - guilty of acts constituting "naked intimidation" and "conduct of the most flagrant type" against employees who went on strike in 1960.
A threo-momber panel voted unanimously to affirm the findings of Trial Examiner George A. Downing that Cone supervisors had committed unfair labour practices by arming non-strikers with guns, throatening to run down strikers with cars or shoot thom "like a covey of birds" and other unlawful acts including a threat to blacklist workings who refused to cross an Operating lingineers picket line in Tampa, Florida.
The decision was signed by NLD Mombers Philip Ray Rodgers, John I, Fanning and Gerald A. Browne Tho upholding of union charges was noteworthy for the participation of Rodgers, who frequently votos on the dissenting sido in cases involving majority docisions,
The board order - third of the kind since 1955 -— directs Cone Brothors to coase and desist from theso actss
Using shotguns or other weapons in a threatening manner towards pickets and threatening to shcot strikers.
Arming supervisors .nd yuards for passage through the picket line set up by Operating iinginecrs Local 925.
Directing employees to run over strikers.
Charactorising as "quits" employees who refuse to carry, or to work with employees who carry,weaponte
Threatening to handle strikers "like shooting at a covey of birds,"
Other actions were prohibited - threatening to blackmail or blacklist all over Florida supporters of the union; questioning employees about union meetings and activities; informing employees that strikers might aswell "leave the picket line and the state."
The Board order in addition directed the big roadbuilding firm to stop threatening that it will "starve out" the strikers, threatening to discharge and arrest employees because of their union activities, threatening to go out of business rather than "go union" and promising benefits to employees for "going along" with the company.
4 Similar order was directed against a Cone Brethers subsidary, Tampa Sand and Material Co., which was told to reinstate three drivers fired on May 26th, 1960, and to reinstate all mombors of Local 79 of the unaffiliated Teamstors who went on strike the following day in protest against the firings.
COMMENT: This order is all well and good but is nearly two years lato anyone who has exjocrience of industrial struggle will know that this is worse than usoless. If anything the existonce of this machinory to bring forward such charges will function only as a wet out and a diversion from more militant action, It should bo noted too, that the firm concerned is the iargest in Florida. All industry in the States is highly monopoliseds it is almost cortain that the firm is part of a large national corporation.