Union Under Johnson

Last week General Hugh S. Johnson found himself in much the same sort of hot water as other employers of labor who had been badly scalded by NRA's rigid rules on unionism. Industrialists whom the NRAdministrator had browbeaten into accepting collective bargaining were anything but sympathetic.

Affiliated with the American Federation of Labor is the American Federation of Government Employes. Lodge 91 of the A. F. G. E. is the union of NRA workers. Head of that union is one John L. Donovan who worked for NRA's Labor Advisory Board. Two of his superiors, Leo Wolman and Gustav Peck, had filed complaints against him. For appearance's sake, however, General Johnson hesitated to fire the head of his employes' union.

Early in June a union member named Mrs. Nancy Luke was discharged by NRA. The union took up her case. Last week Union Leader Donovan led a delegation to General Johnson's office to demand her reinstatement. According to the union account, General Johnson broke the engagement with the delegation and demanded the conference be postponed whereas Leader Donovan demanded and got an immediate hearing. Result: Mrs. Luke was reinstated. Then the General's pent-up feelings overflowed in a flood of Johnsonese. Regardless of consequences he did what few people thought he would dare do, and dismissed Leader Donovan for being "inefficient, insubordinate and absent from duty without leave." Said the NRA union: "In order to build a case, Donovan's immediate superior, Gustav Peck, was called in to allege in efficiency. Peck said Donovan was A. W. O. L. two days--last October! . . . His 'insubordination' was refusal to remove his delegation until another appointment was made. . . . Several of General Johnson's subordinates have been trying to 'get' President Donovan and break up the union ever since it was organized. Now they think they have succeeded. We think otherwise."

Said Washington's Central Labor Union: ". . . [We] demand his immediate re-instatement."

General Johnson fumed with rage as the spotlight was turned on his dealings with union labor. When the union prepared to carry the Donovan complaint to the National Labor Board he snorted: "I'll be glad if they do."

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