Some scrapbook materials (newspaper clippings, for example) are incomplete with regard to source, full name, date and are not easily referenced. Articles/information appear as they are pasted into the scrapbooks.
The Taft-Hartley Act was passed by the U.S. Congress in 1947 to help end some of the abuses of organized labor.
NO. 702 - (ALLEN BRADLEY CO. V. ELECTRICAL WORKERS, 325 U. S. 797 (1945)
SUPREME COURT OF THE UNITED STATES
MARCH 8, 9, 1945 Argued
JUNE 18, 1945, Decided
Four-page typed letter dated May 31, 1939 from Penner Electric Co.
March 16, 1938 letter from the U.S. Department of Justice to Penner Electric
September 2, 1939 LIBERTY-- Racketeering at the World’s Fair—Why Building Plans and Recovery Nationally Are Held Up, Remain Stagnant—by George E. Sokolsky—pp. 11-13
October 28, 1939 LIBERTY--Electrical Workers Answer Sokolsky, p.64
Racket Clew Search Enters Wall Street—Blanket Subpoena in Electrical Inquiry Covers 86 Firms and Individuals—Several Hineses Are Listed—New York Sun, July 27, 1938
Tells of Business Ruined By Labor
Hearing Date Set—in Union’s Injunction Suit Against Isaac Penner—New York Sun, August 3, 1938
Racket Witness Guilty in 5 Min.—July 29, 1938
Job Penalty Stirs Boss to Picket—Charges Union Link with $3,700 Fine on College Work—New York Journal and American, August 11, 1938
Penner Pickets Alone—Electrical Contractor Hauls His Own Protest—The New York Sun, August 25, 1938
Queens Man Asks Ousting of Mayor—Mystery Veils Pleas—Connected With Union Issue on Independent Subway Delay—August 26, 1938
Hines Used His Influence in City Awards, Court Told—Got Contracts for Son’s Electrical Firm Though Underbid, It is Testified
Says Union Barred Him From Own Job—Contractor Testifies He Was Even Forbidden to Drive His Wife Along Public Street—Sabotage Also Charged—Conduits Clogged to Prevent Insertion of Wires, He Says in Electrical Union Case—May 7, 1938
Union Violations of Sherman Act Listed By Arnold—Justice Department Gives Reasons for Trust Law Probe of Labor—New York Post, November 20, 1939
Says Hines Backs Local 3—Penner Names Tammany Boss as Power Behind Electrical Union—May 11, 1938
Hines is Pictured As Power In Union—Contractor Charges Tammany Leader is ‘Behind’ Accused Electricians’ Local—Says Influence Aids Son—Penner Also Testifies City Inspectors ‘Carry Cards’ and Serve Labor Group—Times, May 11, 1938
Contractor Ousts All Union Employes—Charges Electrical Workers on City Jobs With Sabotage and Racketeering—New York Times, March 12, 1938
Contractor Lays Sabotage To Union—Electrical Employer Testifies Labor Group Put ‘Rollers’ on Him to Control Jobs—Admits Bid Collusion—Confesses He Also Committed Perjury to ‘Play Ball’ So He Would Be Let Alone—New York Times, March 30, 1938
Union Again Called a Racket—Witness in Suit Against Electricians Says He Was Told Mayor Condoned It
Penner Names More Officials—Testifies He Appealed for Aid to Pascal, Herlands, Gurfein and Martin—New York Sun, April 7, 1938
Penner Heard At Hearing—Herald Tribune, April 8, 1938
Contractor Says City Ignored Charge Of Sabotage Against Electrical Union—New York Times, April 8, 1938
Merritt Accused In Union Dispute—Contempt Charged to Lawyer by Electricians’ Counsel at Boycott Hearing—Plea to Reporters Cited—Manufacturers’ Pamphlet on Case Declared “False” in Attack by Walsh—The New York Times, April 7, 1938
Don’t Restrain Trade, Arnold Warns Unions—Liable to Action Under Sherman Law, ‘Trust-Buster’ Declares—Journal and American
Unafraid of “600 Gorillas,” Woman Pickets Union Office—Chased Down Street, Says She Fought for “N.Y. and Labor”—New York World Telegram, March 16, 1938
She Blames Union Men For Those Bruises—New York Journal and American, March 16, 1938
Woman Picket Routed by Rain
Restraining Builders
Uncle Sam Dips In—New York Sun, November 21, 1939
Isaac Penner Files Big Suit—Asks $1,000,000 of Three Electrical Groups—Echo of Prolonged Case—Charges Boycott Conspiracy and Monopoly of Trade
Electrical Firm Sues 3 Unions for $1,000,000—Penner Charges Conspiracy and Monopoly by Locals; Other Contractors Named
Will Lock Out Union Workers—Penner Electric Company, With $222,483 in Public Contracts, Blames Sabotage
Firm Locks Out Union Employees—Electric Company President Lays Racketerring and Sabotage to Local
P.S. 108 Contractor Orders Lockout, Blames Sabotage on Electrical Union
Letter dated December 2, 1939 from William Hard of the Readers Digest
Dewey Abandons Electrical Quiz—D.A.’s Office Returns Union Papers After Hints of Collusion—New York Post, November 20, 1939
Says Dewey Returns Union’s Records—Head of Electricians Issues Statement—New York World Telegram, November 20, 1939
New P.S. 108 in Bronx to Open This Week Provided Electrical Union Dispute Is Settled—March 13, 1938
Contracts Awarded, Work Is Started on Two New Bronx School Buildings—March 10, 1938
Plan to Void Contracts on School Work Denied—Action Withheld by Board in Union Labor Dispute—Herald Tribune, March 14, 1938
School Contracts Won’t Be Voided, Declares Turner—March 14, 1938
Woman Boss Declares War on Union—New York Journal and American
Ruffled Picket Declares War—Woman Beset at Union Office Says She’ll Tell Dewey—March 15, 1938
Employer’s Wife Pickets Unionists—But Hostile Crowd Seizes Her Sandwich Boards—March 15, 1938
Woman Picketing Union attacked—Sign Torn Off Mrs. Penner as She Protests ‘Racketeering Officers’
Wife of Bronx School Contractor Set Upon During Picketing of Union for “Sabotage”—March 16, 1938
Woman Owner of Shop Pickets Electrical Union—Herald Tribune, March 16, 1938
Contractor’s Wife Pickets Union Offices; Jostled Backing Husband’s Case in Row—New York Times, March 16, 1938
Woman Mauled In A Labor Row Explains Fight—Mrs. Penner Attacked for Picketing A.F.L. Local and Defending Husband—Proud Of Her Left Hook—New York Post, March 16, 1938
Employer Pickets Union—New York Post, March 1938
Life Threatened Says Contractor
Non-Union Electricians Called to P.S. 108 to Fill Positions of Locked-Out Workers—March 17, 1938
Contractors Held In Racket Inquiry—Two in Electrical Concern Are Accused of State Income Tax Violations—Sequel to Study of Union—Dewey Aides Fail to Trace Satisfactorily $30,000 in Records of Firm—New York Times, March 17, 1938
Two Plead Guilty to Tax Evasion—Pair Trapped by Dewey Decide Not to Fight State Charges
Another Tax Suit Linked to Rackets—Head of Jamaica Electrical Concern Accused of Filing Fraudulent Returns—Dewey Grand Jury Acts--$36,000 in False Entries for Supplies Said to Have Been Made in Company Books
A.F.L. Denies Writ Voids Contracts With Edison Co.—Pamphlet Distributed to All Employees—Contempt of Court Seen—New York Evening Post, March 21, 1938
Mark Eisner Quits Education Post—Pleads ‘Extreme Pressure of Business’ in Resigning From Higher Board—Chairman for Six Years—Naming of Successor Today Will Give Control of 14 Members to Fusion Regime
Curtailed Funds Threaten to End Building Inquiry—Budget Bureau Recommends Half of Sum Requested—February 7, 1940
Asks U.S. Avoid Baiting Labor By Its Inquiry—Van Arsdale Issues Reply to Arnold Statement About Unions—Prosecutor Cited Offenses—Letter Called Five Practices Clearly Contrary to Sherman Act—New York Sun, November 20, 1939
WPA $125,000 Lost By City—Lowest Bid Not Taken on Queens Subway Job—So It Couldn’t Collect—Testimony in Suit of Electrical Manufacturers Against Union—The New York Sun, March 24, 1938
Asked Pay for Hailing Mayor—Men Quit Job in Campaign, Contractor Testifies—Penner Still On The Stand—Tells in Labor Suit How Worker Told Him to Quit Post
Drifting Toward Dictatorship—For Liberals with Common Sense: One Man’s Warning to the U.S.A.—Liberty, April 28, 1939, pp. 11-12
Faults Found In Labor Act—Dean Garrison’s Defense Challenged as Not Covering Fundamentals—Times, April 10, 1939
Fair is Called Labor Racket But Venezuelan Pavilion Will Open May 26 Regardless—Demands Sound Fantastic—Commissioner Lopez Says They Seem Unbelievable—New York Sun Times, May 18, 1939
9 Contractors Admit Guilt in Rigging of Bids—Tenth Man in Electrical Trade Elects to Stand Trial on Indictment—Three-Year Terms Possible—Pleas of Guilty Are Entered by Charles H. Tuttle in Behalf of Nine Attorneys—The New York Sun, May 25, 1939
9 Contractors Confess Guilt—Admit Collusive Bidding on City and Private Electrical Jobs—New York Post, May 25, 1939
Regimentation of Workers—Daily Mirror, May 23, 1939
Whalen Jubilant Over First Month—Paid Attendance Has Exceeded Expectations, He Declares, Reviewing Achievements—Labor Trouble Minimized—Fair President Finds Many of Centers Increasing Staffs to Handle Large Crowds—May 25, 1939
Labor Problem at Fair Put Up To Committee—One Group is Pacified After 15-day Strike and Is Back at Work—Argentina Has Its Day—Olin Downs Resigns as Music Director—Hall of Music to Change Policy—New York Sun, May 25, 1939
Queens ‘Snub’ Laid to Mayor, Whalen—Their Absence From Dedication of Borough’s Host House Deplored by Halleran—Harvey Also Not Present—Commissioner Asserts Borough Head Would Shun ‘Stiff-Necked Fair Reception’
$500,000 Fixed as Overcharge In City Printing—Herlands Finds Burland Co. Boosted Prices for 3 Years—New York World Telegram, June 28, 1939
Not A Model—New York Sun, June 10, 1939
Stresses 14 Points In Attack on NLRB—N.A.M. Counsel Tells Senate Group Its Decisions Create New ‘Inequalities’—‘Employers Seldom Win’—Says Only 16 of 374 Rulings Completely Sustained Employers—A.F.L. in Attack—New York Times, June 21, 1939
Don’t Trust NLRB; Amend the ACT—World Telegram, June 23, 1939
Labor Rackets and Politics—Rank and File Workers Seen as Victims of an Unforunate Combination—New York Times, June 18, 1939
Picketing Illegal for Non-Employes; Illinois Court Bars ‘Libelous’ Banners—New York Times, June 20, 1939
Would Reduce Building Costs—Problems of the Industry Is to Provide $16 Per Room Rents, Says Feldman—New York Sun, June 3, 1939
Mayor’s Pact Bans Building Trade Strikes
Justice and Dr. Toole—Daily News, June 16, 1939
Unions Denounced As Hospital Opens—Dr. Ewing Charges They Added 20% to Cost of Memorial Anti-Cancer Center—20 Feet Cut Off Building—Quarters ‘Pinched’ to Pay Cost—Authorities on Diseases Attend Dedication—June 14, 1939
For Unions to Explain—New York World Telegram, June 15, 1939
Again A Business Visit Is Made Ridiculous—The Sun, June 5, 1939
Contractor Flays Roosevelt at Racket Trial—Mayor and Union Heads Denounced; 9 Sentenced—New York Journal, June 15, 1939
The Mighty Fall—New York Post, June 5, 1939
Dewey To Expose 10 Million Fraud in Electric Field—Contractors, Politicians, and Union in Ring—Chicago Daily Tribune, June 8, 1939
Exhibiting Nations Express Bitterness Over Labor Rows—Foreign Nations May Quit The Fair—The New York Times, June 8, 1939
Nevada Walks Out On Fair
State of Nevada Drops N.Y. Fair Exhibit Plans—Puts Blame on Troubles with Electrical Union—Chicago Daily Tribune, June 9, 1939
Foreign Exhibits Wait Fair Action in Labor Row—Ex-Official Says Unions Acted Like Hungry Tiger—New York Journal, June 14, 1939
Foreign Groups At Fair Draft Joint Protest—Heads of 58 National Units Meet After Threat to Withdraw—Whalen Belittles Affair—Leader of Official Commissioners Warns Against Refusal to Come In Next Year
Threat to Bolt Fair Minimized—Whalen Expects No Trouble From Foreign Nations Over Labor Situation—June 8, 1939
Labor Rackets At The Fair—New York Times, June 9, 1939
Nations Say Labor Drains Fair Funds—Envoys Discuss Drafting an Appeal to Home Regimes for More Money—Backed by U.S. Official—Federal Aide Says Foreigners Should Not Be Treated as Trade Exhibitors—June 8, 1939
Belgians Irked By U.S. Unions—Use of ‘Gangster Methods’ at Fair Is Charged—Dilemma At Opening Told—Light Was Cut Off and Dynamo Disabled, Publication Says—New York Times, June 8, 1939
U.S. Maps Drive on Building Cost—Arnold Gives Program to Lower Prices Through Anti-Trust Action—New York Post, July 7, 1939
Neon Sign Industry Hard Hit By Labor Union Difficulties—Costly Signs Mutilated, Dealers Picketed and Shops Damaged by Thugs, Contractor Charges—Christian Science, July 23, 1939
Fair Enough—July 27, 1939
Fair Pays Tribute to A.F.L. at Fete—Whalen Greets 1,800 Labor Guests, Extolling Unions’ Part in Exposition—Convention Opens Today—State Federations Sessions to Stress Preservation of American System—New York Times, August 15, 1939
Regimentation of Labor—Maybe? LIBERTY, August 26, 1939
Strike Continues At State Hospital As Parlays Fizzle—350 Workmen Remain Idle On New Buildings in Row Over Electricians—The Islip Press, August 17, 1939
Denies Union Boycott—Official of Electrical Local Tells of Agreements, September 1939
Upholds Forming of New Union—Telegram, September 11, 1939
Dewey Indicts Nine Electrical Contractors—Accused of Rigging Bids to City and Private Firms—New York Journal and American, September 23, 1939
Urge A.F.L. Back 30-Hour Week—Electricians, at Parley, Call Plan ‘Solution to Unemployment’—September 29, 1939
Vote to Curb Profits Due at A.F.L. Parley—September 29, 1939
A Racket Undisturbed—Chicago Daily Tribune, September 7, 1939
Labor and National Unity—READERS DIGEST, November 1939
Strike Hits N.Y. Contractor Who Fought Racket—Ties Up Work on Four New State Buildings—September 5, 1939
A.F.L. Here Assails Choice of Fleming—Says Labor Is Tired of Being Kicked Around by the Military—New York Post, October 20, 1939
Warns Labor Not to Abuse Power—Daily News, October 17, 1939
Council Criticized—Organ of Citizens Union Blasts City Body—New York Sun, October 20, 1939
SLRB Poll Allows Ban On All Unions—Board in Hotel St. George Case Rules Majority of Workers Can Reject Bargaining—New York Times, October 13, 1939
When Employees Prefer Not to Organize—New York Sun, October 14, 1939
State Unmindful of City Burdens Says LaGuardia—Tells Herald Tribune Forum Politics Too Often Stands in Way—New York Post, October 25, 1939
Union is Indited in Building Inquiry—Washington Jury Says Teamsters Broke Sherman Law by Strikes Delaying Projects—In Jurisdictional Dispute—Case Is First in Nation-Wide Government Drive Against Curbs on Construction—New York Times, October 18, 1939
Outlaw Strikes Halt School Job—Hod Carriers and Carpenters Violate Agreements in Row Over Division of Work—Early Truce is Expected—Meanwhile, Bronx Walkout is Settled, Ending Tie-Up of $50,000,000 Housing—October 15, 1939
Unions Found to Use Threats on Employees—Practice Is Reported in 45 Percent of Bronx Cases—C. of C. Tells of Survey—Employers Themselves Are Not So Frequently Informed of Violence Impending—New York Sun, October 26, 1939
Jury Probes L.I. Labor Racket—Hear Ex-NRA Aide in Invedstigation of Building ‘Code’—October 26, 1939
Struck Firm Sues Union for $100,000 Daily News, October 12, 1939
Electrical Inquiry Opens Here on Nov. 9—Federal Grand Jury to Weigh Charges of Illegal Practice—New York Times
Fie, NLRB!—World Telegram, November 28, 1939
Graft—The New Landlord—LIBERTY, November 11, 1939
Builder Tells of Bid Rigging in Private Jobs—Head of Electrical Company Admits Being Member of Collusive Ring—Freed Before U.S. Court—Witness Says Contractors Held Meetings and Decided Who Would Get Contracts—New York Sun, November 4, 1939
Arnold Defies Trust Laws, Green Replies—Daily News, November 23, 1939
Blocking Social Progress—Construction Unions Seen Maintaining an Indefensible Position—The Times, November 28, 1939
Abuses—Nevertheless—New York World Telegram, November 28, 1939
Fair Enough—November 28, 1939
Green Urges Public to Judge Labor War—Asks Fixing of ‘Blame’, Saying Neutral View Blocks Peace—New York Times, November 20, 1939
Arnold View Disputed—State Law Official Disagrees With Assistant Attorney General—The Times, November 26, 1939
Is the A.F. of L. Above the Law?—November 27, 1939
Union Scores Dewey Lag on Seized Books—Daily News, November 21, 1939
Green Plea Ignored In Action on Unions—Murphy Will Invoke Anti-Trust Laws—November 29, 1939
Green Plea Ignored By Murphy In Action on Unions—Justice Department To Invoke Anti-Trust Laws Against Labor—World Telegram, November 29, 1939
E. Roosevelt Says Labor Is In Peril—He Warns Unions of ‘Frightful Beating’ in Congress Unles A.F.L.-C.I.O. Heal Split—New York Times, November 24, 1939
Union Attitude Toward Fair—Rackets Alleged in Many Cases—World Telegram, November 27, 1939
Teamsters’ Case Pushed—Cahill to Prosecute Indictment on Anti-Trust Charge
Quill Backer Quits As LaGuardia Aide—Labor Secretary, Who Fought Opposition to Councilman on Red Issues, Resigns—No Politics, Mayor Says—Frankel to Rejoin Law Firm—‘Enjoyed His Job at City Hall, He Asserts—New York Times, November 25, 1939
Government Lists Punishable Acts of Labor Unions—Anti-Trust Laws Violated If ‘Unreasonable Restraints’ Are Used, Arnold Says—Five Types Are Set Forth—Include Made Work and Jurisdictional Strikes—Building Industry Held Example—New York Times, November 20, 1939
Sparks Fly in New Deal Drive On Building Monopolies Here—100 Subpoenas Issued in Arnold’s Campaign to Smash Alleged Combines of Contractors and Unions—New York Sun, December 9, 1939
Racketeering Pro and Con—LIBERTY, December 16, 1939
Picket Lines Defy LaGuardia’s Ban—C.I.O. and A.F. of L. Men March at Laundries—December 9, 1939
Why Fewer on WPA?—December 22, 1939
Accuses State Labor Chiefs—Goodman Sees Plan to Rule Employment Agencies—Says Bill Has Been Drafted—Issues Statements as President of Job Placement Council—December 29, 1939
Three Big Electric Concerns Indicted—Federal Anti-Trust Jury Hands Up Sweeping Bill—New York Sun, December 22, 1939
Electrical Workers’ Wages at Fair—World-Telegram, December 1, 1939
School Economies Held Severe Blow—Marshall Tells Mayor Cuts in Budget Have Eliminated Many Essential Services—Buildings in Disrepair—Overcrowded Classes, Closed Recreation Centers and Lack of Adequate Staffs Cited—New York Times, December 1, 1939
Bringing Business Here?—A Tax of 30 Cents A Ton Imposed by the Union—December 22, 1939
Fair Enough—December 30, 1939
Union Czar Edging Back!—World Telegram, December 29, 1939
Green Assails Perkins Report On Labor Rift—December 31, 1939
The Erickson Case—It Raises a Few Questions—Long Island Daily Press, December 30, 1939
U.S. Jury Indicts Big Electric Firms in Building Inquiry—General Electric Supply Co, Westinghouse Supply, Graybar Accused at Detroit—Ten Wholesalers Named—Charges of Price Conspiracy on Large Michigan Jobs Involve 19 Individuals Also—The New York Times, December 23, 1939
Today in Washington—Congressional Leaders Realize Wagner Act Must Be Amended—The Sun, December 30, 1939
Land of Liberty—New York World Telegram, December 30, 1939
C.I.O. Invades City In Building Drive—4,000 Unorganized Workers Signed Up and Six Locals Chartered, Leader Says—A.F.L. Scoffs At Threat—Contractors’ Official Doubts Also That Movement Could Make Much Headway—December 1, 1939
The Georgian’s Request—Sun, December 22, 1939
Shift in Labor Control—The Sun, December 9, 1939
David C. Anchin, Addressing Bronx Lions, Urges State Supervision for Labor Unions—December 21, 1939
Light Fixture Inquiry Indicts 9 Corporations—Government Charges Bids Were Rigged in Contracts for City and U.S. Projects—December 16, 1939
Lehman Grants State Workers Union Rights—Orders Department Heads to Bargain Collectively, Set Up Grievance Units—December 16, 1939
New Deal Tinged with Red, Says Smith; Likes Wilkie—Opposes Third Term, Approves of Garner In Interview on His 66th Birthday—New York World Telegram, December 30, 1939
Green Denounces Version of Perkins on Split in Labor—He Says She Suppresses Vital Facts and Calls for an Inquiry by Congress—Would ‘Wring’ the Truth—Resents Also Reference to Membership ‘Claim’—She Files Annual Report—New York Times, December 31, 1939
Today in Washington—Two Sets of Precedents Enable Courts to Decide Always for New Deal—New York Sun, December 1, 1939
Ickes Proposal Fails to Start Political Stir—Members of Congress Point to Previous Failures of Third Party Hopes—Hatch Makes Predictions—New Mexican Asserts Neither of Parties Will Put Up Reactionary Candidate for President—New York Sun, December 22, 1939
War Dept. Hints It May Break Wright Field Strike—March 1941
AFL Ends Wright Strike—Daily News, March 1941
U.S. Reorganizes Priorities System
Clipped Eagle—LIFE On The Newsfronts Of The World, 1941
The publisher's revised note on page 256, Chapter 6, Note #1 will be updated when the book is reprinted and will read: "Chapter 6. Battles on Many Fronts 1. Sokolsky quoted at length from the testimony of former Local 3 member, Isaac Penner, who had become a contractor and then engaged his former union in a series of disputes.
His charges of intimidation, extortion, and the like received a heavy play in the press. Local 3 responded in part by seeking an injunction against his lockout of Local 3 members". (M.E. Sharpe, Inc., publishers, September 2009)
A "thank you" to Mr. Edwin Black for his suggestions to me regarding historical veracity.
For further information contact:
Dr. Helen Penner Ackerman