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ae pet tee ag abi wa SR TS “Ee - . ' 7. on a 7 - me or Pe a = 2 2 : wo. ” “o * “ “i Re: JOHN L. LEWIS, ET al ¢ INTERVIN WITH The UMW never produced any evidence Whatsowver. ae JOHN BERTHA . . 7 (continued). "The attitude of CARL ELSHOFF during this period was deacribed by Mr. BERTHA as being very remote. He was never agreeable to any suggestion which might come from the Progresaives and ifr. BERTHA had the feeling during the time that he was in Springfield that ELSHOFF was being financed by someone. He noted also that during the hearings which were held in October of 1937 the Attorneys for Ws and EL“HOFF sat at the same table and at no time did hie interest appear ’ antapouistic. Relative he United Kine Yorkers’ position Mr, BERTRA informed that he was convinced their activities were designed to promotc a delay of : action. They wanted, first, the Board to certify the United Mine Workers as bargaining agent without an election, Two, they would not agree to a consent election. Jy this respect BERTHA informed that ELSHOFF would not consent to the "consent election". Also it seems that in @ cansent election all threc parties mutually agree, that is, the two contesting wnions and the employer that an election will be held and that the employer will bargein with the union who wins. LSHOFF took te position that he was required to bargain under the Labor Act with the winner of the election so why enter into an agreement such as a "consent election", The United Mine Workers of Americe never entered into any of the hearings pertaining to the proposed election. From the actions and the statement of EDYUNDSON it wes clear to RERTHA that EDMUNTSON honed that sufficient pressure would be brought in ¥eshington upon the Labor Board to force them to certify the UME as the bargaining union at Mine B without an + elertinan = Salt vate - According to Kr. BERTHA, JOHN L. LEWIS never entered the picture / in these negotiations. Hovever, he advised that counsel for the UR / | was THURLO® LEWIS, who wes the brother of JOHN L. LEWIS. ~ Mr. BERTHA stated that et length due to the Lebor Board's hesitancy taking definite action beth he and RAJORK were afraid to go to Spring- re Bee OTT wee anette Ghat thee ween ahadawed 211 ¢he fimo ¢hac ficla. Mi. DENI NA WAS Cel ecitl Gk by ahead SicGeweo fag Vi YAH wile y were in Springfield by the UMW men and was almost certain that PKA employed the same tactics, It was obvious in the one or two conferences that they bad jointly with representetives of both unions that some of the mon were determined on both sides and for fear that actual violence would brcak out in such conferences they decided against holding them unless they got better support from the Labor Board in Yashington. ur. BERTHA wes questioned es to whether ar not it wa obvious that UM" was employing counsel for ELSHOFF during the procecdin snes in the fall ~682- °° ny ET ne