I. & E. Greenwald Co. v. Iron Molders' Union

1 Hosea's Rep. 242
CourtOhio Superior Court, Cincinnati
DecidedJuly 1, 1907
StatusPublished

This text of 1 Hosea's Rep. 242 (I. & E. Greenwald Co. v. Iron Molders' Union) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Ohio Superior Court, Cincinnati primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
I. & E. Greenwald Co. v. Iron Molders' Union, 1 Hosea's Rep. 242 (Ohio Super. Ct. 1907).

Opinion

Hosea, J.

Decision on contempt charges.

Charges in contempt were filed in this case on August 14 against John F. O’Leary, vice-president of the Iron Molders’ Union of North America, and Henry Hinnenkamp, business agent of local No. 4 of the Iron Molders’ Union of this city, for violation of the injunction issued by this court on September 30, 1904, and still in force.

The specific charge is, that on or about July 17, 1905, O’Leary and Hinnenkamp induced John East and Frank-Reid, employes of the plaintiff company, to break their contract with plaintiffs and leave their employ, by paying said [243]*243employes, etch, a sum of money, and giving them railway tickets for themselves and wives to Cleveland, Ohio.

All parties were represented in court in person and by counsel and have had full opportunity to present testimony, and cross-examine opposing witness; and the cause was duly submitted to the court for judgment, counsel for both sides waiving argument.

There is no serious dispute upon the material facts. The testimony establishes the fact that the strike condition, which was the occasion of the injunction, still exists; that the strike is conducted directly by local union No. 4, through its officers and particularly through Hinnenkamp, its business agent and financial secretary, but under the supervisory direction of O’Leary, third vice-president and business agent of the Iron Molders’ Union of North America, which is an international body with headquarters at Chicago.

It appears also, that the plaintiff company is still operating its business under the protection of the injunction of this court, and was so operating in July, with employes under wages, including East and Reid.

It appears also, without dispute, that East and Reid were accosted at various times and places by O’Leary, Hinnenkamp and other officers of the defendant unions on the subject of their employment, and that the talks finally led to proposals which were accepted, whereby both East and Reid were paid sums of money in cash, and given railroad tickets to Cleveland for themselves and families, with assurances of employment in that city; and that thereupon they quit the employment of the Greenwald Company and went to Cleveland.

The general character of the negotiations leading to this result is clearly indicated. East testifies, O’Leary asked him if he wanted to be “straightened up,” and next day Hinnenkamp called and asked him what offer he could make to “straighten him up” and have him take a union card and leave town, and offered him tickets to Cleveland and fifty dollars in cash. The proposition was accepted and [244]*244the agreement carried out. The money finally paid included also the five dollars initiation fee of the union.

Reid testifies to visits from officers of the union, and from O’Leary, who told him to call on Hinnenkamp, all culminating in a similar proposition to “straighten him up,” and get him out of town. Hinnenkamp paid him twenty dollars and gave him tickets to Cleveland.

Mr. O’Leary frankly testified that when he met East, in May or June, he told him that it was “unfortunate that he should start in as a strike breaker,” and that “the odium would stay with him a long time.”

Mr. Hinnenkamp also testified that he had charge of the strike on behalf of local No. 4 and' that part of his duty was to “get scabs,” meaning, to get men away from a nonunion shop. Pie said all molders at Greenwald’s foundry were considered “scabs,” and he considéred it lawful to see parties and get them into the union, and to purchase tickets for them to other cities; also that the issue of a union ticket would of itself compel a man to quit Greenwald’s and prevent him from working there under present conditions.

He admits the payment of the money and procuring of tickets for East and Reid, out of the union funds in his possession, including the initiation fee, and claimed the right to issue a card to any one he saw fit to initiate.

Upon these facts the issue is clearly raised whether the seducing away of employes as a means of aiding a strike, falls within the scope of the injunction heretofore issued in this case.

The injunction order in terms commands the defendants, their confederates, servants and agents, and any and all persons aiding and abetting them, to desist and refrain, among other things, from:

1. Hindering, obstructing or stopping any of the business of plaintiff in this city, county or elsewhere.

2. In any manner interfering with the plaintiff company in carrying on its business in the usual and ordinary way.

3. Going either singly or collectively to the homes of the employes of the plaintiff company, or any or either of them, [245]*245for the purpose of, and in such a manner as to intimidate, coerce or unlawfully persuade any of said employes to leave the employment of the plaintiff company.

4. Compelling or inducing by threats, intimidation, force, violence or unlawful persuasion, from freely continuing in the service or employment of the plaintiff company.

The injunction order in this case was carefully drawn, in accordance with orders heretofore made by this court and by other courts in similar cases, and is designed to protect the plaintiff's business against unlawful interference.

There is no longer any question of the right of courts to prevent by their equity powers the commission of wrongs of the character too commonly inflicted in furtherance of strikes, rather than to remit parties to ineffectual remedies at law; and this right and power of the courts is inherent as a co-ordinate branch of the government and can not be curtailed by legislation.

In cases of this kind it is obvious that the injuries to business that 'can be, and frequently are, inflicted by bodies of men animated by a hostile spirit and a common purpose, are of a diverse character, and are continuing, irreparable and incapable of admeasurement according to strict legal principles. The remedy at law is entirely inadequate, and, as has been well said in a recent case on the subject:

“It is therefore a clear case for the interposition of a court of equity to exercise its preventive remedy, and that is the particular sphere at this day of a court of equity, as contradistinguished from a court of law.” Frank v. Herold, 63 N. J. Eq., 443 (52 Atl. Rep., 152).

In the present case no direct violence is shown; but, if the attitude of the union defendants is truly indicated by Mr. Hinnenkamp, the right is claimed to seduce away workmen by any means short of violence. But whether done with violence or without it, the purpose is clearly the same in both cases, namely, to cripple the business and thus compel concession to the demands of the union. The results, manifestly, are the same in both cases; for, whether [246]*246with violence or by means that do not involve violence, the manufácturer is deprived of the assistance of his workmen, his machinery must stop and his business come to a standstill. It follows, therefore, that a. mere difference in the means employed in inflicting the injury, provided they are both actuated by an unlawful purpose and both tend to the same unlawful end, can make no difference in the wrongful character of the act. That character is to be determined by the initial purpose and the final result in the end sought to be accomplished.

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Bluebook (online)
1 Hosea's Rep. 242, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/i-e-greenwald-co-v-iron-molders-union-ohsuperctcinci-1907.