A UNION’S TROUBLES

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LIII, Issue 16347, 23 May 1927, Page 7

A UNION’S TROUBLES

SECRETARY’S RESIGNATION SOUGHT (Special to the Herald.) CHRISTUM UKCH, this day. A section of the North Canterbury members of the Canterbury Freezing Works and Allied Trades Union has asked for the resignation of Mr. F. C. Ellis, who has been secretary of the union for the past lb years. The trouble has arisen from Mr. Ellis’ discharge of an office typists for having allegedly worked in opposition to him in the recent election for the secretaryship of the union. Recently a campaign for the secretaryship was waged against Mr. Ellis by a man who is alleged to have leanings towards Communism. At the ballot Mr. Ellis was re-elected by 691 votes to 459. Mr. Ellis considered that his typists was working against him, and she was asked for her resignation. The girl resigned, and then a meeting of the union was called. The meeting was addressed by the typiste, who stated her case, and a meeting of the executive was held afterwards. The executive decided that she should be reinstated, and asked her to take up her position again. She refused, however, as she was going to work in Wellington. In addition to recommending that the girl he asked to take up her duties again, the meeting recommended that Mr. Ellis should be asked for Ilia resignation, but the executive did not endorse this. Mr. Ellis is well known all over the Dominion in connection with his work for Labor, and lie is a prominent figure in the Trades Hall.