Picket Lines Formed at Belmont Park in Employes Jurisdictional Disputes: Teamster Union Demands That All Other Track Help Join Ranks of A. F. of L., Daily Racing Form, 1946-05-23

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Picket Lines Formed at Belmont Park In Employes Jurisdictional Disputes Teamster Union Demands 1 That All Other Track Help Join Ranks of A. F. of L BELMONT PARK, Elmont, L. I., N. Y., May 22. — Picket lines formed at the gates of Belmont Park today bearing signs proclaiming that the Westchester Racing Association was unfair to local 282 of the Teamsters and Chauffeurs Union, an affiliate of the American Federation of Labor. Shortly before noon, the bartenders were also notified by a union delegate that they were on strike, and sellers of admission tickets also went out, but were replaced by pari-mutuel clerks. Beer and soft drink sellers and waiters continued to work. The current strike, unlike the earlier labor disputes involving exercise riders, grooms and blacksmiths, is a jurisdictional dispute, the teamsters union demanding that all other track employes, including those employed by horse owners, the Stevens Catering Company, and the Pink-erton men join the A. F. of L. The majority of these men belong to independent unions, which have been certified by the Labor Relations Board, or, as in the case of the Exercise Riders and Grooms Association of America, Inc., are in process of certification. It appears virtually certain that the current strike will not cause any interruption in racing, though there is a possibility that electricians and other maintenance men may also walk out, which would be awkward but not necessarily put a stop to racing. Though the bars were closed, drinks were served thirsty patrons at tables in the clubhouse. Reports that electricians had joined the strike proved exaggerated while the bugler continued to "signal the appearance of the horses on the track, not having been called out by the musicians union. The strike of the van men teamsters will curtail the shipment of horses to Belmont from Jamaica and Aqueduct, but there are more than sufficient horses quartered on the Belmont grounds to conduct a meeting. The majority of horses from the other Long Island tracks who were entered today were shipped over last night, jamming the receiving barns. There is talk of using private vans for this purpose in the future. Meanwhile, track officials are in conference with officials of the various unions, including William DeKoning, president of the Central Allied Trades Council and Long Island field representative of the A. F. of L. The first direct affect of the teamsters action on racing came at 3:11 when tomorrows scheduled eighth race was canceled and a new event drawn in its place. Of the 14 originally named for the nightcap, six are stabled at Aqueduct and another Continued on Page Two Picket Belmont Park Gates In Jurisdictional Disputes Continued from Page One half dozen at Jamaica, leaving only two Belmont Park horses in the mile and one-eighth test. The new race is composed entirely of horses stabled at Belmont. Incidentally, this race was one of only two claiming races on the card, the better offerings drawing a preponderance of horses stabled here.


Persistent Link: https://drf.uky.edu/catalog/1940s/drf1946052301/drf1946052301_1_5
Local Identifier: drf1946052301_1_5
Library of Congress Record: https://lccn.loc.gov/unk82075800