STEWARD SUES UNION

Sun (Auckland), Volume II, Issue 357, 18 May 1928, Page 16

STEWARD SUES UNION

SAYS HE WAS VICTIMISED “CROOKS NOT WANTED” . Press Association. WELLINGTON. To-day. Archibald John Bryant, a steward, sued the Federated Cooks and Stewards’ Union for £25 damages to-day before Mr. E. Page, S.M., alleging that he had been victimised and so prevented from obtaining employment. Counsel indicated that the plaintiff had served a term in gaol for thefts, and when he afterwards approached the union secretary about a job on the Tahiti the secretary replied: “I have seen the steward and you are not going to get the job. We don’t want crooks and criminals in the union.” 4 The chief steward refused the plaintiff a job and later the secretary repeated the remark and handed back the £2 paid as union dues saying, “Here is a present from the union.” A meeting of the union resolved to readmit plaintiff, and Bryant had since offered to pay all dues owing, but the secretary had refused to discuss the question. When later Bryant’s counsel said it would not be denied, there were a number of ex-criminals in the union, Mr. P. J. O’Regan said: “We deny that most emphatically.” Mr. O’Regan added that there was nothing personal in the matter. He later applied for a non-suit on the ground that the plaintiff had not established his case. The magistrate reserved decision on the nonsuit point.