Dairy Dispute Turns Sour: 21 Drivers Refuse to Deliver

In the nation’s capital, a labor dispute at the Chestnut Farms Dairy has taken a contentious turn. On March 28, 1930, a conference was called to try and iron out the difficulties between dairy officials and union leaders. The disagreement stemmed from a group of drivers who claimed they were being forced out by the dairy’s management. They refused to resign from the union, with 14 members walking off the job in protest. F.M. Brawner, vice president of the dairy, countered that the drivers had no cause to quit and had not been asked to leave the union. However, company officials reported that 21 drivers had refused to work, citing a difference of opinion. One dairy official claimed that Chestnut Farms was opposed to drivers joining the union, fearing it would interfere with their work of collecting and delivering new milk. The meeting was held at the Central Labor Council, 720 Fifth Street NW, where it was said 35 drivers initially refused to give up the union and therefore did not work. The dispute raises questions about the balance of power between big business and organized labor in the nation’s capital.