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Parent Status of Court Reporters in Trial
Date 23 December 1946
Language English
Collection Tavenner Papers & IMTFE Official Records
Box Box 3
Folder General Reports and Memoranda from December 1946
Repository University of Virginia Law Library
December 23, 1946 The Honorable Sir William Webb: - I feel it is my plain duty, as an officer of the Court and Chief of the Court Reporting Section, the advise you of a situation which, in its result, will cause the Tribunal to be left without the services of a single court reporter to record and prepare the proceedings of the trial now being heard. For some time past rumors have been rampant that the court reporting section would have their ratings reduced from CAF-12 to CAF-9 or CAF-8, a substantial reduction in salary, living conditions and emoluments being entailed. Recently this was confirmed by the General Secretary and the Civilian Personnel Section, and the latest word is that on December 23, 1946 each of the court reporters of the Tribunal will receive a letter from the Civilian Personnel Section advising him of this fact. As a result, the entire section of eleven (11) court reporters, including myself, have averred that on receipt of this letter we will no longer care to continue in our present duties and will return to our respective homes. We exceedingly regret the unfortunate situation that the Tribunal will be left with in regard to the record of proceedings, but we see no alternative to our action for we absolutely will not submit to any reduction whatsoever and will not work under those circumstances. The Government of the United States has violated its agreement with us and has broken its faith. Many of us were originally asked in Washington, D. C. to come out here at a CAF-9 rating, and we refused then. We see no reason why we should view the situation any differently now. When we were engaged as CAF-12’s, we came in good faith, certainly not expecting reduction in rating after our arrival. As you are no doubt aware, experienced and competent court reporters, such as are necessary in a trial of this scope and difficulty, have little trouble in earning at least as much as we are being paid here and a great deal more in many, many cases. The Civilian Personnel Section has not taken us entirely into their confidence in outlining the reason for this reduction, but their job analyst has advised us that she fixed out lower ratings in accordance with the basic salary set forth for Federal court reporters in a Civil Service Manual in their possession. In this connection, it is illuminating to see how little comprehension the Civilian Personnel Section has of court reporting.