Evening star., 1934-06-10
STEEL PEACE.
moves THURSDAY.
Convention of Workers at
Pittsburgh to Decide
General Strike. =
Continued From First Page.)

Continued From First Page)
shop. In this johnson is Just poll
parroting, as usual, the lies of the
steel magnates. We have not de-
manded the closed shop. Our union
Is a voluntary organization.
"It is useless for US to waste any
more time in Washington in the ma
tional run-around,' rejecting traps
set for US.
I'VE are returning home today to
prepare for action. We have done
our best to abide by the law and
to get 1t enforced. We conferred
favor upon the administration by
warning you Of the consequences Of
non-enforcement of Section IA"
johnson Issues Statement.
johnson took cognizance of the open
letter to President Roosevelt by issuing
a statement in which he termed the
letter very unfair"
They could have gotten much in
Washington" johnson said. They
simply refused what was offered them
which was the very limit of what
lawfully could be offered them.
The fact is that I offered these
men an opportunity to name a COM
mittee of flve to sit with me through
Saturday afternoon and all day Sun
day If necessary, to work this prob
lem out. They refused this.
MY consolation in the matter is
that even though they conceded the
complete absence of any authority to
do or to agree to do anything we went
to the ultimate of our authority to
do the best we could for them.
Il hope the men they represent will
understand this"
Rights and Duties ''Misconceived."
johnson said the Workers Commit
tee "misconceived the rights and
duties of this administration" He
said Of these duties Of tie administra-
ton:
1T is an umpire and has no right
to impose any particular form OF la
Dor organization on any industry OF
any group of workers. These men
sponsor q policy which forbids any
local from reaching an agreement with
any employers until all locals agree
with all employers. That is physically
mpossible-and yet that is one of the
points upon which a strike is threat
ened
when they write to the President
that the plan presented to them was
a proposal to tighten company union
chains they are reversing the facts.
It contained a clause permitting them
| to vote a company union out OF ex-
istence, If they have the free and
unrestricted votes, and If they do not
have such votes. nobody supposes that
they have any right to impose them
selves upon any group of employees"
Denies Terming Them Communists.
johnson said that the committees
charge that he had denounced them
as Communists for demanding a 30
hour work week was "a plain un-
vanished lie" He explained that he
referred to IAN avowed Communist
group which had arrived in town.
When they say that they had to
reject traps set for them they do q
Grass injustice to an administration
which stands ready at all times to in
sure to them or to any labor group,
to the full extent Of Federal author
ity, any right guaranteed to them
under this law"
johnson said of the letter that lit
| apparently does not bear the signature
of any authorized official of the inter-
national union"
There was evidence of the same
employe group split of opinion that
| has prevailed during the development
of the critical steel situation. While
Spang and some others announced
| desired to remain and continue dis
| cussions with johnson.
Reached No Conclusion.
Tighe emerged from the johnson
conference to say:
I'VE arrived at no conclusion.
There really is no power vested
in the officers (of the local unions)
to accept or reject the plan"
This view by Tighe apparently was
substantiated in the subsequent an
nouncement by johnson of the con-
| vention call. understood to have been
sent out today from Pittsburgh.
johnson told reporters that nobody
in the group with which he conferred
had any authority to accept the pro-
poSal.
He said that since the steel workers
had been in Washington they had
made directly to him only two de-
mandS:
To see President Roosevelt and to
bring about enforcement of the COL
lective bargaining provision of the
i national industrial recovery act
They didn't present one sugges-
ton for modification" said johnson,
when asked If the workers had pro-
posed changes in the board plan
| made public last night.
He said he did not expect to renew
| discussions with the steel operators
| unless 1t was found necessary to
make changes in the plan.
President Roosevelt has remained
publicly silent while johnson sought
| to bring accord between operators
| and workers. johnson said, when
asked If the President had indicated
his view of the three-man neutral
board plan, that he had not heard
from the President. He added. how
ever, that there probably will be
good deal to talk over between now
and June a."
Invited to Present Plan.
The administrator was asked
whether Tighe had told him the plan
was not acceptable.
"On the contrary. he invited me to
present it to the convention" john
son said.
While johnson did not definitely
say he proposed to 60 to the Pitts
burgh workers meeting, he said he
| was perfectly willing to do anything
l can"
An open letter to johnson Friday
v.tnI,t einsHod hx, Nan r1x, enara ~