The Waterbury Democrat., 1934-10-29
Great Chain Store
 Challenges Labor
tcon.inusd from Page l,

OfQer was lrfeVOCaD1S.
 The controversy between the company and the Cleveland Fed eYation of Labor, which had ragged for a week, vas eliminated Satur- day when several store windows hwere broken by .vandals and the company promptly closed the stores and paid off employees. No question of working hours or wages was in- voived, the single point at issue being the unionization of all A and F employees. The federation de- nands a 100 per cent "closcd shop"
 700 Asked Jobs Back
 Approximately 700 store man. agers and assistants met last night and passed resolution declaring themselves satisfied with working conditions and pay and asking their jobs back. They represented themselves as the third and inno- cent side of the controversy, as distinguished from the union men who had gone on strike last week and the company.
 Loyal employees claimed to repre- sent more than 60 per cent of the total employees, saying that less than 40 per cent belonged to one of the seven unions which have been recruiting A and P workers.
 A statement issued by the labor federation, signed by the chiefs of the seven unions involved, de- clared ''the threat to quit business" is only a further line of intimida- ton and coercion, as the final stroke to prove to everybody that they will stop at nothing to con- tinue their reprehensible conduct that has brought about the present controversy"
 The statement was signed by the heads of the Bakers Union, Meat Cutters Union. Engineers Union, Auto Mechanics Union. Union, Managers and Clerks Union, and the Fire mems Union.
 Milwaukee Status
 Milwaukee, Oct 29--UP)--Unien meat cutters of chain groceries in Milwaukee and Racine were or dered on strike today in protest against closing of meat depart nents in 26 stores by the Great Atlantic & Pacific Tea Co.
 H. J. Schilling, secretary of the union, said the strike may spread throughout the state before Satur' day.
 Butchers of the Kroger Grocery and Baking Co and the E. c. Shin ner company, Schilling said, will join Atlantic & Pacific empleyes today in picketing stores of the three companies, operating the largest chains in Milwaukee.
 Racine A & P meat cutters vot- ed last night to strike this morn ing. he said.
 Union officers said the strikes were ordered because the Atlantic & Pacific company had closed 26 of the 3S meat departments here tofore maintained in its 100 Mill waukee stores. The action had 2 definite connection, he charged with similar action last week Tn Cleveland, where 42S stores were closed because of labor trouble.
 United Front in Demands
 Employees of the Kroger com pany, which operates nine mea! stores, and the simmer company, operating five markets, voted to strike to maintain a united front in demands for g minimum wage Of $35 for managers and $27 for assistants, he said.
 Officers of the Atlantic & Pacific company denied that closing of their meat shops had any connee- ton with the wage or unionization demands. They said the closed de- partments we're unprofitable.
 Kroger officials said they were not warned of the strike and had no dispute with their employees.
 Washington Aroused
 Washington, Oct 29-(UP)-A labor crisis threatening the jobs o 2,200 workers in Cleveland to- day added fresh applications to the