Evening star., 1935-08-09
NEW YORK UNIONS
CALL OUT 15,ODO IN
". P. A. PAY STRIKE
Spread of WaIkout to Other
Large Cities Threatened
in Dispute.
"SITTING TIGHT" POLICY
ANNOUNCED BY JOHNSON
Labor Heads Protest $3.50 Wage
Would Give Employers Wage
Cut Excuse.
BY the Associated Press.

By the Associated Press.
NEW YORK, August 9.-Launch-
ing a strike movement which threat
ems to encompass other large cities.
union representatives today made fly
ing visits to call 10000 to $4,000
skilled workers away from Works
Progress Administration jobs in pro-
test against the Governments secu-
rity wage.
The extent of the strike and the
number of union workers respond
ing to the call could not be estimated
at once.
A sitting tight" policy was pro-
claimed by Gen. Hugh S. johnson,
New York administrator of the
w. P. A.
"Sitting Tight"
He had been IN communication with
members of his organization at vari-
Gus projects, he said, and had been
told of the action of union officials
in enlisting laborers.
II intend to sit tight and see what
happens" he said.
Regarding the possibility of the
strike spreading to other parts of the
country, the former N. R. A. head
declared:
Il am concerned with New York
City only. The w. P. A. program
is not in operation in other parts
of the country"
In defiance of warnings cast by
Gen. johnson and Harry L. Hop
kins, national head of the w. P. A.,
George Meany, president of the State
Federation of Labor. declared:
Our people are going out to stop
union men on the job. They will
continue to do so until further
notice"
See Excuse to Lower Pay.
The unionists protest that the
security wage of $3.50 a month
paid skilled workers would be seized
upon by private employers as an ex-
cuse to lower wages.
Hopkins warned that those who
walked away from their jobs would
be speedily replaced. and that the
strikers must look to city and State
agencies 1Or relle1.
Gen. Johnson, in a fiery plea to
labor delegates last night, told them
they were the chestnut rakers of
contractors and Communists.
At Atlantic City, William Green,
president of the American Federation
of Labor, predicted spreading of the
walk-out, adding that his organiza-
tion was assuming a hands-off policy,
and was not interfering with the
strike action of local unions
One Project Halted.
At Gen. Johnson's Office it was said
that the strike had completely halted
work on but one project in the city
the Astor Slum clearance work.
The Government can't give an
inch" said Johnson. What it has
done is right and fair, and all that
1t could do with the means at hand.
I'VE are giving jobs to 100000 per-
sons supporting half a million people,"
he said. IF we are not hindered we
will give jobs to 250000 bread winners
for more than million people. -
Where we should have good will we
are o1ered Kilkenny cat hght-a
pickering brawl, i'll will, hatred, riot
and maybe bloodShed
Loves Worth While Fight.
Lots of us love fight, but it ought
to be in fine great cause to make it
worth all this"
johnson told the union delegates
that skilled workers were never bet
ter of" than with the assurance of
six months work at $9350 a month.
He said they were being duped by
Communists and selfish contractors
He called it ''ghastly shame"
The answer was appointment of a
committee to make sure that each of
the So unions involved called its men
off the Federal jobs. More than 700
already had walked out.
Navy Strike Held Failure.
PHILADELPHIA, August {P.-
Naval officers said a strike called by
leaders of relief workers on Philadel-
phia Navy Yard P. w. A. projects was
See w D Paoe a.