Evening star., 1936-11-18
UNION CHIEF SEEKS
QUICK SETTLEMENT
.0F BEND|X DISPUTE
Automobile Workers. Head
to Ask Company for
Conference.
employees OCCUPYING
PLANT ORDERED SHUT
Disturbance Attributed to Firm
Showing Preference to It's
Own Association.
~ the Associated Press.

.
SOUTH BEND. Ind, November ls.-
Homer Martin, international president
of the United Automobile Workers of
America, arrived here today by air.
plane with the announcement he
hoped to effect speedy and amicable
settlement" of the combined sit-down
strike and lockout at the Bendix
Products Corp.
The youthful labor leader, after q
brief conference with officers of the
Bendix Union, said he would ask off,
Gals of the company for a conference
to open negotiations.
Inside the extensive shops of the
Bendix Corp. where vital parts are
manufactured for most makes of auto
mobiles and airplanes in the United
States, a chilled group of workers,
estimated to number from 500 to 500.
remained in defiance of the shutdown
order issued Tuesday morning.
No Move to Eject Workers.
Martin declined to say whether he
mad advised the men and women of
MS organization to stay inside the
shops until satisfactory settlement
was reached, but there was no move
ment on the part of the workers to
leave and no attempt by the man
agement to have them elected by
company police.
My preliminary Investigation
shows the disturbance here was
caused by the company union Ben
dix Employees Association) constantly
being played of against the union
men, Martin said. They were
always getting the gravy"
Until Martin raised the question
the only discernible issue in the con-
troversy was unionization. Thomas J.
Jef1ers, president of Federal Union.
No. 9, of the automobile workers, de-
clared last night he and his support
ers would not leave the plant until
the company agreed TO 100 per cent
unionization."
Committee Inside Plant.
With Jeffers inside the plant was
the full membership of the unions
Executive Committee of seven men.
Contact with union leaders outside
was made through the windows.
There was no sign of disorder. In
side the unheated plant, the idle work.
,rs amused themselves by good-natured
oooing of guards and front Office" en-
ployes and by community singing.
Vincent Bendix, president, said the
company would not recede from its
position that it has the right to give
to any person regardless
of union affiliation.
Several hundred workmen who re-
used to leave the plant yesterday when
ordered to do so by John P. Mahoney,
vice president in charge of manufac-
turing, shivered in the cold factory
buildings. Sympathizers passed coffee
and sandwiches to them through win
dows.
Suspended Indefinitely.
Mahoney had informed the work.
men plant operation would be sus-
pended indefinitely.
Bendix' employees received through
The mails form letter from Mahoney
advising them that I'VE have been
forced to shut down the Bendix plant
Continuing, the letter said:
This is no fault of yours and GER
tainly no fault of ours.
You are losing wages every hour
simply because a small group Of in
workers refused to work
morning when they entered
;he plant.
Naturally that stopped everybody
Use from working.
I'VE didn't want to eject the dis
,urbers or cause any trouble, so. when
;tood around, there was nothing left
'or us to do but shut of the power
Ind close up the plant.
I'VE have been observing both the
etter and the spirit of the law in our
citations with our employees.
I'VE do nothing to prevent members
# any labor union from working here.
Membership Not Required.
eat the same time, we do not re-
luire any of our employees to be men,
,ers of any labor union"
Against this statement was fiat
iemand by Jeffers for 100 per cent
of the plant.
He made his statement from win
low of the aircraft plant. Inside with
1im, he claimed. were 1900 union
&C.. pTNnTY pooa A00