Evening star., 1937-08-05
PLYMOUTH PLANT
SHUT AFTER RIOT
Ten Injured as c. |. 0. and
Firm Make Counter Charges
0f Pact Violations.
Ey the Associated Press.

DETROIT, August 5.-The Chrysler
Corps Plymouth plant remained
closed today pending a settlement of
differences which led to fighting be-
tween rival unions yesterday, in which
10 men were injured and a riot call
put in for police
only few men appeared for work
this morning. The gates were not
opened and from United Automobile
Workers sound truck. circling the
plant, came instructions for the men
to return to their homes.
Conferences between representatives
Of the U. A. w. A. and the mango
ment, which adjourned at O'Clock
last night, were resumed today. The
U. A. w. A. demanded the reinstate-
ment of four men discharged for
alleged participation in an attack
yesterday noon on two officials of the
independent association of Chrysler
employees, whose claims of rs, 900 men,
bers are disputed by the United Auto
mobile Workers.
Richard T. Frankensteen, organ
national director for the U. A. W. A.,
said there probably will be no work"
today.
Plant Employs 1900.
The big plant, which employs 900
men, remained closed Throughout. the
night with city police maintaining a
patrol outside the gates. The police
augmented company guards, who kept
up their usual vigilance within the
plant.
Ten men were injured in a series of
alterations that preceded the shut
down order yesterday. Four U. A. w. A.
members were dismissed as a result
of the beating of two officials of the
independent union and a second out
break brought a riot call for police.
A company spokesman said U. A.
w. A. members employed in key de-
partment of the plant staged strike
in protest against the discharge Of
their fellows necessitating the general
stoppage of work. He asserted that
the strike constituted serious viola
ton" of the unions contract with the
Chrysler Corp, reached after pro-
longed sitdoWn siege affecting all
divisions of the corporation last
Spring.
Union leaders denied any breach of
faith on their part. They said they
would investigate to determine whether
there had been an attempt to dis
credit their organization
FrankenSteen, asserting that two OF
the injured were U. A. w. A. members.
Relations Board to conduct an election
to determine the unions right to sole
bargaining powers.
Three of the injured required hos
pltal treatment in addition to first
aid. They were Frank A. Dillon, presi-
dent of the independent union, who
said he was a victim of the lunch
hour beating; Walter Mcbride and
Villas Coon. injured in subsequent
fighting.
Dillon said band of men dragged
him and Robert Pemberton, treated
for minor injuries. from a watchman's S
booth, beat them and threw him over
a fence.
About 30 or 40 men I believe to be
U. A. w A. men set upon u.s. he told
police. we ran into the booth. They
dragged me out, beat me, kicked me,
then threw me outside the fence onto
the sidewalk
Il don't know what happened to
Penn. I lay there until the police
cruiser came.
Firm Claims Violation.
Il think I can identify the men. al
though I don't know their names.
am willing to prosecute.
The company, in formal statement,
said a group of U. A. W. A. members
took the two men out Of the plant by
force. They returned, the statement
continued, in spite of threats of
beating and took refuge in the watch
mans booth during the lunch hour.
They were surrounded by a large
group which broke into the Office.
then beat and injured them," it re-
lated.
-Four of the men who actively par
ticipated in the beating were identi-
fed and discharged. Thereupon mem
bers Of the U. A. w. A. ceased work in
key department Of the plant, where
upon employees were notified to 60
home.
After the shutdown fight began
in the plant in which four more men
were seriously injured. The corpora
ton considers the whole affair
serious violation by the u A. w. A.
of its contract with the corporation"
Union Claims "Frame-up."
Frankensteen, replying, charged the
corporation had favored two-bit
unions to the extent that they have
refused to recognize frequent fragrant
violations Of our agreement committed
by these men," He said rival unionists
had called his followers suckers" and
"chumps" for belonging to the U. A..
w. A.
There has been no sit-doWn at the
Plymouth plant" he continued. THE
company turned off the power. When
our men protested, four union men who
did not participate in the trouble and
were actually at the other end Of the
plant were discharged, because the
company thought they had to punish
some one. We are asking that these
four be returned to their Jobs, and we
have asked Herman L. Weckler, vice
president of the corporation. to submit
to a voluntary election at Chrysler
before the National Labor Relations
Board
1--WE would like to prove not only to
Chrysler Corp, but to the general
public, that the statement by the So
called Chrysler independent unions
that they have $4,000 members is just
so much hooey. They are lucky if they
have 26O."