The Coolidge examiner., 1937-03-18

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s'a' ''''S''%'+ States Steel. leading
John L. Lewis the way, the biggest
concerns in that industry are grant
ing increases in wages and the 40
hour week, and agreeing to deal
with the unions affiliated with the
c. I. o. This is the first time in
IS years that big Steer' has recog-
nized union labor as a bargaining
agency for its employees.
Lewis and Philip Murray, chair
man of the steel workers organiz-
ing committee, were jubilant, but
the Carnegie-Illinois corporation is
sued an official statement that toned
them down a bit.
1.-THE company will recognize any
individual, group, or organization as
the spokesmen for those employees
it represents" the statement said,
''but it will not recognize any single
organization or group as the exclu-
sive bargaining agency for all en-
ployees.
Under this policy the status of
the employee representation plan is
likewise unchanged. 1t will continue
as the spokesman for those of the
employees who prefer that method
Of collective bargaining, which has
proved so mutually satisfactory
throughout its existence"
The General Electric company
declared its willingness to discuss
a national collective bargaining
agreement with the United Electric
al Workers, c. I. o. affiliate; and
the indications were that Lewis and
the Appalachian coal operators
would be able to negotiate a new
wage and hour agreement in time
to avert coal miners strike.
The c. I. o. announced the forma-
ton of the United Shoe Workers of
America with a nucleus of 10000
members and went after New Eng
lands shoe industry. Still more i'm
portant, Lewis and his aids let it
be known that the next target of the
c. I. o drive would be the textile
industry.
General Electric and some of the
other big concerns that yielded to a
certain extent to the demands of
the c. I. o. followed the example
of the steel companies in asserting
that they still reserved the right to
deal also with other unions or
groups of employees, and in some
cases company unions undertook to
maintain their independent posi-
tions. Furthermore, President
Green and other leaders of the
American Federation of Labor en-
tered wholeheartedly into the fight
against Lewis and his c. I. o. The
latter gained strength by the deci-
sion of aluminium workers at the
New Kensington, Pa, plant of the
Aluminium Company of America to
renounce the federation in favor of
the c. I. o.
In Chicago there was strike of
taxicab drivers who formed a union
and sought the support of the Lewis
organization. They demanded high
er pay.
Eight thousand employees of the
Westinghouse Electric and Manu-
featuring company's Pittsburgh
plant demanded a 20 per cent raise
in wages and it was feared they
would start a strike if the demand
were rejected.
Because the Chrysler motor COM
pany refused to recognize the United
Automobile Workers of America as
the sole bargaining agency for all
its employees, strike was called
in al its major units in Detroit, and
other plants of the company were
closed because of dependence on
Detroit production. More than $4,000
workers were thus thrown into idle
ness. Vice President B. E. Hutchin-
son of the corporation said it ap-
peared that 1.-The conferences into
which we entered with good faith
had only one purpose, namely, to
put this union in complete control
over all our employees, regardless
of Individual wishes"
The union also called a strike at
the Hudson Motor Car company be-
i y
concern were 5talling in negotia-
tions on working conditions.