The Waterbury Democrat., 1937-05-21

| Said Philip Murray, the Scottish born chairman of the year-old union:
 "The victory is smashing one and supports the prediction we made before the election. It should be a warning to other independent steel producers that the wave of favorable sentiment for the CIO, an organization of the workers, cannot be thwarted by opponents of true collective bargaining. Speaks For Itself
 "The victory speaks for itself and undoubtedly spells universal eol- lective bargaining throughout the entire steel industry"
 The next step in the unions deal- ings with Jones and Laughlin, as provided in the agreement which settled the strike, is an exclusive contract.
 Jones and Laughlin agreed that if the union won the election, it would give the union the right to speak l for all workers in collective bargain ing.
 No other steel contract has such provision. The contracts signed with U. s. Steel and smaller com- panies recognized the union as bar gaining agency only for its own members.
 All day yesterday = from 6 a. m. until 1 a. m. EDT the Jones and Laughlin workers paraded to 47 polling places in the two plants. The voting was under the super vision of labor board officials, head ed by Ernest c. Dunbar, Pittsburgh regional director. Dunbar an- nounced the result at 5:39 a. m. (EDT) less than five hours after the polls closed.
 24,412 Cast Votes
 Of the 27,000 J. & L. steelworkers eligible 24,412 voted, Dunbar said Thirty-one ballots were blank, 90 were challenged, 56 were void.
 Jones and Laughlin Company was one of the most outspoken oppo- nents of the Wagner Act when it was being battled over in the courts and one of the supreme court de- cisions validating the act was in Jones and Laughlin case that in- volved the discharge of number of workmen for union activity.
 The proposal for government supervised election was made first by the company. It was rejected, then accepted by Murray.
 Today, Horace Edgar Lewis, J. & L. board chairman, said the corpo- ration was ratified" by the results.
 Now that the election is over, and our employees have made their decision" he said, "let us forget the tension of the past few weeks and cheerfully apply ourselves to our duties"
 Vigorous Course
 The union majority was expected to seer Murray into vigorous course with the independents who have so far refused to sign union contracts. These companies, while stating their willingness to deal with any or all representatives of their employees, insist that the Wagner Act does not compel them to enter into signed agreements. Murray said that signed agreements are necessary to protect the workers.
 The steel workers organizing com- mittee has given the five independ- ents 10 days to sign. At the expira- tion of that period-Tuesday, May 25-Murray has threatened to call strikes.
 The National Steel Corporation of E. T. Weir, with principal plants in Weirton, w. Va, has not been ask ed to sign a contract nor threat ened with a strike, but the union has been working steadily to gain foothold in the traditional anti union town of Wierton where ap- proximately 12,000 of national steels employees work.
 Weirs' company has been charged with violation of the Wagner act, by the union and the case is now being investigated by the regional labor board cniae here.