The Washington times., 1938-06-17
STRIKE CLOSES
2 NEWSPAPERS
IN PITTS BURGH.
Office Force Demands
"AII Union" Plant

PITTSBURGH, June II G.N.So
Publication was suspended today
by the Pittsburgh Sun-Telegrapf
and the Pittsburgh Press because
of q strike OF the business office
workers union over the question
Of q closed shop.
Workers in the mechanical de
partments failed to come through
picket lines and publication was
then suspended, the newspapers
announced.
STATEMENT BY PAPERS
The newspapers issued the fol
lowing Joint statement:
Members of q business office
workers union in the Pitts
burgh Press and Pittsburgh Sun
Telegraph struck this morning
following some weeks OF nego-
tiation which ended in a 'ead-
lock over the question Of a
union or closed shop. Work
ers in mechanical departments
failed to come through picket
lines and publication was then
suspended.
THE two newspapers had Of
fered substantial improvements
In pay, including blanket in
creases for all persons earning
less than $45 a week, and the
establishment of minimum wage
rates higher than those prevail
ing for similar types Of work in
the Pittsburgh district. The Of
fer also included vacations, sick
leaves and dismissal benefits
ranging up to "a weeks Of pay.
EXPLAIN ATTITUDE
publishers of the two papers
said they had no objections to
closed shops in mechanical de-
partments where they were
feasible and where work was Of
q standardized nature, the me-
chanical departments Of the
Pittsburgh newspapers having
been on a closed shop basis for
many years. They pointed out
that other office workers con-
tracts in the Pittsburgh district
were not on a closed shop basis.
Increases in pay and other
benef. were offered at a time
when many other businesses are
decreasing their forces and re-
ducing wage rates. Payrolls Of
the newspapers affected already
are we'll above the 1929 level
which had been an all-time high
while revenues from advertis-
ing are running far below the
same period Of 1929. Circula-
ton revenues have also declined
because of heavy unemployment,
AFFILIATE OF AFL
'"The union which called the
strike is known as the News
paper and News Distributors
Office Workers Union No. 21341
and was organized in Pittsburgh
under an AFL charter granted
to John r. Frankel, lawyer for
the various truckers unions.
Clarence ]. Moser, conciliator
of the State Department of
labor and industry, came to
Pittsburgh Wednesday in an ef-
fort to avert the strike. Mr..
MoSer came to burgh
months ago, when negotiations
with this union first began. At
that time he was assured by
union leaders that if the union
were recognized the closed shop
would not be an iSSue-an asSur-
ance which was later repudiated
but which he affirmed on his
arrival here to adjudicate the
present dispute.
2,OOo WORKERS AFFECTED
THE two newspapers an
nounced in advance of the strike
that If publication was found to
be impossible their businesses
would be suspended, their plants
would be closed and all normal
activities would cease, and that
pay rolls would necessarily be
suspended. More than 1000
regular workers are affected,
while probably twice that num-
ber Of outside distributors,
sellers and representatives will
be affected. The number of en-
ployes involved in the dispute is
less than 400"
A considerable number of EN-
ployes in several departments re,
ported for work, but later in the
morning were directed to leave
the two newspaper plants and re
turn to their homes. Wilmer a
coby, publisher of the Sun-Tele
graph, issued a statement to the
employees, declaring:
"An employees of the Sun.Tele
graph, except those specifically
assigned to duties by the heads
Of their departments, are no
longer required to report for
work, and their compensation
has ceased. Due notice of re-
sumption Of publication will
reach you by radio, telephone,