Evening star., 1938-04-09
By J. A. FOX.

Charging the Republic Steel Corp.
headed by Tom M. Girdler, with full
responsibility for the industrial war
fare in Ohio last year, including fatal
outbreak at Massilon, when the Com
mittee for Industrial Organization was
seeking to unionize the steel workers,
the National Labor Relations Board
today ordered the corporation to cease
interference with attempts of its en-
ployes to organize. and to break up its
own company unions"
The board also ordered the reinstate-
ment with back pay-less earnings-ot
strikers, exempting only seven en-
ployes who had pleaded guilty to using
explosives and in one case to the mali
cious destruction Of property valued at
$500.
The board" statement with the
order said. does not concur in the
company's contention that other strik-
ers, who entered pleas of guilty to
lesser offenses incidental to the strike,
have disqualified themselves from EN-.
Payment"
The decision was a victory for
John L. Lewis Committee for In.
dustrial Organization over the Girdler-
dominated company that was the
spearhead of the anti-union drive by
little steel" However, the decision
covered only the Ohio plants, exclud-
ing the Chicago establishment, where
10 strike sympathizers we're killed in
battle with police on Memorial Day.
The union did not claim to represent
a majority OF Republic employees,
therefore the company was not ordered
| to deal with it.
Outgrowth of S. W. O. c. Charges.
The 60,000-word finding, bitterly
critical of Republic tactics, was the
outgrowth of charges of unfair labor
practices against Republic filed by the
Steel Workers Organizing Committee,
the unit with which the c. I. O.
sought to bring the steel workers of
the Nation into its ranks
Speaking of the strike called by the
union on May 25 after a series of
lockouts, the board says:
The company served final notice
AAA biAliiAot tnhublC cSl lllS llldt ~ WdS plS-
pared to go to extreme lengths to de-
stroy the union and to deny to its
employees the rights guaranteed under
the act. Faced with this illegal and
provocative conduct, the union called
the strike, not, as the company alleged.
without cause or justification, but be-
cause no other course in fact remained
open to it.
THE whole history Of the COM
pany's unfair labor practices. cul-
minating in this lockout on May 20
tMassilon) had placed the union in
position where it had to fight for
its life or be destroyed. The company,
not the union. had chosen the way
OF industrial strife"
Tells Story Of Massilon Trouble.
In recounting the incidents leading
up to the Massilon trouble, in which
three persons were killed. the board
starts with formation of a Back-to-
work Committee by plant employees and
Law and Order League by directors
OF the Chamber of Commerce there
soon after the strike of May 25.
"On June g." it says, "at the sug.
gestion of Glen Lanham of the Law
and Order League, Police Chief Swift
ter and City Solicitor Hardman drove
to Canton to see Carl Myers. in charge
of the district for Republic Steel.
Myers Immediately launched into an
attack upon Chief Switter and the
city officials. He wanted to know
what the hell was going on over there;
were We going to allow hoodlums to
run things and why they cut the tele-
phone wires and why the hell we
didn't take such action as the Chicago
police and put them where they be-
longed-they knew how to handle the
situation
"Switter replied that he had only
10 men and that it was not our job
anyway; that we wasn't a strike
breaking outfit, and Furthermore the
mill was down in the country out Of
the city limits
Police Aides Elected.
| There was further importuning Of
the police chief to act, and eventually,
a Maj. Harry Curley, former World
War machine gun officer, was brought
to Chief Switter by league member,
who suggested he might be useful in
selecting men to increase the police
force. The next day. it continued.
(see REPUBLIC, Page AID