Evening star., 1938-09-07

BACKGROUND
In San Frnacisco employers re-
fused to reneW contract NTH c.
I. o. longshoremen Which erpires
September 30. Other maritime
union contracts ,Dere automatically
extended for another year. Long,
Moremen and employers are sty-
mied on the shipopners' proposal
to place representative in the hy-
ing halls and other questions.
BY the Associated Press
SAN FRANCISCO, Sept. 7.-Massed
picket lines Of laughing, smartly-
dressed women paraded in front of
San Francisco's leading department
stores today, signalling opening of
the strike of 5000 retail clerks.
The women pickets and non-striking
women employees struggled and pulled
hair in the street few hours later
Police interferred and told the
pickets to cease "manhandling" en-
ployes wishing to work The clashes
were at Fifth and Market streets, near
the entrance of Hale Brothers Store.
Police said 100 employees went through
a picket line of more than 200 per-
sons.
A patrol wagon was called, but no
arrests were made.
Police next rushed to the Emporium,
a half block away on Market street, to
a scene of confusion.
Pickets Attack Guards.
Pickets discovered employees we're
being conveyed to work by a guard of
two men across the street from the
Emporium. Pickets surged across the
streets and tied up street car and
automobile traflc.
Police rescued buyer who was be-
ing threatened by group of women
pickets as he crossed the street be-
tween two guards.
A crowd Of several hundred specta-
tors added to the confusion and police
had difhculty restoring order.
Twenty-seven major department
stores, including San Francisco's s
smartest shops, were picketed in what
labor leaders termed the biggest
strike of its kind ever called in
America.
Packed closely together, striking
clerks in front OF the Emporium
called cheerful greetings to depart
ment heads who entered the store.
The line, in the form of an elongated
oval. stretched the full length of the
Emporium, biggest San Francisco de-
partment store. and touched a similar
parade of pickets before the J. c.
Penney store.
Pickets Gather Early.
Of Market street at the smart shops
on fashionable Grant avenue smaller
groups of pickets gathered in front
of entrances Elsewhere in the shop
ping district lines or small clusters
OF striking clerks picketed store Gus
toner and delivery entrances.
Pickets began appearing more than
four hours before the regular opening
time. simultaneously special detail
of so patrolmen took their stations
at major stores.
All police leaves and days of were
Cancelled when the strike was voted
at mass meeting last night. News
paper advertisements announced,
Stores open as-usual today"
The strike followed a breakdown
in negotiations between the A. F. of l..
Retail Department Store Clerks Union
and employers over a union demand
for a registered list from which en-
ployes would be chosen, and store
wide seniority plan. Employers de-
manded the right to choose their own
workers and held out for the present
department seniority plan.
A rambling freight car, loaded by
executives at the struck Woolworth
Warehouse, caused the shutdown as
it was hauled from one warehouse
siding to another. AS each force
Of warehousemen refused to unload
what they termed the hot cargo
the employers accused the men of
breaking their contract, laid them
of and closed the warehouse.
More than 1000 warehousemen were
out of work. Negotiations were at
a standstill, as the warehousemen re-
jected an employer proposal yesterday
which Union President Eugene Patton
termed master open-shop con-
tract"