Evening star., 1938-04-11
EVENING WASHINGTON D. MONDAY, APRIL H.
G|RD[ER DENIES
MI. R. B. CHARGES
Declares Blame in Republic
for Strikers Death Is
Unjustified.


BACKGROUND
The National Labor Relations
Board found the Republic Steel
Corp. guilty of uiolating the Wag-
ner Labor Act in decision issued
Saturday. The decision listed eight
counts, including responsibility for
the death OF three strikers in riot
at Massillon, Ohio, last July.
BY II e Associated Press.
CLEVELAND April 1.-THE Ma
tional Labor Relations Boards action
in blaming Republic Steel Corp. for
death Of three C. I. o. strikers at
Massillon. Ohio, in last summers steel
strike "is wholly unsupported by the
evidence" Tom Girdler, Republic
chairman, declared today.
Mr.. Girdler in statement said "the
courts will have to decide" whether
"the company must not negotiate with
its employees who have formed their
own independent labor organizations"
and added that Republic will take
advantage OF all rights under the law"
The Labor Board Saturday found
that Republic violated the Wagner act
on eight counts. 1t ordered employe
representation plans broken up at its
five Ohio plants and among other
things, ordered reinstatement of 5000
strikers with back pay.
'The attempt of the board to place
responsibility upon Republic for a riot
between city police and the C. I. o.
at Massillon is, we believe. wholly
unsupported by the evidence" Mr..
Girdler said.
Charges Called Startling.
Some 40 pages of the boards re-
port are given over to a very laboreG
effort to construe the evidence as
placing sole responsibility for the
riot on Republic 1t is rather startling
to find Republic held responsible for
the actions of the Ohio National
Guard and the constituted law en-
forcement authorities of Stark County
and of the cities of Canton and Mas
sillon"
To the N L. r. B. order that all
but six strikers be re-employed, Mr..
Girdler said 1T is astounding that
the Labor Board should direct the
unemployment of employees who were
guilty OF violence and who menaced
the lives of their fellow workers during
the strike" called to enforce demands
for signed contract He cited the
boards report as showing ll5 were
convicted of offenses ranging from
possession and use of explosives to
carrying concealed weapons.
Mr.. Girdler said "the company has
always advocated the general principle
OF reinstatement " of all men
who were not guilty of violence or
illegal acts. Unfortunately,
now the steel industry is in the throes
OF severe depression and our plants
are operating at extremely reduced
rates"
No Reinstatement Applications.
H. B. Carpenter, manager of Re-
public's Cleveland plants, said no
strikers applied for reinstatement
today-first normal working day since
the order
Mass meetings of workers in Cleve-
land, Warren and Youngstown hailed
with cheers the Labor Boards order
to the company to re-employ strikers.
The Steel Workers Organizing
Committee &C. I. o. scheduled an
other meeting in Cleveland tonight
Leaders told all meetings to sit tight"
and await orders from national head
quarters.
James P. Miller. Labor Board re-
gional director here, said he would be
willing to meet with company repre-
sentatives and said he believed it pos
sible to gather names of 5000 strikers
in Cleveland. Warren. Youngstown,
Canton and Massillon and work out
plan for re-employment.
Mr.. Girdler's statement said in
part:
The insistence by the c. I. o. that
Republic and other little steel COM
panies sign the c. I. o. contract pre-
cipitated the strike in little steel last
summer. One of the complaints
against the company in the case be-
our refusel to sign the agreement.
The boards finding that it does not
hold the companys refusal to sign a
contract with the S. w. o. c. to be an
unfair labor practice is complete
justification of the stand taken by the
company in the strike.
Republic refused to sign the C. I. o.
contract honoI1co
sons, We knew that the majority of
our men were opposed and
violent tactics convinced us that its
leadership was irresponsible.
Convinced Decision Is Wrong.
| I'VE are convinced the boards de-
cision is wrong that the company must
not negotiate with its employees who
have formed their own independent
| labor organizations.
We are desirous of re-establishing
our employees who have not worked
since the strike as soon as possible.
However, it is astounding that the
Labor Board should direct re-employ-
ment of employees who were guilty Of
| violence.
No immediate announcement can
be made as to the exact procedure
which the company will adopt to pro-
tect its employees in their rights and
to preserve the rights of the COM
pany. We will, however, take full
advantage of all rights to which the
company and its employees are en-
titled under the law"