The Waterbury Democrat., 1938-06-03
N.L.R.B. ORDERS
 WORKERS BACK
GrOtOn Submarine Co. Af- fected By Ruling-Ap-
 peal Is Anticipated

Washington, June 3-(UP)-The National Labor Relations Board risked another challenge of it's spot less supreme court record today with decision ordering reinstatement of sit-doWn strikers charged with "endangering the national defense. ,"
 The Electric Boat company, Gro- ton, Conn, which builds most of the navy's submarines, was directed to rehire 125 strikers discharged after 2 one-day sit-down strike February 23, 1937. It was virtually certain that the case would be appealed to the supreme court.
 The company contended that the men had endangered the national defense by passing through restrict ed areas" where naval vessels were under construction. It cited sec ond reason for refusing to re- employ them that they had been convicted and fined $3 for violating a Connecticut trespaSs statute.
 The labor board also ordered the National Licorice Co, Brooklyn, N. Y., to bargain with an American Federation of Labor union and to embody understandings as to wages, hours and other conditiorS of em- ployment in a written agreement for a definite term to be agreed upon. It was the boards fourth signed contract" ruling, two of which-those involving the Inland Steel company and the H. J. Heinz company-have been vacated be- cause of procedural omissions.
 The licorice concern was ordered to notify its employees that individ- ual contracts between them and the company were void because they violated the Wagner act. The com pany was found to have dominated the collective bargaining commit tee" in its plant and the unafflliated labor group was ordered disestab- liShed.
 The labor board declared that the electric boat company'S claim that the national defense had been en- dangered would not bear scrutiny" and added:
 The so-called restricted areas plant. Employees were regularly per- mitted to go anywhere in the plant without a pass The fact, therefore, that the machine shop, which was in the same building as the weld shop occupied by the strikers, is q restricted area is of no consequence.
 Nor is there any importance to the fact that the blue print room is also in the same building. There is no evidence that the blue print room was entered by any strikers or that the blue prints were dis turbcd in any way"
 The labor board added that no property had been damaged and no persons injured before Connecticut state police eyicted the strikers without violence the same evening that the strike began,
 Tt is true" the decision said, that the board, in its discretion, has withheld orders for reinstate- ment of strikers because of crimes committed during the course of strikes. But in each case the crime has been a far more serious offense, amounting to felony rather than a misdemeanor as here, and involv- ing such conduct as shooting or dynamiting
 The strikers were members of the Industrial Union of Marine and Shipbuilding Workers of America, a Committee for Industrial Organi- ration affiliate, and went on strike after Frank Sherman, union steam filter, had been discharged and the company had refused to re-employ him.
 The company was ordered to re- hire Sherman with full back pay The sit-down strikers will receive back pay beginning five days after they apply fer reinstatement, the decision said.