Evening star., 1941-11-26
Board Meets
To Seek Peace
In Coal Dispute
Rail Peucemokers
To Act Tomorrow;
Chicago Strike Ends

y
BY the Associated Press.
A board appointed by President
Roosevelt met today to try to settle
the captive coal mine dispute, while
in St. Louis negotiations in the
paralyzing general strike of $500
A. F. L. machinists were deadlocked.
Defense production in the whole
st. Louis area continued to be dras-
ticallv curtailed while the machln-
lists, hoisting engineers and carpen-
ters refused to recede from their
original positions in jurlsdictional
dispute over the right to represent
"a garage mechanics.
Another presidential board was 10
meet here tomorrow in the railroad
dispute and in Chicago freight
handlers strike had been settled.
Following conference of the
carpenters union in ST. Louis, how
ever. Joseph D. keenan,, o. P. M.
labor expert. said he was still
hopeful for an early settlement" OF
the strike, which has closed one air.
craft plant. drastically curtalled
production at the Curtiss-Wrlght
airplane factory and closed or
crippled 400 other plants with many
millions Of dollars in defense con-
tracts.
Mr.. keenan, announced earlier he
had obtained a commitment from
the machinists which provided
basis for a settlement of the three
day-old conflict.
Rail Meeting Tomorrow.
Mr.. Roosevelt took an unprece-
dented step yesterday by instruct
ing his special Emergency Fact-Find-
ing Board in the railroad wage dis
pute to reconvene and review some
new facts which he said had come
to light since the board reported to
him November ).
A preliminary meeting vas sched-
uled tomorrow at the White House,
the new hearings were to begin FIJI
day, and fresh report to the Presl-
dent was requected by Monday-slx
DAYS before the strike deadllne set
by the five operating brotherhoods.
The $4,000 operating employees
whose present pay rates range up
ward from s506 a day had demand
ed 80 per cent increases and called
strike for December I after the
Presidents board recommended
temporary increase of Ia per cent
in their scales.
The 900 900 railroad employees who
belong to the "a incorporating
brotherhoods asked boosts of 80 to
"a cents an hour over their current
range of IS to 85 cents. The board
recommended 9-cent increase,
which the unions rejected without
setting an actual strike deadline.
The managements Of the various
railroads agreed. with reluctance. to
the increases recommended by the
| board.
Another three man board began its
negotiations in New York to arbltrate
| the captive coal mine dispute, under
an advance agreement that the de-
]
members are John L. Lewis. presi-
dent of the c. l. o. United Mine
Workers; Benjamin Fairless, presi-
dent of the United States Steel
| Corp, and DR.. John R. Steelman.
given a leave of absence as director
Of the United States Cancellation
Service.
! They we're to decide whether all
men who work in the captive coal
mines which produce fuel for steel
mills must be required to join the
/ union in order to hold their jobs.
/ The U. M w, which claims 95 per
cent membership among the cap
tive mine employees, conducted a
week-long strike on the issue.
/ Settlement of the Chicago freight
( handlers strike was announced last
night. 1t involved $500 A, F. L.
workmen and cut the movement OF
| truck hauled freight in Chicago to
| about one-fourth of normal. The
workers had been receiving So cents
an hour, asked for IS and settled
| for 67Lz cents and overtime con-
cessions in a new closed shop con-
tract running for two years.
! Longsh0remen'S Strike Averted.
| A coaStWiSe strike Of A. r. L.
/ longshoremen apparently was avert
ed last night by settlement OF a
! contract dispute. The agreement,
approved by the ship operators. is
subject to ratification by the union
membership 1t calls for indefinite
extension of the old contract which
| expired October 81. with the under
standing that if the Interstate Com
merce Commission should approve
| higher coastWise freight rates. the
companies and union would meet
again to discuss wage adjustments.
The longshoremen wanted their
hourly wages raised from 95 cents
to sl10, and the overtime rate in
creased from 81 AZ to sl65.
Omar S. Hoskins, Federal labor
conciliator, said full-scale operations
were resumed at the Pittsburg. Calf,
plant of the Columbia Steel Co.
under an agreement TO negotiate a
wage controversy.
The plant, holding $4,000 900 in
defense orders and employing 5000
persons, had been closed since Friday
because of strike called by the
Steel Workers Organizing Com
mittee in an effort to win wage
increases for 2l8 workers in the
foundry finishing department.
Welders Ask Racket" Probe.
A spokesman for 81 striking weld
ers at the s40,000.000 Morgantown
(W. Va Ordnance Works declared
the walkout was protest against
union ''racketeering" and said
congressional committee had been
asked for a hearing.
A welder might be required to
Join as many as II different unions,
depending on which one had juris-
diction over the project on which a
man wished to work, the spokesman
said, adding:
Its just plain racketeering and
we have asked the Truman Com
| .:.... -, We eI, ,i,o otor to oivp lie q