Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1941-05-27
Threat Of Strikes
Persists al Packard
And North American
Plants Have Big Defense
Contracts; Prolonged
Coal Deadlock Seen
By the Associated Press.

by tne ASSOCIATED fTeeS'
Labor difficulties, accompanied in
each case by strike threats, persisted
today at the Packard Motor Car
Co. plant in Detroit and at the
North American Aviation, Inc, plant
in Inglewood, Calif.-both important
defense units.
G. I. Q. United Automobile Work
ers at the North American plant
were reported ready to strike at
3 am. tomorrow to enforce their
demand for blanket 10-cent hourly
raise for all the concerns 1000
employees, together with boost in
the minimum rate from so to rs
cents an hour.
The company has $l09 100000 in
national defense orders.
Packard Men Ask More Pay.
Another strike threat was at the
Packard plant, where some of the
$500 employees are working on air
plane engines for the British and
the United States Army. c. I. o.
U. A. w. members there also asked
a Decent hourly wage hike. The
present scale was not disclosed.
Secretary of Labor Perkins sent
Federal Conciliator James M. Dewey
to Detroit to offer the Governments
mediation services.
Operations continued yesterday at
the Niagara Falls, N. Y, plant of
the Carborundum Co. despite a
strike by some of its 5000 employees
lor a collective bargaining agree
.nent. The firm makes abraSives,
important in many defense estab-
tishments.
Prolonged Coal Deadlock Seen.
The National Mediation Board
continued its attempt to obtain an
agreement between Southern soft
coal operators and the G. I. O.
United Mine Workers, at odds for
months over wages. The Southern
owners were reported putting their
case in writing, which was taken as
indicating the deadlock might be
prolonged.
The union insists that the same
wages be paid in Northern and
Southern mines. An April shutdown
of the mines was ended by tempo.
rary understanding, when Northern
owners agreed to raise wages from
S. to 81 a day, with the Southern
operators boosting their scale from
$3.50 to $3.50, but declining to elimi-
nate the Accent sectional differ
entail.
The Defense Board has given no
hint of what it intends to recon-
mend for settlement, but there are
indications that the Southerners
will reject any proposal considered
unsatisfactory.
Perkins Names New Committee.
In other Washington develop
ments, Senator Byrd, Democrat, OF
Virginia introduced resolution in
Congress declaring that strikes In
defense industries are contrary to
public policy and they are hereby
condemned" and Secretary Perkins
announced appointment of a COM
nittee to decide which labor dis
putes shall be turned over to the
National Defense Mediation Board.
To the committee she named DR..
Clarence Dykstra, chairman OF the
board; DR.. John r. Steelman, chief
of the Labor Departments Concil-
iation Service, and Maxwell Brand
wen, a member of the staff of Sid
ney Hillman, associate o. P. M.
director.
About 10000 c. I. o. lumber work.
ers in the Pacific Northwest log
ging country yesterday declined the
Mediation Boards proposal for re-
sumption of work pending settle
ment of labor disputes which
brought on strikes two weeks ago.
The strikers demanded a full
union shop, wage increase of TX
cents an hour to a minimum Of IS
cents, elimination of piece work and
Maid vacations