Evening star., 1941-02-10
Two Defense Offices
May Take Hand in
Tie-up
Company Committee
To See Knox; Harvester
Negotiations Pushed
By the Associa ted Press.

Bv the Associated Press
Indications were today that at
least two agencies of the Govern
ment intimately concerned with de-
fense would make their weight felt
in an attempt to settle the strike
at the Chalmers Manufac-
turing Co. in Milwaukee.
A committee representing the
company had an afternoon engage
ment with Secretary of the Navy
Knox, with whom committee mem
bers said they would discuss i'm
portant Navy equipment orders tied
up by walkout of c. I. o. United
Automobile Workers
This conference would be pre-
iminary to one tomorrow to which
Defense Commission officials invited
company and union representatives.
Company officials said the strike,
now 20 days old, involved 5000
workers and $4,000 900 in defense
orders Col Donald Armstrong,
executive officer of the Chicago
ordnance district, asserted Friday
that it had blocked the Army's en-
tire gunpowder manufacturing pro-
gram.
Union Shop Demanded.
One of the main union demands
is that the company grant a union
shop.
Meanwhile, at the International
Harvester Co.'S Chicago tractor
works. Federal Conciliator David T.
Roadley planned another meeting of
company and union officials in an
attempt to resolve differences which
have kept $500 workers idle for IL
days. The tractor works has large
defense order.
But there was complicating
factor. The c. l. o. Farm Equip
ment Workers Organizing Commit
tee, which called the strike, an
nounced that it would request
formally that the company recognize
it as bargaining agent in the strike
bound Chicago plant and five others
where the National Labor Relations
Board ordered the company Satur-
day to disestablish company dom
mated unions.
A threatened strike at the Quincy
Mining Co. Hancock, Mich, has
been postponed for 80 days pending
negotiations in Washington to in
crease the price of copper.
At a meeting of the Quincy Cop
perworkers' Union &C. I. o., the no.
strike vote was taken by representa-
tiveS of the 500 mine workers. All
departments we're working today.
Gov. Murray D. Van Wagner will
appoint a special committee to con-
fer in Washington to seek raise
in the price of copper, Gene Saari,
union chairman. said.
At Pittsburgh, members OF the
c. I. o. Steel Workers Organizing
Committee last night voted to end
a strike which halted defense pro-
duction in the l00inch tin mill
of Carnegie Illinois Steel Corpora
blUll > I1OiIcSUSdu WOl hS.
The action came after the man
agement agreed to Immediately
open conferences designed to settle
disputed working conditions.
The strike started Saturday and
involved 1000 steel workers. J. J.
Thomas, union sub-regional director,
said the dispute centered about an
incentive" wage system under
which shearmen complained they
received less pay than rollers.
A walkout was called for today
at Vanadium Corps Bridgeville
CPaD plant, which employs about
225 men in production of ferro-
vanadium and is turning out de-
fense materials.
A strike at the La Crosse (Wis.)
Rubber Mills ended in its fifth day
yesterday when members of the
plant C. I. o. Automobile Workers
local voted to accept an agreement
clearing up seniority difficulties.
The G. l. o. United Automobile
Workers in Detroit last night rec
commended that "a union shop be
sought in forthcoming negotiations
with General Motors Corp. on a new
! contract.
The proposal, which would pro-
vide that membership in the union
within 80 days should be condi-
ton of employment, was approved
unanimously at a meeting of dele
| gates from all G.. NJ local unions.