Imperial Valley press., 1941-06-16

tracts since the defense e1lolt Dc
gan The Vultee-C.IO. seVen-day
strike at Downey, Calf, last Nov
ember was the worst, up until the
present North American dispute.
ether major CIO. contracts are
held at Bell Aircraft in Buffalo
and RYAN in San Diego. A.F. OF l..
International Association of Ma
Chinists major contracts are held
at Boeing Seattle. Consolidated in
San Diego, Lockheed AT Burbank,
Vega at Burbank and Vultee at
Nashville.
From this summary it can be
seen that the rivalry of the two
labor groups for organization OF
the biggest of the new industries is
fierce. While CLIO, with contracts
in seven plants and 2ll000 U.A.W.
aircraft union members has been IN
the worst fights thus far, AT. of l..
has a couple of bad cases ahead of
it. First year of a two-year contract
at Boeing expires soon and AF OF
u. wage negotiations for 1900
workers are scheduled. Negotla-
tions are under way at Consoli-
dated for 14,00O workers asking
practically the same demands be-
ing made at North American. The
tendency at AT. of l.. headquar-
terS now would be to sit tight TO
see how North American comes out.
MURRAY MAKES THE MOVES
At CLIO, President Phil Murray
has two courses to pursue. He can
handle the North American case
as q local disturbance or he can say
il is threat of left-Wingers against
the CIO leadership, and run the
risk of having the entire organi-
Zation split wide open. Reports
that the battle would be fought on
the later line can be pretty we'll
discvCGita3. ed ,,,c""...,-"c, 60
Is no evidence that John l.. Lewis
is running the aircraft fight from
the wings. He has had his hands
full of coal. Murray will make the
decision and Lewis will back it,
even if Murray IL wrong
Where CIO leadership is really
embarrassed is by the action of
Harry Bridges who is titularly west
coast regional director of CIO and
as such should be Murray'S repre-
sentative in the North American
case. Bridges has, however, chosen
to defy the Murray leadership. Ac-
cCrding to Washington word,
Bridges longshoremen have been
the real strength of the North
American strike If this should
lead to a break that would mean
general Withdrawal of CIO support
against pending deportation orders
for Bridges, he might find himself
or the way back to Australia much
sooner than expected.
The North American case has
been, of course, just the incident
Congress has been wanting to push
over a program of restraint on la
Dor in defense industries. The
strike therefore gives the entire la
Dor movement black eye which
laoor leaders in Washington fully
realize
And if the administration can
make its first plant seizure stick.
breaking a strike, the tendency may
be tc stiffen future labor policy,
perhaps even to a further con-
solidation of the existing mediation
and conciliation machinery.
WASHINGTON BOX SCORES
The Fifteenth US. Infantry, on
duty at the North American Avia-
toin plant in IngleWood, Calf, is
one of the most famous of U. S.
regiments, with long service in
China. The government published
and sold 13 million books and
pamphlets last year, besides giving
away million more. Wnen a ship
load of relief supplies was sent to
Switzerland a short time ago there
was considerable worry about what
the ship might bring back. Final
decision was cork tree bark of
which there is shortage. The old
1929 Industrial Mobilization plan is
now being dragged out as a model
on which the Knudsen- -Hillman
CPM defense setup should be re-
organized. Best news often doesn't
make the headlines. Dr. John r.
Steelman's Cancellation Service
settled 80 labor disputes in the first
week of June. Biggest case was at
Caterpillar Tractor working OH
DlpOtV Of UOVnrprOppt ordarc