Evening star., 1941-12-07
Nationwide WaIkou1
Called by We|ders
For tuesday
Refusal to Poy A. F. |.
Dues Brings Lockout
Threut on West Coast
Ry the Associated Press.

By the Associated Press.
A Nationwide Walkout of weld
ers. which had its beginnings in a
Jurlsdictional strike of 81 men on
s400000O0 Morgantown, w. Va,
ordnance plant, is scheduled for
Tuesday unless there is Government
intervention.
At odds with the American Fed
Grafton of Labor over rejection of
demands for a separate union. the
United Brotherhood of Weloers,
Cutters and Helpers announced yes
terday the strike would be effective
throughout the country TUESDAY
morning.
Lloyd Payne, brotherhood secre-
tary, in announcing the executive
boards decision, said $4,000 men
would leave their Jobs in ShipyardS
and defense construction projects.
The union claims 125000 members.
In Los Angeles, where one small
shlpyard was closed and anotner-
At work on cargo vessels aogregat-
Ing more than $4,000 000-Was Sc
riouSly hampered by a walkout sew
eral weeks ago. WelderS forecast al
most immediate lockoutS because of
persistent refusal TO pay up dues
in the A. F. L. BoilermakerS' Union
Welders Expect Lockout.
Employees at the big California
shipyard were given mimeographed
copies of resolution adopted at a
conference among o. P. M, A. F.. L.
and Shipyard representatives. which
promised no discrimination if union
accounts were brought up to GATE.
Accompanying the resolution was a
statement by Vice President John
A. McCone reading:
THE principles and policies stated
IN this resolution are binding upon
and must be complied with by this
company and each of its errloyes.
Kindly govern yourself ac-
cordingly."
Richard Hardie. a union spokes-
man. said
The A. F. L. apparently has CO.
creed the MANAGEMENT into such
cNdIib rs IcSlllG We expect our
members to be locked out when
they go to work on the graveyard
shift at midnight"
Earlier, President Paul Gregory
OF the shipyardS local had declared:
I'VE know that on Monday morn
ing the A. F. l.. will start pulling
the Welders' time cards and tell the
RI I,n
because they are in bad standing
with the union. In that event. we're
going to have trouble and plenty
Of it."
Working Pending Settlement.
To which f. V. Blackwell. busi-
ness agent of A. F. L. Boilermakers'
Local 90. which has master contracts
at the two shipyards. retorted:
We expect something like that
to happen-sometime next week"
West Coast welders have been
working recently pending o. P. NJ. /
efforts to settle the dispute. Fri /.
day 1t. Comdr. George NJ. Keller. |
on loan from the Navy to the o. P.
NJ. said:
There will be no discrimination
against welders for failure to main
tain their union status pro-
vided that they Immediately cure
their default"
This brought quick reply from
National President Karl v. Norris:
This is slavery. The welders of
this Nation will refuse to pay fur
ther tribute of any nature either
70 the A. F. L. or c. I. O."
Heber James Brown of Oakland.
Calf, attorney for the independent
union, said President Roosevelt had
been advised the brotherhood had
no alternative but to strike.
Men Out at M0rgantOwn.
The welders, who tie together sec
tions of steel and pipe into work
ing parts Of ships and buildings, are
affiliated with various unions with
In the A. F. L., among them IRON
workers, steamftters and boiler
They have protested what
they term exorbitant work permit
fees charged by the locals to which
they may be attached.
Inc bi men employed by sub
contractor on the Governments new
anhydrous ammonia plant at Nor
gantown, struck two weeks ago, pro-
testing what they called "dicta-
toriar' practices of the steam fit
ters' local in Pittsburgh.
They were joined by others last
week, to make the total number idle
approximately 100. Army officers
at the plant said construction had
been seriously impaired.
The MorgantoWn local has re-
Jected an A. F. L. compromise offer
that the men return to work without
paying for permits.
Just Grievance Admitted.
The A. F. L. attitude was ey-
pressed by President John Ford of
the MOrgantOWn COlIDri1-u-l1icI, in