Evening star., 1941-10-10
Government Threat
Made 10 Operate
Bendix Plane Plant
Steel Strike Halted in
Alabama; Buffalo
Forge Mil Reopened
BY the Associated Press.

BY the Associated Press.
A giant Alabama steel mill and
a forge plant at Buffalo, N. Y,
were back in production today fol-
lowing labor disputes, but the Ben
dix, N. j., plant of Air Associates,
Inc, faced the possibility of seizure
by the Government unless Media
ton Board recommendations for
settlement of c. I. o. strike are
accepted.
All major units of the Fairfield
Steel Works at Birmingham, Ala,
were put back into operation last
night and the Tennessee Coal, Iron
& Railroad Co. declared the mills,
largest in the South, would be kept
open. G. l. o. steel workers passed
through the picket lines of A. F. of
L. machiniStS and electricians who
struck yesterday
The A. F.. OF L. men said they
walked out in protest to card in
spections by the c. I. o. Steel Work.
ers' Organizing Committee-an &C
ton which the A. F. of L. pickets
declared was a &C. I. o. wildcat
lockout"
Predictions Conflict.
The Fairfield mills normally en-
ploy about 11000. There was no
official statement of the number
now at work. but C. I. o. spokes-
man predicted operations would be
at a normal level by tonight. In
contrast. an A. F. of L. leader pre-
eiicted that the whole T. G. I. op-
Grafton in Birmingham will be down
by Saturday night"
There also was the threat of a
strike in T. C. is iron ore mines.
An A. F. L. source predicted the
ore mines would be closed during
the day by a Walkout of electricians,
at the same time declaring that
operations at the Fairfield plant
were far below normal
The iron mines employ about
$500 men, and a work stoppage Of
any real duration would close all
T. c. I. manufacturing operations.
The mines produce about 5000 900
tons a year and supply all the
IRON ore USED Dy L. L. L.
Eight hundred production workers
were expected back on the job to-
day after a one-day strike at the
Buffalo Forge Co., which has S13,-
900 900 in defense orders. The COM
pany agreed to rehire three dis
charged employees and meet with
c. I. o. representatives to discuss
other grievances. The union also is
demanding a 10-cent rise in the
present wage scale Of A to so cents,
but the wage issue was not dis
cussed at the conference which pro-
duced the back-to-Work agreement.
Charges Failure to Cooperate.
The possibility of Government
seizure of the Air Associates plant
at BendiX was brought up yester-
day by Frank P. Graham, chairman
of panel of the National Defense
Mediation Board, who charged that
company officials had failed to CO.
operate with the board or union in
efforts to settle the latest C. !. o.
strike there, in progress since Sep
tember 30
Mr.. Graham asserted that F. Le-
roy Hill, president of the firm, and
Walter Chalaire, attorney, had
walked out of hearings held in
Washington Wednesday on the case.
Mr.. Hill said he was amazed at
the statement, and denied that he
and Mr.. Chalaire had walked out
on the meeting.
We left with the understanding
that the meeting was at an end and
that they would hand down recon-
mendations,' MI Hill said
The board has recommended that
the strike be called off Immediately
that strikers be returned to their
jobs without discrimination and that
the union and management hold
further conferences aimed at a col
1ective bargaining contract. The
unions grievances include the dis
charge OF five workers, and demands
for a new wage agreement. The
company has continued operations
at the plant and has filled the jobs
of many of the strikers.
Mr.. Graham declared that if the
company rejected or ignored the
boards recommendations the case
would be sent to the Office of Pro-
duction Management for further ac-
ton which. he added. might include
Federal seizure of the plant. All
Associates holds $500000O in con-
tracts for airplane parts.
Counting of union members bal
lots was to begin today at the San