Evening star., 1941-06-24
0fferFai|s
ToEnd Shipyard
Strike on Coast
Two-Hour Soft Coal
PorIey Produces
No Agreement
By the Associated Press.

tllhAlS lllpydIu iHdSilllllSto III
San Francisco today ignored the
Navy's efforts to induce them to re-
turn to work with the offer of civil
service status, and two-hour soft
coal conference here failed to pro-
duce an agreement between South
ern reporters and the c. I. o. United
Mine Workers.
Neither side would comment on
the coal parley, but U. M. w. Presi-
dent John L. Lewis Immediately
summoned the union Policy Com
mittee for a meeting.
No A. r L. or C. I. o. machinists
turned up to register for civil service
status as the Navy opened registra-
tion rooms at of the II strike
bound shipyards in the California
city.
Mr.. Lewis limited his comment to
one question as to whether or not
the coal conference had produced
an agreement. The answer was
no" The union meeting may con-
slider either a compromise settle
ment Of the negotiations or separate
negotiations with the 13 individual
operator associations that make up
the Southern Operators Wage Con-
ference.
In Martinsburg. w. Va, 48 en-
ployes of interviewer Stocking Co.,
indicted after violence in five-week
strike here this spring, entered pleas
of guilty and received S25 to $50
fines and jail sentences in Circuit
Court. Forty received suspended
nine-month Jail sentences. Eight
others were ordered committed to
jail Immediately to serve nine
months.
Southern mine operators had said
they would have their answer ready
today to the u. M. w. demand for
new wage agreement covering the
Southern Appalachian field One
big stumbling block was removed
when the Southern owners agreed to
elimination of the Accent wage diff
ferential which previously had ex-
listed between Southern and North
ern mines. The basic daily wage
would be 81 in both sections.
Producers Postponed Meeting.
The decision on signing a two-year
agreement such as the Northern
producers concluded with the union
last week appeared imminent yes
terday, but three times during the
day the producers postponed plans
for meeting the U. M. w. in the
decisive joint conference.
Since early March the union and
the operators have gone through
days and nights of negotiations, .
month long shutdown in April, a
Senate committee investigation and
. Defense Mediation Board inquiry.
The result of all this was a whit
Ting down of the issues to few
points with the prospect that if the
operators failed to sign up as an
organized coal wage conference, the
union would move to sign them as
individual associations. The South
ern producers wage conference is
made up Of 13 operator associations.
Bethlehem Accepts Closed Shop.
At San Francisco the manage
ment Of the big Bethlehem shipyard
whose contracts cover more than
half Of the delayed work, agreed
to a closed shop contract with the
A. F. L. Bay City Metal Trades
Council. Federal officials virtually
ordered Bethlehem to sign.
The striking A. F. L. machinists,
who were joined by a number of
C. I. o. workers in the walkout,
withdrew from the trades council re-
Gently when other metal trades
workers went back to their jobs
through picket lines.
The C. I. 0. strikers called the
Navy's move to sign workers on
civil service "A strike e-breaking ac-
tion." The A. F. L. men are to de-
eide at mass meeting tomorrow
night what attitude to take.
The master contract which Beth
lehem signed provides for SLIP an
hour and time-and-one- half for
overtime. The machinists struck
May 10 for $115 and double time
for overtime. They had been get
ting 81 and double time The other
10 yards affected by the strike previ-
ously had signed the master agree
ment.
Piper Aircraft Dispute.
State and Federal mediators COL
laborated today in an effort to set
tie a strike of A. F. L. machinists
at the Piper Aircraft Corp, Lock
Haven, Pa. The firm makes trainer
(See STRTKES peoe A-S1