Evening star., 1941-04-21
Roosevelt Confers
On Strike Threat
Al General Motors
Gov. Van Wosorer Talks
With President; Cool
lmpusse Continues
Hx the Associated Press,

81 Lbe Associated Press.
What to do about a strike threat
at plants of the General Motors
Corp. and the contract deadlock
which has halted soft coal produc-
ton were the two big defense labor
problems which beset official Wash
ington today.
Gov. Murray D. Van Wagner of
Michigan talked over the General
Motors situation with President
Roosevelt and reported on settle
ment of the recent Ford Motor Co.
strike. The Governor said he be-
lieved the State Mediation Board
could handle any dispute there. The
c. I. O.-United Automobile Workers
served a five-day strike notice last
week against the giant corporation
which has millions of dollars of de-
fense contracts. The union wants a
union shop and higher wages.
Union leaders have announced
that if strike is called against
General Motors no defense work
will be struck.
Steel circles already were begin
ming to feel the pinch of a coal
shortage which resulted when con-
ference-bolting Southern mine oper-
ators failed to reach an agreement
with C. I. O.s United Mine Work.
ers of America. Northern operators
agreed to a $l-a-day raise, but the
Southerners baked at a demand
that they also pay ST a day, elimi-
mating 40-cents-a-day differential
in their favor.
Miss Perkins Appeal Unheeded.
An appeal by Secretary Perkins
Saturday for resumption of work
tomorrow met no favor with any
Of the interested parties.
The United Mine Workers re-
piled that they were willing to re-
sumo negotiations with the South
ern operators in New York. The
SouthernerS insisted that they had
definitely withdrawn from the Ap-
palachian wage conference. which
included Northern operators, but
reiterated willingness to negotiate
separately. They renewed last night
an offer to reopen the mines with an
II per cent wage increase.
No Federal Intervention.
Stephen T. Early, White House
press secretary. told reporters he
had not heard of any plans for
Federal intervention in the coal
strike.
After a conference of congress
sional leaders with the President,
Senate Majority Leader Barley
said there was some incidental talk
Of the labor situation, but without
reference to any particular phase.
He also said there had been some
mention Of the prospects of an
early settlement of soft coal dispute
with no one willing to predict when
1t would be obtained. Asked whether
the President contemplated taking
steps to end the shutdown, Senator
Barkley asserted: Il would not say
he contemplates any particular
action"
U. M. w. President John L. Lewis
already had stated that the union
wanted no part of any negotiation
supervised by the National Defense
Mediation Board.
Cooling off" Bill.
This situation raised the hopes of
House supporters of a bill by Rep
resentative Vinson, Democrat, of
Georgia providing for a compulsory
cooling of" period before workers
could call strikes in defense indus
tries.
There was possibility that the
House might take that bill up this
week. However, the War Depart
ment has expressed opposition and
1t was considered unlikely that the
Senate would concur if the House
passed the bill.
Chairman Thomas of the Senate
Labor Committee disclosed receipt
of letter from Secretary Stimson
saying the department considered
continuous operation of all avail
able industrial facilities capable of
producing defense materials 80 i'm
perative" that Interruptions caused
by strikes and lockouts cannot at
the present time be regarded as
~SAAoA9OOhO n1OA4 Vic pUDAC lilGcI est.
ut, nevertheless" he continued,
~is loath to recommend restrictive
legislation concerning labor rela-
tions as long as there is hope that
other methods of preventing inter-
ruption to production will prove eff
fective."
In another letter, the National
Labor Relations Board protested
that the measure would "overem-
phasize restriction of action on the
part of employees without CORE
spending restrictions on the actions
OF employers and management"
A Senate defense investigating
committee headed by Senator Tru-'
man of Missouri called Sidney Hill
man, associate director of the Office |
of Production Management, to teS-
tify about what effect strikes have |
had on defense industries.