Evening star., 1941-02-27
Strikes
Continued From First Page.)

upon which the strike can be set
tied" The demands we're:
/, Reinstatement, with full sem
iority, of all men fired and sus-
pended" by Bethlehem Steel; 2, an
immediate conference between the
union and the plant management to
settle "all existing grievances" and,
3, Bethlehem to agree Ito an i'm
mediate consent election under the
auspices of the National Labor Re
lations Board among its employees
in the Buffalo area and engage in
collective bargaining with the S. w.
o. C. in the event it Is chosen as
their representative"
I'VE expect the full support of the
Defense Commission on this posi-
tion," the telegram added. 1t was
signed by S. w. o. c. Chairman
Philip Murray and Regional Di-
rector Van A. Bittner, who has
charge of the unions drive in
Bethlehem's mills.
Another giant industrial organi-
zation, the Ford Motor Co. at De-
troit, faced the threat of strike
at three plants employing nearly
95 900 men.
Ford Strike Notice Filed.
The C. I. O.-United Automobile
Workers filed a formal notice with
the Michigan Labor Mediation
Board of its intention to strike at
Ford'S Lincoln, Rouge and Highland
Park factories.
However, under Michigan law
30-day cooling off period must in
tervene before the strike could take
effect. c. I. O.-U. A. w. leaders
telegraphed President Roosevelt that
they were prepared to adjust the
grievances without striking, If an
avenue to that end could be opened.
Their message charged that the
company had "fagrantly" violated
an N. L. r. B. order to desist from
labor practices characterized as un-
fair, including, they asserted, at
tempts to dissuade employees from
joining the union. I. A. Capizzi,
Ford counsel, declared none of the
union charges were true.
Ford Has Big Defense Jobs.
Ford has orders for 1000 airplane
engines, several thousand Army
trucks, and parts for bombers.
While the developments at the
Bethlehem and Ford plants were
shaping up, high officials at Wash
ington were reported discussing the
possibility of forming an 11member,
non-Salaried supreme court" labor
board to determine and publish facts
in labor disputes where the regular
Federal Cancellation Service was not
able to effect a settlement.
Well-informed sources said that
if such a board were created by ex-
ecutive order, it likely would include
four representatives Of labor, four
of employers, and three persons to
represent the public.
Other Strike Developments.
Other labor developments In
cluded:
Michael J. Harris, sub-regional
director of the G. I. o., said mem
bers of the Steel Workers Organic
ing Committee at the American Car
and Foundry Co. plant at Berwick,
Pa, voted to strike unless the COM
pany agreed to discuss wage adjust
ments by IL am. today. He said the
company previously had granted in
creases amounting to about cents
an hour throughout the plant, busy
on national defense orders, and then
had taken the stand this eliminated
any agreement to further adjust
wages.
More than 5000 are employed.
Company officials could not be
reached for comment.
Rail Men Strike.
At Macon, Ga, approximately 60
engineers, f1remen and trainmen of
the Macon, Dublin g. Savannah
Railway-a short line serving the
SO 900 900 Army cantonment nearing
completion at nearby Camp Wheeler
struck today.
All trains were tied up, road Off
cials said. E. E. Oster, Louisville,
KY, vice president of the Brother
hood of Railroad Trainmen, said
wage negotiations had collapsed.
At Youngstown, Ohio, strike of
G. I. o. crane operators at the elec-
tric-weld plant of Republic Steel
Corp. was settled.
A Federal conciliator expressed
belief the groundwork had been laid
for settlement of a nine-day strike
at two San Diego, Calf, boatyards
which had Navy orders.