Evening star., 1941-06-03

Showdown on Stoppoees
In Industry Near, Some
Observers Believe
By the Associated Press.
The Defense Mediation Board to-
day made new effort to settle the
25-day-old strike of 10000 C. I. o.
lumber workers in the Pacific North
west, which has curtailed supplies
needed for the defense program.
The board already has recon-
mended that the strikers resume
work pending a settlement and has
reminded the union of President
Roosevelt's assertion in his address
a week ago that the American people
expect the impartial recommends
tions of the board to be accepted.
Thus. some Washington circles
thought the lumber strike might
bring a showdown on the admins
tration's determination to end work
stoppages hampering defense pro-
duction.
There was speculation, too, on
whether potential weapon against
strike shutdowns was contained in
the proposal by the War Depart
ment yesterday that Congress grant
Mr.. Roosevelt power to requisition
property necessary in the defense
effort.
Might Take Over Plants.
Some legislators thought 1t would
permit the Government to take over
strikebound plants.
President o. M. Orton of the In
ternational Woodworkers of America
came from Seattle to Washington
today to confer with board officials
Before the meeting there was no in
dication that the union had receded
from its original demands against
50 logging and sawmill operations in
the Puget Sound area
The l. w. A. rejected the board
drawn peace formula on Sunday.
The union declared it would stand
on its request for a 712 -cent-an-
hour wage boost to rs cents, paid
vacations and a union hiring hall /
Just as firmly, board spokesman
conceded not chance in the |
world the board would back down. /
Seventy thousand Chrysler Corp
workers at Detroit won wage in
creases and bonuses totaling Sl5,-
900 900 last night, subject to ratiflca-
ton at meetings of the United Au-
tomobile Workers &C. l. o. member |
ship.
Chrysler Bonus Raised.
The agreement, accepted by u A. !
w. leaders, calls for an Scent hourly |
wage boost and payment of s45
bonus In December to workers with |
one years seniority. The old bonus |
was $40, and Chrysler spokesmen
noted the bonus increase substituted
for vacations with pay in 1912.
The wage gain, added to 2-cent
boost last November, was made ret
roactive to June l. Corporation Of
ficials said the base prior to June
l was 80 cents an hour.
A Mediation Board appeal to
show their patriotism" prompted
the Bay Cities Metal Trades Coun-
Gil at San Francisco to ask it's men,
bers last night to return to work
at the Bethlehem Shipbuilding Co.
The council action, however, did not
end an A. F. L. machinists' strike
against Bethlehem, nor did it affect
the A. F. L. and c. I. o. machinists'
work stoppage in 10 other bay area
shipyards holding $500, 1000 900 in de-
fenSe orders.
Clarence A. Dykstra. board chair
man. asked the Bethlehem manage
ment and union in kilograms yes
terday to resume operations pend
ing hearing June in Washing
ton. The union council last night
named committee of six to come
to the Capital.
Two weeks ago the Metal Trades
Council requested unions affiliated
with it to resume work at the other
10 plants despite machinist picket
lines. 1t did not include Bethlehem
because that firm had not accepted
closed shop and hiring clauses in
coaStwide master contract recently
concluded.
Referred to Mediation Board.
Secretary of Labor Perkins re-
ferred the Bethlehem dispute to the
mediation group yesterday. Pre-
viously Federal agencies had main
tanned a "hands-off" policy in the
shipyard tie-up, leaving peace ma
neuvers to A. F. L. leaders, who
called the walkout of 1000 machin-
lists an outlaw strike" The ma
chinists seek $1l5 an hour instead
of SLIP, and double pay for over
time.
Key distribution industries in San
Francisco and Pittsburgh continued
to be crippled by strikes of c. I. o.
Warehousemen and A. F. L. team
sters, respectively, but there were
these brighter spots in the defense
labor picture:
On terms suggested by Secretary
of Navy Knox, 6-week -old juris-
dictional dispute in st. Louis Mo,
between A. F. L. machinists and
mlllWrlghtS was ended last night.
1t was agreed that the machinists
would install SIS pieces of machinery
at the Busch-Sulzer Bros Diesel
Engine Co., permitting a start on
SIS ,000, 900 worth of Navy contracts
The tiny Boommens Union &C. 1.
o. of Tacoma, Wash, whose 81
man strike forced the shutdown of
logging camps and mills employing
1000 men, agreed to return to work
today. The boommen accepted an
agreement yesterday providing a
71a-cent wage increase effective as
of April l and leaving other issues
to arbitration. The hourly increase
brought the basic pay to $8.i5 a day. |
Hawaiian Agreement Reached.
Five Companies, a Hawaiian