Evening star., 1941-10-15
C.I. 0. Calls Off Strike
Tying Up Production
Of Tanks for Army
Action Taken at Request
Of Mediation Boord;
Steel WoIkout Threatened
Dy tho Associated Press.

~ tho Associated Press.
The c. l. o. United Automobile
Workers today called of their strike
at the Hillsdale (Mich) Steel Prod
ucts Co., paving the way for re-
sumption of work on transmissions
for 10 per cent of Army tank pro-
duction at the Spicer Manufactur-
ing Corp. in Toledo. Ohio.
r. j. Thomas, Auto Workers presi-
dent, announcing at Detroit that the
strike would end, said the latest
union action was at the request 6f
the Defense Mediation Board.
The case was certified to the board
by the Labor Department yesterday
c. I. o. workers at Spicer where
the transmissions are assembled, re-
fused to handle parts made by A.
r. L. workers at Hillsdale, Spicer
subsidiary
To Negotiate With Board.
In certifying the case, the Labor
Department said A. F. L. United
Automobile Workers, who won a COL
1ective bargaining election over the
G. I. o. at Hillsdale. had threatened
to strike there if the company re-
hired II G. l. o. men who we're dis
charged in August.
The C. I. o. minority called their
Hillsdale strike in protest against
alleged election from the Michigan
plant of score of c. I. o. employees
by members of the rival A. F. L.
U. A. w. Hillsdale Steel Products
has an exclusive bargaining agree
tnent with the A. F. L. union.
Mr.. Thomas said there would be
further negotiations with the Media
ton Board.
Gary Shutdown Threatened.
CT. O.steel workers earlier began
an organizing drive which threat
ened to shut down the worlds larg-
est steel mill, at Gary, Ind, while
other units of the same union threat
ened to call strikes at all 81 plants of
the American Can Co. unless labor
dispute a. two Chicago plants is
settled speedily.
The Steel Workers Organizing
Committee posted pickets at
the Carnegie Illinois Steel Corps
works at Gary, where $4,000 persons
are employed, to bar those who
could not produce paid-up c. I. o.
union dues cards. The aim was to
make the Gary works 100 per cent
c. I. O." in a step toward the union
shop. The plant has been busy with
defense orders.
The pickets stopped all men at the
gate to ask for cards, but no one
was prevented from entering. The
union agreed in a telephone con-
versation with Federal Judge Thomas
w. Slick in South Bend not to use
force on the picket line at least until
he had heard petition by nom
union men to prevent picketing.
The threat of strike throughout
the American Can system followed a
breakdown in negotiations for new
c. I. O. contracts at two Chicago
plants The union has asked for
elimination Of differential between
wages paid in West Coast plants and
Chicago, also for modified vacation
plan and union shop. Minimum
wages in the Chicago plants were
reported by the union to be so cents
an hour for men and 81 cents for
women, with the corresponding
scales on the West Coast TN and
es1a cents.
Strike Of $4,000 Possible.
Meanwhile the Mediation Board
prepared to consider a strike at the
Bendix IN. j. factory OF Air Asso-
ciates, Inc, producers Of airplane
equipment.
The possibility that general strike
Of IS 900 Eastern members Of the c. I.
o. U. A. w. might grow out Of the Air
Associates dispute was foreseen yes
terday by Charles H. Kerrigan, CO.
regional director of the union. He
said such a general walkout was
likely to occur if F. Leroy Hill, presi-
dent of Air Associates, refused to
negotiate a strike of $50 production
men. Presidents of Eastern locals of
G. I. O.-U. A. w. had voted to take
Immediate and proper action"
Mr.. Kerrigan declared that the
Brewster Aeronautical Corp. was
contemplating shutting down its
plants at Newark, Long Island City
and Hatboro, Pa, because 1t could
not obtain delivery of vital parts
from Air Associates. He added that
the union might ask the Govern
ment to take over the plant.
Another union spokesman said
the G. I. O.-U. A. w. had asked Air
Associates for union recognition, a
union shop, a minimum wage of IS
cents an hour and a general in
crease of IS cents an hour for work.
ers paid IS cents or more. He said
the current minimum was 40 cents.
Officials of Air Associates were to
meet today with the Mediation
Board. which has requested imme-
date reinstatement for the strikers.
Three Auto Firms Hit.
Because of a G. I. o. strike at the
Midland Steel Products Co at Cleve-
land, which halted production of
chassis frames, the Willys-Overland
material for Army "jeeps," and the
Studebaker Corp. at South Bend,
Ind, and the Hudson Motor Car
Co. at Detroit were forced to shut
down their passenger-car produc-
ton lines. Eight thousands were
idle at Hudson, 5000 at Studebaker.
The Midland strike was called
September % over wages and re-
classifcations of rates for 342 OF
the plants 1,400 employees. Federal
conciliators started conferring with
the disputants.
A. FL. metal trades workers con-
tinued their strike at the ingalls,
Shipbuilding Corp, Pasagoula, Miss,
where s150,000,000 worth of ships