Evening star., 1941-06-02
Warehouse Strike
Hits San Francisco;
Pittsburgh Tied Up
Break Appears Possible
In Dispute Gripping
Pacific Lumber Output
1y the Associated Press.

9y the Associated Press.
A strike of freight handlers and
warehousemen started In the San
Francisco Bay area today, Pitts
burgh was hit by walkout of truck
drivers and helpers, and the first
promise of a break appeared in the
disputes which have crippled lumber
production In the Pacific Northwest.
In San Francisco some $500 c. I.
o. warehouSemen halted work
in an effort to enforce demands for
10 cents an hour wage increase for
women workers who now receive
SO and IS cents.
About 100 warehouses, handling
groceries, dry goods, liquor and drugs
were affected.
At many warehouses women
pickets appeared on patrol. Ware
house operators said no attempt
would be made to operate. The
union asked 10-cent increase for
women workers; operators offered S
cents They now receive from so
to SIS cents an hour. The union said
the operators offer of a scent in
crease for women workers was dis
eliminating" and a "union-splitting"
tactic.
2,200 Walk Out.
The Pittsburgh strike brought out
1900 truck drivers and helpers
working for 179 concerns, officials of
the A. F. of L. Teamsters' Union
said. Truck shipments of a wide
variety of defense materials were
at once restricted. Union and man.
agement offlcials said that the cur
tailed shipments would affect not
only the great armament production
area around Pittsburgh but also the
dow of materials to Eastern States.
The strike began yesterday, fol-
lowing the collapse of negotiations
Tor new contract between the
union and members of the Motor
Truck Association. The union asked
a basic 10 cents an hour increase
over the existing IS cent rate, paid
vacations and maintenance of a 48
hour week. Employers said the
wage demand exceeded "our ability
to pay" and proposed a 54-hour
week. Negotiators meet again today.
Some c. I. o. lumber workers at
Seattle-the boom men-offered to
60 back to work if employers would
give them 717 cents more per hour,
making the daily minimums $815,
and make it retroactive to April l.
They made this contingent upon the
submission to arbitrators of their
demands for one-week annual
vacation with pay, adjustment of
overtime pay and a settlement of
the call-time ISSUE Although the
boom mems union has only 81
members, the strike tied up. mills
employing 4.0O0
Mediation Conference Called.
The Defense Mediation Board
called a conference tomorrow at
Washington In an effort to iron out
differences in another Pacific North
west lumber dispute between the
Woodworkers of America and en-
ployers Of the c. I. o. unions 10000
members. The union struck for a
7h-cent per hour wage increase to
IS cents, q weeks annual vacation
with pay, union shop and hiring
provisions and guarantees against
piecework-ratess+a
A strike at the main plant of the
Detroit Steel Products Co., reported
to be delaying completion of $780,
o00, 900. in Government buildings in
the United States and Canada,
spread to the company's spring plant
today.
Pickets of the United Automobile
Workers &C. I. o., bearing placards
tackled to sticks, appeared at the
spring plants three gates at 3 am.
Sixty policemen stood guard against
disorder.
Victor F. Dewey, president and
general manager of the company,
said the main plant strike, going on
since May IA, has delayed manu-
facture of steel window and door
sashes for Army training centers
and defense production units.
The main plant was closed,
said M. E. Patrick, International
U. A. VIC. I. o. representative,
because the management refused to
meet with Local 351."
Agree to Resume Talks.
Of11cials of the Bethlehem Ship
building Co. and the Bay Cities
Metal Trades Council agreed to re-
sumo negotiations over contract diff
erences which were a main issue In
c. /. GA. r. L. machinists strike
against II shipyards and repair
shops in the San Francisco Bay
area.
A threatened strike at the Ingle-
wood (Calif) plant of North Ameri-
can Aviation Corp. was held of, at
least for a time. The c. I. o.
United Automobile Workers Union,
claiming membership of 1000,
Cancelled strike deadline for June
4, but left with its negotiating COM
mittee the power to call a walkout
at a future date The committee
then set out for Washington to re-
sumo negotiations before the Medi-
alton Board.
c. I. 0. union members at the
Electric Storage Battery Co. in
Philadelphia voted to accept a new
contract providing for a wage in
crease of 10 cents an hour for
employees in Philadelphia, Detroit,
Cleveland and San Francisco.
Ratification of the agreement by
Local 113 of the United Electric,
Radio and Machine Workers ended
the threat of a strike of 1880 work.
ers at the Philadelphia plant, which
has been building batteries for the
Army and Navy.
l.. n.x ell