Evening star., 1941-08-17
kearny Yards
SeizureLikeIy
In AZ Hours
Action Urged as Firm
Refuses to Accept
u. S. Settlement
BY the Associated Press.

4doJ Ih6llL lllC S1ONCl
would take over the giant Kearny
IN. j. yards of the Federal Ship
building g. Drydock Co-with s493.-
000, 900 of defense contracts tied up
for 10 days by strike-within 48
hours.
The dispute has been in a stale
mate since the company refused to
accept a recommendation made by
the Defense Mediation Board that
it sign a contract with the C. I. o.
industrial union of marine and ship
building workers including a main-
tenance of membership clause.
Defense and Navy Department Of
ficials were reported to have turned
the case over to President Roosevelt
and the expectation was that he
would act on their recommendations
not later than tomorrow.
Mass Picketing Ordered.
Meanwhile, the New Jersey State
C. I. o. Council in Newark ordered
a mass picketing demonstration by
all its affiliated unions Monday at
the sprawling Kearny yards as Just
a part of our answer to the presi-
dent of the United States Chamber
of Commerce who decided TO
support the company's de-
flance of the United States Govern
ment"
Irving Abramson, council presi-
dent, said in a statement that the
company was responsible for con-
tinuance of the strike, adding. I'VE
feel sure that the Government '''
will not be bludgeoned into submis-
sion by big business"
On Wednesday Albert w. Hawkes..
president of the United States
Chamber of Commerce, termed the
closed shop un-American and mo-
nopolistic" and called on labor
leaders to eliminate it as an OBJ
jective.
Order Reported Drafted.
An order for taking over the
plant is understood to have been
drafted at conferences between ex-
ecutives of the Navy, Maritime
Commission, Office of Production
Management and Defense Media
ton Board.
L. H. Korndorff, company presi-
dent, offered to turn the plant
over to the Navy and asserted that
the strike involves no issue but
the maintenance of the open shop.
We are unwilling to abandon the
lnfayca ~ the frnnlNr1 nf the
American worker to choose wheth-
er he will belong to a union or
not"
William H. Davis, chairman Of
the Mediation Board, said in
statement last night that it was
mot true" that the board had
recommended a closed shop.
The Mediation Board refused
to recommend a closed shop, or
union shop or any provision which
would compel any one to join the
union" he said.
Mr.. Davis also made public a
letter which he said he wrote to
Secretary Knox at the latter's re-
quest explaining the boards rec
ommendation.
No Closed Shop Urged.
This letter said that although the
union had demanded closed shop,
the board had refused to make such
recommendation.
THE boards recommendation of
maintenance of membership for the
duration of the proposed new agree
ment between the company and the
union applies only to employees who
are now members of the union, or
who hereafter voluntarily become
members" Mr.. Davis letter con-
tinued.
THE boards recommendation is
predicated upon the voluntary act
of the worker who has chosen to
join the union. so that each worker
is allowed to determine for himself
whether or not he shall belong to
the union"
The union claims that its men,
bership includes 5000 of the ap-
proximately $1,000 workers. Under
the proposed maintenance-o mem
bership clause, union members
would have to maintain their union
membership as a condition to con-
tinued employment.
Mr.. Davis also denied in his let
ter to Secretary Knox Mr. Korn-
dorff's statement that the strike was
in violation "of the unions recent
agreement outlawing strikes in our
yard for a period of two years"
pointing out that the no-strike pro-
vision was not to become effective
in the Federal yards until a new
agreement Incorporating the At
lantic Coast zone standards and the
no-strike provision was signed.
Aluminium Strike Threatened.
Meanwhile, the Mediation Board
asked uninterrupted operations at
five aluminium plants pending dis
cussions of demand by the c. I. o.
Aluminium Workers Union that the
Aluminium Co. of America eliminate
wage differentials between Northern
and Southern factories.
Plants within the scope OF
threatened strike to enforce the
demand are at New Kensington, Pa;
Detroit, Alcoa. Tenn; Edgewater.
N. j., and Badin, N. c. Wages are
SIS cents an hour at the Southern
plants. 73 at New Kensington and
rs at Detroit and Edgewatsr,
Improved situations appeared IN
prospect at several other defense
production trouble spots.
A decision to return to work Mon
day on two naval air station projects
at Pensacola, Fla, was voted by
between $50 and 1000 carpenters,
electricians and laborers who quit
work wednesday over demands for
wage increases of Is cents an hour
for the skilled workers and 10 cents
for laborers. Carpenters have been
getting 81 an hour, electricians S1.25
and laborers, 40 cents. Representa-
tives of the three A. F. l.. unions
involved said they would go to
Washington to discuss the demands
with Navy ofIicials-
Spokesman for Western Electric,
Inc. and the Association of Com
(See STRIKES. Page A-5)