Evening star., 1941-05-17
Strikes
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CTFIk6S
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arose as Southern Appalachian pro-
ducers and workers failed to reach
q permanent agreement on wages.
John L. Lewis, president OF the
c. 1. o. United Mine Workers, said
that unless an agreement was
reached this week it might be nee
essary to call out of the pits 100000
men in the eight State region. We'd
nesday may b0l deadline. he said;
Northern otStors have agreed
to pay ST a day. 81 rise. but the
Southern owners, although enter
ing a temporary agreement to raise
daily wages from $3.50 to $3.50, have
baked at wiping out a sectional
differential and paying the same
scale as in the North.
No Progress Expected Today.
Conferees acknowledged that no
progress was made yesterday and
virtually none was expected at to-
days session, scheduled for l pm.
(E. S. t., during which l.. T. Put
man, Southern operator negotiator,
said the operators proposed con-
tract would be presented.
The War and Navy Departments
stepped into the West Coast ship
yard strikes with an announcement
by John Frey of the A. r. L. Metal
Craft Union that James v. Forrestal,
Assistant Secretary of the Navy.
had notified him that commanders
of the 18th Naval District and the
San Francisco Preside had been
ordered to assist in settlement Of
the strike in II yards in the San
Francisco Bay area.
Just what action the Army or
Navy could take was not clear.
Some quarters suggested high off,
GERS of both branches might sit in
on negotiations to impress the
strikers of the seriousness of the
walkout.
Meeting Slated Tuesday.
Officials of the Bay Cities Metal
Trades Council and the Bethlehem
Shipbu;lding Co., operators of one
of the big yards closed now, said
meeting would be held Tuesday to
negotiate contract.
The shipyards' strike affects be-
tween $4,000 and 10000 men, in
wages from 81 to S115 an hour,
with retention of double pay for
overtime.
Chairman Truman said yesterday
the Senate Defense Investigating
Committee he heads would open
hearings Thursday to ascertain
why we can't have ships" that I'VE
30 greatly need" unless the West
Coast strike has been settled by
Tuesday
The Senator sent kilograms to
Hnion leaders and leaders of the
ship building industry calling on
them to terminate the stoppage i'm
mediately.
Secretary of Commerce Jones, at
q press conference yesterday, briefly
stated his belief that not "every
strike should be settled by an in
crease in wages" He referred to no
particular walkout, but said "the law
Of supply and demand comes in
when you have one of thing and
two bids for it," and that there is
plenty of demand for labor
In New York, the G. I. O. National
Maritime Union and the Ship Own
ers' American Merchant Marine In
stitute agreed to a contract provid-
ing for extra compensation and in
surance for seamen on ships plying
routes outside the Western Hem
iSphere. There are 10000 seamen af-
fected. The contract will give
bonus of $35 for each port to seamen
going to the Red Sea and Persian
Gulf, $50 for each port OF call in the
Suez Canal, So day extra in Far
East waters and $1,000 insurance for
each of the unlicensed crewmen.
Bendix Accord Reached.
The Mediation Board yesterday
announced an agreement to avert
strike of 8.100 workers at the South
Bend 1nd) plant of the Bendix
Aviation Corp, manufacturing air.
plane equipment and other defense
materials.
The board also received word from
Detroit that, following board efforts
there, a walkout at the Ex-Cell-O
Corp, Detroit, had been settled by
granting of temporary 5-cents-an-
hour wage increase.
The Aluminium Co. of America and
the A. F. l.. International Council
of Aluminium Workers reached an
agreement at Pittsburgh yesterday
on a new contract covering 5000
workers in the concerns ore plants
at East St.. Louis, ILL.,, and Mobile,
Ala, and a fabricating and reduc-
ton plant at Massena, N. Y. Terms
of the contract. to replace one which
expired April "a, were not disclosed
by agreement. pending its ratifica-
ton by the workers.
Building Trades Accord Reached.
An agreement to settle the week
old building trades strike in Detroit
was reached today, and ratification
Of terms was sought to return an es-
timated 10000 workers to their jobs.