Evening star., 1941-09-06
Presidential Action
Awaited in Railroad
WaIkout Threat
Mediation Boord Tries
To End Strike Of 10000
Miners in Alabama
By the Associated Press.

by tHc hSoOCldtcu fTteS
President Roosevelts expected ac-
ton in a threatened strike of 1885,
900 railroad workers was awaited
today as the Defense Mediation
Board sought to settle a walkout of
some 10000 Alabama coal miners
and several other labor disputes.
The railroad unions, seeking wage
increases, authorized a strike yes
terday after mediation and arbi-
tration failed to produce an agree
ment with the companies.
Under law, that strike authorize
ton automatically placed the dis
pute before the President, who is
charged with the duty of appointing
fact-finding committee to report
back to the White House within
30 days. A walkout cannot be called
until month after the President
receives the committee report.
Pay Increases Sought.
Five operating brotherhoods are
seeking a 80 per cent boost in basic
pay rates and the IA incorporating
unions ask increases of 80 to "a
cents an hour. A carriers commit
tee acting for 125 Glass l roads
maintains the union demands would
cost 5000 100000 yearly and that the
companies could not meet the pro-
posals. Present wage scales differ
greatly among classiflcations within
unions and among various railroads.
The incorporating unions. with
some 100000 members, set Thurs
day as strike date and the oper-
ating brotherhoods indicated they
would fix date soon. Such walk
out dates are meaningless, however,
if the President intervenes.
The c. I. o. United Mine Workers
were considering, meanwhile, a Med
iation Board request that the Ala
bama miners return to their pits
pending a temporary hearing We'd
nesday. Cancellation by the U. M
w. of a temporary agreement with
the companies, in effect since MAY
8. caused the walkout Thursday.
The miners, paid $3.50 base pay un-
der the temporary agreement. seek
$3.50 for seven-hour day and va
cations with pay.
5000 Idle at Defense Plant.
A strike of several hundred main
tenance men at the Atha works of
the Crucible Steel Co., Harrison, N
j., threw out of work some 5000
men employed on defense contracts.
The c. I. o. maintenance men
struck Wednesday in protest against
what they termed abuses" of work.
ing agreements by the company
They objected specifically to what
they said was company practice of
shifting working days to avoid over
time pay.
The Mediation Board requested
employees of the Kansas City Power
& Light Co. to cancel plans for a
walkout set for today and announced
hearing would be held September
Is in an effort to settle the dispute.
About $50 workers are involved.
officials said they sought collective
bargaining rights in the overhead
and steam distribution departments.
The board also urged $500 striking
workers of the Pressed Steel Car Co.,
McKees Rocks, Pa, to return to
work. The board promised a hear
ing on the dispute, which involves
questions of representation. The
strike started eight days ago. The
strikers are members of the Steel
Workers Organizing Committee and
the Independent Car and Foundry
Workers Union.
c. /. o. Gets Setback.
At Cleveland, Hugh E. Sperry,
regional director of the National
Relations Labor Board, said last
night that the American Shipbuild-
ing Co. would be subject to an unfair
labor practice charge if it signed
an agreement with the c. I. O..
which called strike at the firms
'Lorain (Ohio) plant in protest
against recognition of the A. F. L.
as bargaining agent.