Evening star., 1941-06-05
6. |. O. Strike Closes
Huge Plane Plant,
Despite Board PIeo
Presidents Appeal
For Cancellation
Again Flouted
By the Associated Press.

By the Associated Press.
A new c. I. o. strike, enforced
as the National Defense Media
ton Board considered the dis
pute, closed the big North Amer
lean Aviation Corps airplane.
plant and left 1927 men idle at
IngIewood, Calf, today and
caused immediate speculation in
Washington whether President
Roosevelt might take drastic,
steps to end stoppages in defense
industries.
The Walkout at North American
was the second rejection in "a hours
of proposals of the Mediation Board,
President Roosevelt said in his
speech declaring an unlimited ma
tional emergency:
"A Nationwide machinery for tina
conciliation and mediation of indus-
trial disputes has been set up. That
machinery must be used promptly
and without stoppage of work"
The Mediation Board was charged
by w. P Goodman. head Of the c. I,
o. United Automobile Workers local
at North American, with "stalling
the workers" Management and
union representatives in Washington
for the mediation conferences met
during the morning but recessed as
no board representatives could at-
tend
In Conference on Defiance.
The Mediation Board members
were in session to determine what
action could be taken on the de.
fiance by West Coast c. I. o. lum-
ber workers union of the boards
recommendations for settling a striks
hampering defense work in the
Northwest.
Immediately after the c. T. o. anI
nounced its strike call against
North American, officials said the
company would hold itself available
for negotiations at the request Of
the board in an effort to reach an
amicable settlement without
the stoppage of production in a unit
so vital to national defense" but
later the firm announced it would
not attempt to operate today. Off
cials said it was the first time since
the firm was established in 1928 that
1t had halted operations because of
a labor controversy.
The c. I. o. union called the strike
at PAS am. P. S. T. (5:45 am, E,
S. t., and three hours later North
| American officials issued orders for
| their employees not to return to work
today pending future instructions
from the National Defense Media
ton Board in Washington"
| Talked With Firm President.
The order was issued after long
distance telephone conversation be-
tween plant officials and J. H.
Hindelberger, North American presi-
dent.
The mo work" instructions were
given just an hour and Is minutes
before the 1000 to 5000 day-shift
workers were scheduled 10 report. A
skeleton crew of 1900 men, chiefly
maintenance workers was in the
plant. The union said maintenance
crews might enter.
C I. o. Spokesmen said 1900
pickets were on the line at the time
the mo work. order was given.
The strike decision at North
American was announced only a
few hours after the board had been
roundly denounced by o. M Orton,
! president of $1,000 striking c. I. o.
lumber workers in the Pacific
Northwest. Mr.. Orton accompanied
the denunciation with fiat refusal
to abide by the boards public rec
ommendation for settlement.
OrtOn Leaves Washington.
Mr.. Orton left Washington late
yesterday. issuing a statement ac-
cuSing the board of "bulldozing"
and "strikebreaking His action
was regarded as an open challenge
to President Roosevelt's request, in
his unlimited emergency" speech
that labor and industry follow the
impartial recommendation" of the
mediation agency.
Mr.. Orton charged that the
boards recommendations for end
ing the 26-day-old strike did not
differ from employer proposals. It
called for immediate return to work
pending fact-finding inquiry by
the board, and a 712 cent hourly
wage increase. The union stood
firm on demands for a full union
shop, union hiring hall, paid vaca-
tions and abolition of pieceWork,
as we'll as the wage increase. Com
mon laborers now receive 671z cents
an hour.
North American Co. officials said
(See STRIKES, Page A-3J