Evening star., 1941-09-15
Rail Board Convenes
In Effort 10 Avert
Nationwide Strike
Seufurers' Union Head
Forecasts Spread Of
War Bonus Demand
BY the Associated Press.

BY the Associated Press.
A final effort to avert national
railroad strike was started in Chi
cago today.
A representative of the National
Railway Mediation Board met with
members of the Presidents Emer-
gency Fact Finding Board in an
executive session which they indi-
Gated might last for several hours.
They were to choose a time and
place for the initial session of the
f1ve-man Emergency Board appoint
ed by President Roosevelt Septem-
Der 10 to investigate the issues of
the colossal wage dispute between
the Nations major railroads and
100000 of their workers.
This Emergency Board, headed by
Dean Wayne Lyman Morse of the
University of Oregon law school. is
required to report to the President
within 80 days from the date of its
creation. Not for 80 days after the
report is made, the Railway Labor
Act provides, may the 10 unions in
volved put strike into effect.
Five brotherhoods of the so-called
operating crafts are demanding a
80 per cent increase in basic rates of
pay. Fourteen incorporating unions
are seeking wage boosts of from 30
to "a cents an hour.
Predicts Strike Spread.
At New York John Hawk, secre-
tary of the Seafarer's International
Union CA. F. L., said a Seamen S
strike over war bonus demands,
which already has tied up nine
vessels in three ports, will spread to
many other ships now at sea when
they reach Atlantic and Gulf Coast
ports.
Mr.. Hawk said yesterday that the
Alcoa Steamship Co. boats Evange-
line, Trader, Banner and Scout, in
New York, the Carrier and Rambler,
in Mobile, Ala, and the Transport,
in New Orleans.
Neither the union, demanding in
creased bonus schedules for seamen
on vessels sailing to various out
posts, nor the shipping companies
have reported any progress in nego-
tiations.
Production Not Affected.
The aluminium company reported
the strike had interfered with de-
livery of bauxite from Dutch
Guiana, but emphasized that it had
had no effect as yet on aluminium
production.
G. I. o. workmen at the Allegheny
Iudlum Steel Co. plant at Wa
tervliet, N. Y, engaged in defense
production, walked out today and
union spokesmen claimed between
300 and 500 were participating.
Frank B. LounSberry, company
vice president. estimated about 90
per cent of the plants production
is for defense"
George c. Leonard, union official,
said the strike is in protest against
the dismissal of three men, one of
them secretary of the striking local,
2478, of the Steel Workers Or
ganizing Committee.
Great Lakes Walkout Ends.
Striking c. I. o. workmen at the
American Ship Building Co. at
Lorain, Ohio, yesterday decided to
return to work tomorrow, following
an appeal from Sidney Hillman,
o. P. M. co-ordinator. Citing the
delay to ship building in Lorain,
Mr.. Hillman's telegram asked the
c. I. o. members ito return to work
Immediately while negotiations for
final settlement of the dispute pro-
ceed."
Frank Domanski, president of the
c. I. o. local, replied by wire that
Mr.. Hillman's request would be fol-
lowed. About IS men returned to
work today.
A Workers Defense League official
yesterday charged the Navy with
repudiating a recommendation of
the National Defense Mediation
Board in the labor dispute at the
Kearny IN. J) shipyards which the
Government took over last month
during a strike.
Naval Failure Charged.
In letter to President Roosevelt.
Morris Milgram, acting national
secretary of the league, declared:
THE Navy's failure to put into
effect the maintenance of member
ship or union security clause in
the Kearny shipyards is in fact up
holding the reactionary attitude of
the Federal Shipbuilding Corp,
which led to the Governments IS
seizure of the plant, and is a repudi-
alton of the recommendation of the
National Defense Mediation Board u
The Cancellation Service of the
Labor Department announced a
settlement last night in the dispute
between the A. F. L. international
Union of Operating Engineers and
the Union Electric Co. of ST. Louis