Evening star., 1941-03-16
Steel Plant Strikers
Urged by Hi|Iman
To Resume Work
Vunudium Men Are Told
O. P. N. Settlement Offer
z Weeks Ago Is Fair
BY the Associated Press.

Weeks Ago Is 'Foir'
By the Associated Press.
Sidney Hillman, associate director
OF the Office for Production Man.
agement and vice president of the
c. I. O., urged striking C. I. o
steel union yesterday to accept what
he called a fair and reasonable
proposal for a settlement made by
the o. P. M. almost two weeks ago
He wired the strikers at the
Vanadium Steel Co.'S Bridgeville
Pa, plant that the o. P. M. expected
their cooperation 80 that national
defense efforts shall not be further
hampered" Mr.. Hillman recalled
that the o. P. M. on March pro-
posed that the strikers return to
work Immediately and that all
charges by the management against
conduct of individual employees be
submitted to conference and arbi-
tration.
In the same message, Mr. Hillman
asked that the strikers allow finished
products needed for national defense
to be removed from the plant.
Steel Removed Under Guard.
A group of foremen and white
collar" workers-guarded by 81 State
policemen ordered to the scene by
Gov. James-slipped through picket
lines into the Vanadium plant last
night to remove ruSt-proof steel
alloys vital to national defense
industries.
Gov. James ordered the police to
protect" removal of $500 pounds
of finished materials after the union
denied the National Defense Com
mission permission" to ship the
products. State police arrived after
the unions strike committee turned
down with a fiat mo" the Hillman
appeal.
The group of foremen was whisked
by automobile through the big fac
tory gates before a wall of State
policemen armed with riot clubs.
Pickets rushed up and hurriedly
scanned the faces of those in the
cars as they paused at the gates.
There was no disorder.
Crucible Strike Ended.
The strike started five weeks ago
with union claims that the company
refused to hire six plant guards
from a list of unemployed union
members.
At Pittsburgh, Abe Wales, sub
regional director of the C. I. O.'s
Steel Workers Organizing Commit
tee, announced yesterday strike
at the Labelle plant of the Crucible
Steel Co. had been settled on the
recommendations of Government
conciliators and the national Office
OF the S. w. o. c.
approximately 900 workers, he
said, will return to their jobs as
soon as the plant is ready to resume
operations, probably Monday.
The strike was called Tuesday
night because of grievances over
wage rates. Mr.. Wales said the
strikers, in returning to work, took
the position that a more efficient
method of handling grievances
should be arranged.
Rail Strike Threat Lessened.
A threat of railroad strike was
diminished during the day by the
agreement of IA brotherhoods to
submit a dispute over vacations
with pay to mediation board.
George M. Harrison, president of
the Railway Labor Executives
Board, announced at Cincinnati that
mediation had been agreed to, but
said the brotherhoods would go
ahead with tabulation of strike
ballots now being cast.
Mr. Harrison explained that even
If the ballots showed a majority
for strike, the workers would not
necessarily walk out because the
mediation discussions might produce
a settlement
At Milwaukee, State Employ
rnent Relations Board held a hear
ing on the strike at the plant of
the Allis-Chalmers Manufacturing
Co. which began on January % and
has tied up production of $45 100000
in defense orders. The C. I. o.
United Automobile Workers seek
union shop and wage increases.
Company witnesses at the hearing
challenged the count of ballots
which decided the strike call, say
ing the totals announced by the
union were too high.
HarvilI Makes Charge.
The question of removing ma
terial from a strike e-bound plant also
came up on the Pacific Coast. H. L.
Harvill, president of the Harvill
Aircraft Diecasting Corp. at Ingle-
wood, Calf, told reporters that
strikers refused permission for North
American Aviation Co. employees to
remove certain dies needed for the
manufacture of Army bombers. Two
truckloadS of parts, one for North
American and one for Douglas Air
craft, were allowed to pass through
the picket line on Friday, however.
A union official, in a statement,
said that while the Harvill Co.
profits had been rising, wages had
remained stationary.
At Washington, the Cancellation
Service of the Labor Department
announced that during the week
ended Friday, it had adjusted 73
strikes, threats of strikes and other
labor controversies in widely scat
tered parts of the country.