Evening star., 1941-06-29
Agreement Ayerts
Strike Of New York
Transit Workers
A. F. L. Teomsters Agree
To Return to Jobs
In Pittsburgh
BY the Associated Press.

In Pittsburgh
BY the Associated Press.
Peaceful settlements of labor dis
putes involving transportation work
ers in the great defense production
areas of New York and Pittsburgh
were reached yesterday.
Federal labor conciliatorS an
nounced meanwhile settlement of
strike at the Dow Chemical Co.,
at Midland, Mich, producer of three
fourths of the magnesium used in
the airplane industry.
Members of the United Auto
mobile Workers &C. I. o. voted
yesterday to return to work tomor-
row morning at the parts plant of
Chrysler Corp. pending discussion
by company and union representa-
tives of union grievances.
Contract to Continue.
Mayor F. H. La Guardia an
nounced an agreement averting a
threatened strike in New York's
city-owned transit system on which
thousands travel daily to scores of
factories and shipping centers con-
eerned with defense goods.
The Transport Workers Union
&C. I. o. and the city agreed, Mr..
La Guardia said, to continue an
existing contract until the courts
could decide whether the city can
legally contract with the union in
the future. That meant cancella-
ton of a union order for walkout
of $4,000 workers at midnight Mon
day, the time at which the present
contract expires.
The union demands ST a day
increase for all employees. Rates
now range from the minimum of
S24 e6 a week for car cleaners to the
maximum figure for motormen OF
$500.
Eight Points Raised.
Mr.. La Guardia's offer to main
tain the status quo was conditioned
on the acceptance of eight points.
They we're:
That a strike against the city is
not and cannot be recognized; that
all new employees must be taken
from civil service lists; that promo
tions must be according to civil
service law and rules; that no
employee of the Board of Trans
portation can be compelled to join
any union although he is free to
do so if he wishes; that no employe
can be discharged for failure or re-
fuSal to pay dues to any union;
that the city is compelled by law
to maintain its transit services: that
transit employees are free to be rep
resented by officials of the organ
ization to which they belong, and
such officials can always confer with
officials of the Board of Transporta-
ton and the board itself; that the
city intended to provide a labor
grievance board within the board
to expedite consideration of griev-
ances and facilitate their adjust
ment.
Philip Murray, president of the
Congress of Industrial Organiza-
tions, suggested that the status
quo be maintained even if the Su-
preme Court of the United States
accepted jurisdiction of the case on
a final appeal on some question of
constitutionality.
Insists on Strike Right.
He discussed each one of the
Mayors points, asserting in regard
to Mr.. La Guardia's statement about
the right to strike, that the c. 1. o.
was sure such a right existed.
He said that by accepting the tenn
porary agreement the c. I. o. un-
derstood that the Mayor was mot
conceding the existence OF that
right nor are we conceding its non
existence"
Referring to Mr.. La Guardia S
declaration that union employees
were entitled to have their repre-
sentatives confer with the board,
Mr. Murray said, Il am suggesting
to T. w. U. that its officers appear
as soon as possible before the board
to begin active negotiations on the
matters of wages and other ques-
tions which are proper for negotia-
ton under the terms of this agree
ment."
AS postscript" Mr.. Murray sug-
eested that the same arrangements |
should be extended to cover en-
ployes of the independent system
which was built by the city.
At Pittsburgh, A. F. L. teamsters
agreed to return to work, ending a
walkout Of about 1900 men which
began % days ago and which inter-
fered with the shipment and ham
ding of defense materials in Pitts
burghs munitions mills.
The strikers agreed to go back to
their jobs under a proposal of the
Defense Mediation Board for in
creases of cents an hour for some
classiflcationS and 10 cents for
others. The union originally de-
manded fiat 10-cent boost over the
basic rate of IS cents an hour.
Final determination on the dispute
will be made by the board at
series OF meetings to begin Monday.
The strike affected 179 trucking