Evening star., 1941-02-20
AIIis-ChaImers Strike
Threatens TO Spread
To -Four Other Plants
Knudsen Had Predicted
Truce Today; Union Says
Firm Doesn't Won't Pact
By the Associated Press.

oS sbS HSoOSAnScA ASSo'
Despite an official prediction that
today would bring an end to the
month-long strike which has held
up work on $45 100000 in defense
orders at the Allis-C Chalmers Mil
waukee plant, the strike persisted
and even threatened to spread to
four of the firms plants in other
cities.
Richard Frankensteen and Ed
Hall, international officials of the
c. I. O.-United Automobile Workers
Union, left. Milwaukee last night
after withdrawing from negotiations
with the company and saying they
could see no purpose in further con-
ferences.
Only yesterday William S. Knud-
sen, director of the Office of Pro-
duction Management, forecast that
the dispute would be settled by
today.
Mr.. Hall said the company was
not desirious of making settlement
regardless of defense or anything
else" He said the company in let
ters to its foremen had stated: With
the finished or nearly finished de-
fenSe materials out of our plant
there will be only one main issue
the closed shop. We will then be
in an impregnable position to re-
sist it."
He added that the $500 Milwaukee
workers had an answer to the chal-
lenge, and that;
There also will be additional
workers in La Porte, Ind; Pitts
burgh, Boston and Oxnard, Calf,
that also will accept this challenge
and show their resentment by with
drawing their services"
Walkout Of 14,O0O Threatened.
A labor dispute at the Lackawan-
ma, N. Y, plant of the Bethlehem
Steel Co. threatened to bring about
walkout affecting $4,000 employees.
c. I. o. President Philip Murray,
who also is chairman of the Steel
Workers Organizing Committee, told
the Defense Commission yesterday
that shutdown of the plant cannot
be averted unless the company dis
continues "itS unlawful and diScrim-
mating practices.
Mr.. Murray contended that the
firm had locked out" 300 employees
of the coke-oven department.
Other labor developments in
Cluded:
Miami, Fla.-George M. Harrison,
president of the Brotherhood of
Railway Clerks and spokesman for
IA standard railroad unions, said
tabulation of a strike vote would be-
gin in Washington March %. The |
brotherhoods are seeking annual
paid vacations.
Chicago International Harvester
Co. refused to negotiate with c. I. o.
at its Mccormick works, where the
Farm Equipment Workers Organ
izing Committee said a strike had !
been authorized.
I'VE cannot negotiate e because
they (the C. I. o. have not estab-
liShed themselves through the legal
methods open to them as the rep
resentatives of the majority of the
employees" a company statement
read.
The statement was in reply to
Robert Travis, international field |
of the union, who had |
told Harvesters president, Sydney |
McAllister, that to avert this strike
you have only to agree to meet with
US and negotiate our demands"
Some Zinc Workers Return.
Donora, Pa-Partial operations
were resumed at the American Steel
& Wire Co.'S zinc works, where work
on defense materials was halted
yesterday by an unauthorized strike
of c. I. o. unionists.
A company spokesman reported
that about 200 of the 300 employees |
returned to work. In the meantime,
leaders of the Donora Lodge of the |
Steel Workers Organizing Commit
tee called a meeting to discuss the
strike, which grew out of disputes |
over wage adjustments for AZ work.
men.
Clinton S. Golden, S. w. o. c.
director, ordered the local officers |
yesterday to call the men back to
work, saying tht strike was unau-
thorized and that it violated both
S. w. o. c. policy on defense pro-
duction and the unions contract
with the company.
Minneapolis notices af- |
fecting 1000 members of the C. I. |
O.-United Electrical. Radio and |
Machine Workers Unions, employed |
at the Minneapolis and Hopkins |
plants of the Minneapolis Moline |
Power Implement Co. were drafted |
as a result of a dispute over wages, |
vacations and a union shop. Under |
Minnesota law, a strike could not |
occur in much less than 40 days. The
company has orders for shell cast
ings and other defense subcontracts.
Members Of the c. I. O.-United
Automobile Workers Union at the
Willard Storage Battery Co. plant
voted to strike late today unless
the company replies favorably to
grievances pending since January
16. The plant employs about TOO
men.
Union representatives said work.
ers sought adequate compensation
for men disabled by lead poisoning,
revision of the company medical
departments and a program for
protection of employees health.