Evening star., 1941-07-16
Board Fails 10 Settle
Powder Plant Dispute
But Strike Is Delayed
Galveston Shipyord
Struck; Propeller .
WuIkout Threatened

BY the Associated Press.
The Defense Mediation Board an
nounced today it was unable to
work out an agreement between the
A. F L. Chemical Works Union and
the Western Cartridge CO. of Alton,
Ill, but that the union had agreed
to postpone threatened strike until
the board can make further recon-
mendations.
The plant is working on an am
munition order of more than So OOO,-
900 and about $50 workers in the
SmokeleSs powder division are in
volved in the dispute, which is prin-
cipally over wages.
Board officials said company and
union representatives were return
Ing to Alton and would submit addi-
tional data which the board would
await before preparing recon-
mendations.
The union is seeking wage in
creaSes from minimum of 60 cents
an hour to IS cents with other ad-
]ustments in higher brackets.
Propeller Strike Threatened.
In Caldwell, N. j., A. F.. L. ma
chinists voted to strike Tuesday at
the propeller plant of the Curtiss-
Wright Corp. to enforce union
recognition.
The plant employs 1900 men and
women. The A. F.. L. unit claims 80
per cent of them are members.
Elsewhere two short-lived steel
strikes were ended, but Navy officers
saw a definite obstruction to the de-
fense program in work stoppage at
S2500,000 Navy ammunition dump
being built near Fallbrook, Calf.
Sixty A. F.. L. workers walked
out at the Fallbrook job THURSDAY
A spokesman refused to disclose de-
tails of the dispute, but contended
the contractor had violated an oral
agreement with the unions and had
failed to negotiate a written con-
tract.
The Navy stated that the union
demanded living allowances and
pay for travelling time, concessions
which it was declared would in
crease the cost of the project by
S250000 to 100000.
In Galveston, Tex. the night shift
of several hundred men at the
Todd-GalveSton Dry Docks. Inc.
yard walked out, halting work at
the plant.
The company has contract with
tho MarIfir,,a Tnror-,c-i1~
pairing vessels. Neither union nor
company officials made statements.
but A. F. L. unions have been seek
Ing an agreement for some time.
Steel Disputes Settled.
The two steel labor disputes in
volved c. I. o. steelworkerS' unions,
the Great Lakes Steel Corp. at
Ecorse, Mich, and the Copperweld
Steel Co. at Warren. Ohio. C. l. o.
officials had termed both walkouts
unauthorized.
The Great Lakes trouble ended
when the company signed a contract
previously agreed on.
Settlement terms at the Copper
weld factory provided for rehiring
all but SIX strikers. In walking out,
the union men had demanded the
rehlrlng OF Il foremen who. they
said, had quit rather than carry out
orders to discharge 80 workmen.
Republic Steel to Bargain.
A development of great interest
to steel men yesterday was the de-
cision of Republic Steel Corp, one
OF the Nations big producers, to bar
gain collectively with the C. 1. O..
Steel Workers Organizing Commit
tee in II of IS plants, with the pro-
viSo that the union prove it had a
majority of the workers in the
plants.
In a related development, the Ma
tional Labor Relations Board. Repub-
lie Steel and the S w O. c. COM
pleted an agreement clearing away
all Wagner Act cases pending
against the firm.
The Cancellation Service an
nounced last night a tentative
agreement had been reached for set
ting wage dispute involving about
5000 employees of the White Motor
Co, Cleveland. The c. l. O.-Auto
Workers Union has been seeking a
wage increase and threatening to
strike if one was not Forthcoming.
The White company has con-
tracted to build s7O,OOO,OOO worth of
scout cars for the Army.
After a tWo-day meeting at Gin
cinnati, the C. 1. o. International
Union of Aluminium Workers of
America decided to seek elimination
of sectional wage differentials in
plants of the Aluminium Co. of
America