Evening star., 1941-10-29
Machine Gun Factory
Closed; 5.State Plane
Strike Threatened
Third Bendix WoIkout
Brings UItimotum; Steel
Mill Faces Stoppoee
BY the Associated Press.

By the Associated Press.
A walkout in q Michigan machine
gun factory and a threatened gen.
eral strike Of C. l. O. aircraft worker.
on the Atlantic seaboard high light
ed developments on the defense
labor front today, aside from the
captive coal mine dispute
In addition, work on eight Navy
boats was halted, welders' strike
appeared to be spreading along the
Pacific Coast and a walkout was
threatened at a Lackawanna, N. Y.
steel mill.
The general strike threat arost
with the third walkout in Is weeks
at Air Associates, Inc, at Bendix
N. j. Richard Frankensteen, ma
tional director of the union. tele.
graphed President Roosevelt that
unless the controversy could be set
tied to the unions saSifaction by
tomorrow, he had no recourse but
to use the economic strength Of
the union to protect its members.
The strike would affect plants in
New York. New Jersey, Pennsyl-
vania, Maryland and Connecticut. .
The latest strike at, Air Associ-
ates was believed settled Friday
after conferences with Federal Of
ficials. Almost Immediately, how
ever, U. A. w. leaders began con-
tending the company was violating
terms of the settlement by trying to
get returning strikers to sign REIN
statement forms which would de-
prive them Of their former positions
and pay.
About 65 Of the TOO employees re-
manned out at the factory, which has
orders for s5.000,000 worth Of air
plane equipment.
Machine Gun Plant Closed.
Production stopped early today
at the s5,800,000 machine gun plant
of the Kelsey-Hayes Wheel Co. in
Plymouth, Mich, Detroit suburb,
when night shift workers left the
building. Only last night, a sched-
uled walkout at the plant had been
called off by the c. 1. o. United
Automobile Workers, pending re-
sumption of wage negotiations to-
day. 1t had been reported that
3,7OO workers in three Kelsey Hayes
plants in Detroit would call a SYM
pathetic strike if the workers in
the Plymouth plant walked out.
However, no sympathy strikes were
Immediately.
The companys Plymouth plant
employs $500 persons in the manu-
facture of machine guns for mill
tary planes. The workers were re-
ported to be demanding that male
employees be raised from 81 to $105
an hour, and that woman workers
be removed from machine jobs. The
women currently are paid IS cents
an hour, State labor official said.
Navy Boat Work Halted.
A strike of 1900 c. I. o. men in
the Defoe Boat & Motor Works in
Bay City, Mich, halted work on
eight submarine chasers and mine
sweepers being built for the Navy
under a $2O,0OO000 defense contract.
A spokesman of the Shipbuilders
Union said the walkout was voted
last night to enforce a union shop
demand. A contract had been
negotiated 10 days ago, but the
membership refused to ratify it.
The G. I. o. spokesman also
charged the company with failure
to adhere to a wage stabilization
agreement affecting Great Lakes
shipyards. He said a 12-cent in
crease which that agreement ex-
tended to marine mechanics had not
been paid.
$500 Welders Included.
The welders' strike involved about
$500 WOrkmen in the Los Angeles
Long Beach harbor shipyards, and
an estimated 1,700 in the Seattle
Tacoma area. Their work stoppage
was called in protest to the A. F.
LIS refusal to charter separate
welders union. Under current ar
rangements, some welders contend
it is necessary for them to pay
dues to five unions in orded to ply
their trade.
The A. F. L. Metal Trades Coun-
Gil at Los Angeles promised to sup
ply welders to affected employers
as requirements for those who went
on strike.
The Office of Production Manage,
ment intervened and asked for
speedy resumption Of work in the
interest of defense. The o. P. M.
statement said the Federal Office
insists that the deadlock be broken
Immediately"