Evening star., 1941-10-18
Detroit Steel Strike
Is Sabotage, U. 5.
Mediator Charges
Dewey Promises Drastic
Action if Defense
Output Is Not Resumed
BY the Associated Press.

plainly indicating his dissatisfaction,
said today at Detroit he had to look
for more sinister purpose-sabo-
tage" in the three -day-old strike at
Great Lakes Steel Corp.
Ignoring instructions from heads
of the C. I. o. Steel Workers Organ
izing Committee. a number of re-
bellious strikers have refused to re-
turn to work since their walkout
Wednesday midnight. A total of
$500 men are idle with the plant
closed
This is a wildcat strike" Mr..
Dewey said, land the Government
of the United States is going to sup
port the company and the respon-
sible union officials in their demand
that the men return to work.
1T is the fourth illegal, unauthor-
lied strike at Great Lakes Steel and
I have to look for more sinister
purpose. This is sabotage"
DTdSbC ACtlOH III Ttdttntu.
Mr.. Dewey said that if the strike
were not settled soon, drastic ac-
ton" would have to be taken in the
interests of producing defense steel.
He did not elaborate his statement.
The strike has tied up production of
high tensile steel for Army tanks
and other defense purposes.
The S. w. o. c. has a contract
with Great Lakes. Spokesman for
| the strikers charged that some work
ers failed to receive proper consid-
Grafton in negotiated wage scales.
Meanwhile, Pittsburgh faced the
possibility of general A. F. L. build
ing trades strike in the near future
and the Nation pondered President
Roosevelt's prediction that the o. P.
M. soon would have something to say
about labor strife.
The threat to Pittsburghs vast
national defense industrial setup
came from the A. F. L. Building
Trades and Construction Council
The labor groups chief. James
Ahearn. said the strike call would
be issued in 10 days "as a protest
against incursions into the building
and construction field by the Du-
quesne Light Co. and other outside
organiZa tions."
transportation Support Promised.
The utility firm has been awarded
contracts for installation and other
construction in Allegheny County
and the council has struck on some
projects, contending the company
should not have been given the work
Promise of support, Mr.. Ahearn
said, had come from the Amalga-
mated Association of Street Railway
and Motor Coach Co. employees,
which would mean that transporta-
ton will be cut off the minute the
strike goes into effect"
At his press conference in HYDE
Park, N. Y. yesterday, President
Roosevelt gave no indication of what
the o. P. NJ pronouncement would
be, but there was speculation that
1t might deal with the union shop
question. Some in the Capital
thought a joint statement might
come from Sidney Hillman. associate
0. P. M. director; Secretary Perkins.
and Chairman William H. Davis of
the National Defense Mediation
Board.
The union shop issue in the CAP
tive mine dispute has engaged the
boards attention for weeks. The c.
1. O.s United Mine Workers want a
union shop contract for so-called
captive mines, owned bN the steel
companies. A 30-day truce which
ended strike of $4,000 miners ex-
pires tomorrow, but Mr.. Davis said
it will be continued from day to day
Shipyard Work Delayed.
c. 1. O.s United Automobile
Workers will vote tomorrow whether
to strike at the Bell Aircraft Corp. S
/ plants in Buffalo and Niagara Falls
Leo Lamotte. c. I. o. organization
official, said wage negotiations were
stalemated. The firm employs 10000
at work on pursuit planes for the
United States and England.
The union asks a 20-cent hourly
general wage increase, a rise in
minimum starting wage from so to
IS cents an hour, a union shop and
dues checkoff. Mr.. Lamotte said
the firm offered a Scent general
increase and a 10-cent minimum
pay increase.
Work at the Lake Washington
shipyard at Kirkland, Wash, was
delayed by a walkout yesterday OF
300 welders at work on five air.
plane tenders for the Navy.
The walkout was the result of a
dispute between the Seattle Welders
and Burners Council and the A. F.
L. Dave Basor, Welders' secretary
said Welders' Council member was
pulled off the job by the Boiler
makers, and added that his group
was withdrawing from the A. F.. l.
because its national convention in
Seattle refused to give it a hearing
Aircraft Strike Averted.
w. j. Chudleigh, machinists union
president, said today A. F. L. ma
chinists had been persuaded to hold
in allegiance strike threats against
the Consolidated Aircraft Corp. in
San Diego, Calf. until the company
and the Federal Government could
agree on a wage difference.
The Ralston Steel Car Co., Colum-
bus, Ohio, reported settlement of a
nine-day strike of approximately
$50 independent unionists for wage
increases. Strikers counsel said
settlement agreement provided for
10 per cent increase on guaranteed
day rate pay.
The Defense Mediation Board yes
terday adjourned hearing on labor
dispute at the Alabama Dry Dock
g. Shipbuilding Co., Mobile, Ala,
and gave the disputants until Octo-
ber q to submit further written
evidence.
After that date, board spokesmen
said, a decision in the case would be
made.
Identity of Firm, Hit by
O. P. N. Order, Clarified
BY the Associated Press.