Evening star., 1941-05-07
Efforts 10 End Dispute
At 6. N. Pressed by
Mediation Board
Threatened Strike at
Honeywell Co. Plant
Is Averted
Rl tie Associated Press

By the Associated Press.
The Defense Mediation Board to-
day pressed for settlement of wage
dispute in go General Motors Corp.
plants, after averting threatened
strike at the Minneapolis Honeywell
Regulator Co., holder of 100000
worth of defense contracts.
A panel of the board detailed to
the General Motors controversy re-
cessed early today after an appar-
emily unproductive night session,
and arranged to meet again later in
the day. The c. I. o. United Auto
mobile Workers have demanded
wage increases of 10 cents an hour;
the company's best offer repeatedly
was a 2-cent boost. Wage rates vary
widely with job classifications, and
no general average wage was avail
able.
Union Officials to Meet.
Walter P. Reuther of the U. A. w.
said union officials in General Mo-
tors plants throughout the country
would meet in Detroit Saturday to
hear a report on negotiations on
the wage dispute.
He said the union representatives
in the plants would be brought up
to date on the progress of the ef-
forts by the Mediation Board to
work out a settlement.
Union recognition was the prin-
cipal point at issue in the Mime
apolis Honeywell case, but details of
the settlement were not made public
Immediately. Ratification of the re-
ported agreement was to come be-
fore the union Friday night.
Labor Department conciliators
continued their efforts to bring
about an agreement to end the
strike of 400 bus drivers and other
employees of the Pennsylvania Grey
hound lines. The strikers asked
better working conditions, union
shop and wages of cents a mile
for drivers now receiving 4 and Ais
cents.
5000 Idle at Detroit.
LII &C tllouSollU VI illC
Ex-Cell-O tool-making plant at De-
troit were idle as a result of C. I.
O-called strike for higher wages.
The company was reported to have
offered an increase of 5 cents an
hour, but the union asked for 10
cents. The existing basic wage
rate was not made public.
Conciliators seeking a settlement
indicated last night the dispute may
be referred to the Mediation Board.
Such action, 1t was said, would he
taken if no progress is made today
toward reopening the plants holding
$16,000,000 in defense orders.
Lukens Steel Contract Signed.
A labor contract was signed at
Coatesville, Pa, today by the Lukens
Steel Co. and the C. I. o. Steel
Workers Organizing Committee after
weeks of negotiations during which
strike had been threatened. The
company is working on $17000,0OO in
national defense orders.
The contract. subject to ratiica.
ton of a union mass meeting to-
night, provides for paid vacations
and wage increase of 10 cents an
hour for a one-year period over the
previous minimum of 561a cents an
hour. Union officials estimated the
increase would add an average of
81 to weekly pay checks.
A strike at the Ellsworth, Pa,
mine of Industrial Collieries, Bethle-
hem Steel Co. subsidiary, spread to-
day to the company's mines at
Mariana and Cokeburg.
The strike started yesterday at
Ellsworth because members of the
C. I. o. United Mine Workers Union
refused to work with one miner who
would not join the union. All opera
tions were halted. Approximately
$50 were thrown out of work at
Ellsworth. 900 at Mariana and 1926
at COkeburg,