Evening star., 1942-06-14
Strikers Defy Order
OF War Labor Board
To Work or Lose Jobs
Foil River Textile Group
Votes Not to Return
Without Pay Roise
Ly the Associated Press.

Iy the Associated Press.
Asserting that the no-strike
agreement in war-production
plants cannot be flouted by
small group of selfish and willful
workers" the War Labor Board
yesterday ordered 125 strikers
at the Arkwright Corp. Textile
Mills, Fall River, Mass, to re-
turn tomorrow morning or lose
their jobs.
At Fall River, spokesmen for the
strikers said they would remain firm
in their demands for more pay.
George Bradbury, one of the shop
stewards of the strikers, said the
workers had no meetings scheduled
for the week end. He declined to
comment on the Government action.
First word of the WLB order was
relayed to the strikers by Saul Wal
len, mediation officer of the WLB.
The strikers, at a meeting later,
voted unanimously not to return to
work until the demand OF 81 loom
changers were met by the manage
ment.
s3.03 Weekly Boost Sought.
The trouble at the plant developed
Monday, when the loom changers
struck for increase of their S3l.97
pay to s35 weekly. A short time
later. 90 loom fxers, who are also
members of the American Fedora
ton Of Textile Operatives, an inde-
pendent union, went out in sympa-
thy with the loom changers.
The strike has forced 800 other
workers into idleness. The plant
is manufacturing mosquito netting
for the Government.
wLB Chairman William H. Davis
said the strike was ''unauthorlzed"
and "repudiated" by the CIO United
Textile Workers of America, which
holds exclusive bargaining rights in
the plant and by the American Fed
Grafton Of Textile Operatives, inde-
pendent union to which a majority
of the strikers belong.
The board now has before it, Mr..
Davis said. a CIO request for gen.
eral wage increase which also would
include the fixers and changers.
Telegram Sent Each Striker.
The WLB chairman sent this tele-
gram to each of the strikers:
Il have directed the Arkwrlght
Corp. to resume full production on
Monday morning and you are in
structed to report for work at that
time. interruption of war produc-
ton under the circumstances OF this
case is disloyalty and dishonor. II
you fail to report for work your job
will be filled. I expect that you, as
a loyal and patriotic citizen, will re-
turn to your work which is part OF
the national war effort to maintain
the liberties you enjoy"
The board asked the company to
resume operation tomorrow morning
and Ito secure with the assistance
of the loyal and patriotic citizens
of Fall River, such employees as are
available to operate its machines"
Notice of the boards action was
wired to Gov. Saltonstau of Massa-
chusetts; Mayor Alexander C. Muir
ray of Fall River; George Bradbury.
leader of the group of strikers; Jacob
Minkin. attorney, American Fedora
ton of Textile Operatives; G. S.
Pollitz, treasurer, Arkwright Corp:
Emil Rieve, president, United Tex
tile Workers of America, CIO; Mari
ano Bishop and Edward Dulin, in
ternational representatives of the
CIO, Fall River, and Saul Wallen,
principal mediation officer of the
board.
Preferential Desire Seen.
In the kilograms to the officials
and union leaders Mr.. Davis said
- The strikers have tied up the
plant to secure special and prefer
ential treatment for themselves in
the form of an immediate wage in
crease although they are among the
highest paid employees in the plant.
This is not the first time since
Pearl Harbor that this group of
workers has engaged in an unau-
thoriZed strike. Last March they
participated in Today strike
throwing $4,000 men. out of work
because of a dispute over the en-