Evening star., 1943-03-01
Consolidated Aircraft
Workers Hold TO Plan
OF Protest Meetinq
Boeine Work Stoppoee .
Averted as Union
Awaits WLB Verdict
BY the Associated Press.

SEATTLE, March IA con-
templated round the clock pro-
test meeting of some 10000
aircraft workers dwindled today
into a continuous session of the
governing council for AFL work
ers at Boeing's, maker of Flying
Fortresses.
The council went into session at
1870 O'Clock last night with the
announced intention of continuing
TO meet until the War Labor Board
acts on the demand of aircraft
workers for starting pay comparable
10 Shlpyard wages. The board was
considering the case in Washington.
Meetings were held there through
out the day and the board arranged
for night session, if necessary, to
expedite a decision.
Originally the meeting was to
have been a 24-hour session OF the
entire union membership. with
members attending on their off
duty hours. The plan was dropped.
spokesmen said, to avoid any pos
eAbAlVV ol WOTk SlOUDdRe.
Will Meet at San Diego.
= However, AFL Machinists Union
officials at San Diego said they had
not altered their plans for round
the-clock meeting of workers at
Consolidated Aircraft Corp. who
make Americas other famed heavy
bombers-the Liberators. The union,
claiming membership of 5000,
scheduled the San Diego meeting to
start at 1890 am. Tuesday.
Pacific Coast aircraft workers get
62le cents an hour as beginners
They want 95 cents. the same scale
as paid to start in West Coast ship
cards and similar industries.
Harold Gibson. president of the
Aeronautical Industrial Council
,(AFH, the governing union group
at Seattle. said approximately 40
per cent of Boeing's workers were
now on the 62l2 cent rate The
turnover he said, was 1873 per cent
He asserted II per cent of new
the job because they found they
could make better wages elsewhere.
Hearings Started 10 Months Ago.
Employees are classed as learners
for three months, then increased to
70 cents an hour and after three
months more reach 78 cents High
er brackets are rated as class "A"
and class ''B'' jobs at 81 03 and $0.93,
respectively. Tool and diemakers
receive 1923
Ten months ago hearings were
ktarted on the aircraft industry in
an effort to stabilize it, but were
discontinued after both unions and
manufacturers representatives re-
quested higher starting wage for
aircraft workers. The War Labor
Board has had it under considera-
ton since.
A joint AFL-CIO committee. in /
tended to align all labor factions
behind the aircraft workers de- |
mands, telegraphed President Roose-
welt, Economic Director Byrnes and
the War Labor Board charging the |
WLB with fomenting unrest in the |
aircraft industry, causing undue |
absenteeism and slowing production |
through failure to decide the case.
The WLB announced it was con-
sidering the case over, the week end
and would continue to deliberate over
1t until a decision was reached, but
it cautioned Boeing workers that
consideration would be dropped i'm
mediately if workers did not remain
Loyalty at their jobs until the case is
finally determined" The board,
which conducted two Investigations /
On the West Coast, was reported to /
be making progress.
Five thousand LOckheed-Vega air
craft workers in Los Angeles have |
decided there will be no work stop |
page in their plants pending issu-
ance of the War Labor Boards de- |
cision.
The workers voted at a mass meet |
Ing yesterday to authorize their AFL !
leaders to conduct 24-hour meeting |
Wednesday to discuss developments |
In wage negotiations, but it was en-
phasized attendance would be on
off-duty time.