Evening star., 1943-03-02
Consolidated Workers
Start 24-Hour ParIey,
Protest WLB Delay
Nationwide Meetings
OfMuchinists Considered !:
Bourd Decision Due
BY the Associated Press.

SAN DIEGO, Calf, March O.
Consolidated Aircraft Corp.
workers today began what union
leaders termed a 24-hour special
meeting protesting the long de-
lay in settling inequalities in air
craft wage rates"
AS the session started at 2::30 am.
Pacific War time) H. C. Brown,
district lodge president warned that
mo employe should miss his or her
regular shift of work to attend this
meeting as 1t will be in progress "a
hours" He called for full attend
ance of night shift workers at 10
am. today and of day shift employees
at 7:30 o'clock tonight.
Union leaders said the meeting
would be advised of the present
status of the aircraft wage case,
which has been pending before the
War Labor Board since July. If the
WLB's decision is announced during
the progress Of the meeting, men,
bers will consider it at that time,
Mr.. Brown said.
Leaders of the Aeronautical In
dustrial Lodge (AFL) ended a a.
hour session at Seattle late last
night after expressing confidence
that the WLB would hand down
decision soon on the aircraft wage
case.
Other Meetings Planned.
! A three hour shutdown of three
Boeing plants last Thursday resulted
from the unions call for a gen.
eral meeting. An estimated 10000
workers attended.
Harold Gibson, Boeing union lodge
president, said as the Seattle meet
Ing ended that the consolidated
meeting would be followed by one at
the Burbank (Calif0 plant of the
Lockheed Aircraft Co. tomorrow
night If the WLB does not return a
favorable decision in the meantime.
Then, under a plan of action
drawn up at the Seattle mass meet
Ing, executives Of the International
Association Of Machinists through
out the Nation would be called on
for similar action if no WLB decision
is forthcoming after that.
The WLB meanwhile failed to
reach a decision at three-hour
night conference on the aircraft
workers wage increase demands,
and Chairman William H. Davis
said the deliberations would con-
tinue this morning.
workers at the Boeing plants near
Seattle, where Flying Fortresses are
made, and at Consolidated Aircraft,
producing the Liberator bombers,
and seven other California plants
have demanded that their pay be
placed on a par with wages in the
West Coast shipyards.
A joint AFL-CIO committee
meanwhile telegraphed President
Roosevelt, Economic Director James
F. Byrnes and the War Labor Board
charging the WLB with causing un-
rest, undue absenteeism and slowing
production in the aircraft industry
through failure to decide the case.
The Boeing workers get 621z cents
an hour as beginners. They ask
95 cents, to place them on the level
with the shipyards.
In addition to Boeing, Consoli-
dated and Douglas, the firms in
volved are Lockheed. North America,
Northrop, Ryan, Vega and Vultee
Aircraft Cos. in Southern California.
Details Cause Delay.
Mr.. Davis said after last nights
session that a final decision in the
case might not come before We'd
nesday, adding that there was "the
matter of writing opinions" which
might delay the conclusions.
There are a lot of minute details
to consider, and that's one reason
the decision takes so long" the
chairman said.
For example," he said, "there is
the classification system, and the
wage rates to be established for each.
Then We must review the upgrading
procedure for employees after stated
period. Minor questions, such as va
cations, are not difficult, but they
take time.
If you take the report Of Paul r.
Porter Especial WLB representative
in the case) you will see how de-
tailed these olIeStiOnS areo