Evening star., 1943-07-06
Providence Journal
Labor Controversy
Certified 10 WLb
By the Associated Press.

BY the Associated Press.
PROVIDENCE, r. l.. July GA
dispute over an arbitration decision
between the Providence Co-pub-
fishers of the Morning Journal, Eve
ming Bulletin andsthe Sunday Jour-
nal-and the Providence Typo
graphical Union last night was GER
titled to the War Labor Board.
The certification was announced
In Washington by the Cancellation
Service. as a spokesman for the
union issued statement in which
he said the union was determined
to stand by its refusal to "arbitrate
arbitration"
The union voted Sunday to strike
tomorrow at am, and the Journal
company followed with an an
nouncement that If the typographers
struck, it would suspend publica-
ton of the three newspapers.
Declaring that the arbiter, the
Rev. William C. Meehan, o. p. of
Providence College, had ruled that
the contract between the publish
ing company and the union had
been broken, Alfred Whittle, in
ternational representative of the
typographical Union, said the union
had requested the company to ne
gOtiate new contract.
Further Interpretation Asked.
The Journal statement said, how
ever. that after Father Meehan's
decision was handed down, Com
missioner John j. O'Reilly of the
Cancellation Service asked for a
further Interpretation of the de-
cision, and that Father Meehan re-
piled his decision did not intend
to decide that the entire contract
was abrogated"
Our position is simple" Mr..
Whittle said. I'VE have arbitrated
the question. and we now contend
that we are entitled to negotiate
a new contract The management
says they are willing to negotiate
a new section of the old contract,
but they have already broken three
sections OF it.
The sum and substance Of the
question was this: Whether or not
the contract was broken by over
payment to some composing room
men.
The arbiter decided 1t was"
The Journal company, in a 2,50O-
word statement on the front page
OF this mornings Providence Jour-
nal, announced its intention to sus-
pend publication for the first time
in ia years. il the compositors went
out on strike.
Custom Of Years.
The company statement said that
1t had followed the custom OF 40
years in making over-the-scale pay
ments to some members of the COM
posing room staff who had more
than ordinary merit"
Some of these were linotype ma
chine operators who formerly were
employed on piecework, and others
worked in other capacities In the
composing room.
Earlier in the day. the Journal
Co. announced, the Rhode Island
Department Of Labor had sought to
enter the case. inviting representa-
tives of the company and the union
to conference.
However. the Journal said. Deputy
Labor Director Joseph T. Cahir later
informed the invited conferees that
Gov. j. Howard McGrath had asked
him to rescind the invitation.
In statement issued to the Jour-
nal, Mr.. Cahir said the governor
made the request so that neither
the Journal Co. nor the Topographic
cal Union would think the State
was attempting to butt in, or die
tate to either party"
Mr. Cahir said that Gov. McGrath
and Director OF Labor William L.
Connolly would confer today, and
he added that If the Typographical
Union and the Journal Co. feel that
the State of Rhode Island. through
the labor department can be of any
service to help straighten out the
situation, we are only too willing to
serve"