The Waterbury Democrat., 1943-05-27
RUBBER WORKERS
 HEED ULTIMATUM
Continued from Page D
the clock, Goodyear has 18,0O0.

the clock, Goodyear has 18,OOO.
 Firestone officials said the re- sponSe was Satisfactory" In view of the short notice. Close to normal operations were anticipated by mid | afternoon.
 None of the plants was picketed this morning.
 It was the second shift to report for work at General Tire, where a sympathy strike ended last night in advance of the presidents order Some 1000 went to work on the 10 p. m. shift.
 Strikers milled round outside the Goodrich and Firestone plants as the 8. m. shift WIS due to report.
 Typical samples of conversations among the workers, mostly mem- bers of the United Rubber Workers (CIO):
 Goodyear plant-"When the pres ident says Go back to work you don't fool around. Many of us want ed to work all along, but couldn't get through those picket lines"
 Goodrich plant-"All we know is what we read in the newspapers and hear over the radio. We're waiting for orders from our leaders" George Bass, Goodrich union local president, asked the men to return in radio appeal early this morn ing).
 Firestone-"If the president hadn't issued his order, we'd still be out on strike"
 Up to the time MT. Roosevelt sent his telegram to the union demand ing the strike be ended, the execu- tive committee of the Firestone local had voted six to two to remain out.
 Sherman H. Dalrymple, URW in- ternational president who presided over an all-day session of the unions executive board yesterday personally urged the strikers to obey the presidents order land stay on the job until victory is ours"
 The 5,0000 reporting at Goodyear plants represented nearly the full morning shift. The company em- ploys approximately 18,000 on three shifts. The 1000 at General repre- sented the full a. m. shift. Ap- proximately 5000 work for General Tire on three shifts.
 The strike was protest against a War Labor Board decision granting & three -cent an hour wage increase to the rubber workers. The union had sought an eight-cent increase contending 1t was entitled to such a boost under the little steel wage for mula.
 The President, speaking as con- mander- chief of the Army and Navy, issued his strongly -wordetl ultimatum last night and said that unless the strike was ended your government will take the necessary steps to protect the interests of the nation, the legal rights and prop critics of the companies involved and the rights of the patriotic workers who desire to work"
 The necessary steps presumably would involve government seizure and operations of the rubber fac tories since similar statement by the President preceded government seizure of the coal mines and a strike crisis on May 1.
 "Econoomic sacrifices, whether real or not do not justify the strike action taken by the members of your uaion," the President said in his order to the rubber workers.
 MT. Roosevelt said 1t was shock ing to discover that any group within our citizenry would impede, for single moment, the production of the materials of war needed for our war effort"
 Earlier, Sherman H. Dalrymple international President of the rub Der workers. appealed to the strik- CTS to return to work, pointing out thatt he WLB would not reconsider their case until the walkout was ended.
 A short time later, the VILE ap- pealed to President Roosevelt to in- tervene in the situation and the chief executive followed with his ultimatum for immediate cessation of the strike.
 Dalrymple and several other of ficials immediately broadcast an- other appeal to the strikers to re- port back to work this morning. Stronger, lighter propellerS are