Evening star., 1944-09-08
Threats Of Addifiona|
Strikes Mount With
Many Already Idle
~ the Associated Press.

Rumblings along the Nations
labor front heightened today a,
threats Of work stoppages presaged
q heavy addition to the large num-
Der OF workers currently idle be-
cause of disputes.
The labor controversies affected a
variety Of industries and kept thou
sands Of workers idle. Coal mines,
steel mills and war plants were in
volved.
Coal mines In Pennsylvania and
West Virginia numbered 23 as crews
began reporting back to work at sew
eral pits seized by the Government
In the dispute over recognition of
the mine union. An estimated 1000
men were away from their jobs, but
cleanup crews were to enter six
West Virginia pits, paving the way
for q resumption Of production
under terms Of Wednesdays Gov
ernment seizure order, which placed
is mines in the two States under
Federal control.
Kent Mine Supervisors Quit.
In Washington the Solid Fuels Ad-
ministration announced that the
Kent Ia mine of the Rochester A
Pittsburgh Coal Co., at Mcintyre,
Pa, was forced to halt operations
after its supervisors, members of the
United Mine Workers Supervisory
Union, resigned on Secretary Ickes'
refusal to recognize the union as
bargaining agent. The mine was one
of the eight of the company's seized
last week to halt strikes of super
visory workers.
Whether the Government will
consider the designations a violation
of the Smith Connally Antistrike
Act is not certain.
Undersecretary of the Interior
Abe Fortas addressed a telegram to
each of the men involved, calling
on them to return to work "aS de-
voted and loyal citizen Of the United
States" Explaining he was not
passing judgment on the dispute
with the company, Mr.. Fortas said
that the coal cut of by the strike
lis vital to war work"
Al More File Strike Notices.
Meanwhile, notices of strike in
tentlons were filed for supervisory
groups in Al more pits In Pennsyl-
vania, West Virginia, Kentucky and
Alabama. Votes will be taken after
the 3o-day cooling OF" periods re-
quired by the anti-strike law.
Other developments along the
labor front:
Work stoppage involving about
1900 union war workers gripped the
Birmingham (Ala.) district, forcing
the closing of Pullman Standard Car
Manufacturing Co.'S Bessemer plant
and sharply curbing operations at
the Tennessee Coal, Iron & Railroad
Co.'S Fairfield steel works.
A strike of nine cranemen at the
Carnegie Illinois steel mill in Far
reu, Pa, forced 1900 employees into
idleness and shut down all but one
operation at the plant, a company
spokesman said. One blast furnace
processing pig iron continued to
operate and the company's adjoining
ordnance plant was not affected by
the strike, which began Wednesday. !
2. A notice Of a strike vote was filed
by members Of the International Ass
soctation of machinists (AFD EN- 4
ployed at the huge Pratt d Whitney,
Engine factory in. Kansas City, Mo-
Ten thousand employees would be
affected. +
In Buffalo, N. Y, a strike vote
notice involving about 1000 en-
ployes Of seven Western New York
mills was filed by the Flour and Mill
Workers Union (AFL}.
Disputes affecting smaller num-
bers Of workers were reported at the
Mt. Pleasant (Tenn3 plant of the
International Miners and Chemical
Carp: at Armour Packing Plant In
Omaha, Nebr.. at the Walsh Kaiser
Shfpyard in Providence, r. l., and
the Mosher Steel Co. at Houston,
Tex.