Evening star., 1944-05-22
Montgomery Ward
lCnntinued From First paanl

acting under President Roosevelt's
order.
Operations at the Hummer factory
had been halted for II days by q
strike of AFL machinists who pro-
tested the concerns rejection of a
War Labor Board directive to sign
a one-year contract with the union.
President Roosevelt ordered seizure
Of the company, which consists of
three plant buildings and an admin
istrative building, after WLB re-
ferred the case to the White House
for action on the concerns refusal
to accede to the WLB order.
The WLB said Hummer was en-
gagged 10 per cent In war materials
manufacture. The concern manu-
factures propellers, carburetors and
gun mounts for military aircraft, as
well as farm supplies and machinery
No Connection Between Disputes.
The Army seized the Montgomery
Ward Chicago properties last April
26 but returned them to the owner
May 8, the same day an employees
election was held to determine a
bargaining agent. The C1O union
involved represented a majority,
tabulation showed.
There was no connection between
the disputes in Chicago and Spring.
field.
The WLB's original order in the
Hummer case was issued nearly nine
months ago. As in the Montgomery
Ward case, Sewell Avery. Ward head,
refused to comply with provisions
for maintenance of union member
ship and arbitration procedures.
The union took the case into its
own hands on May and struck the
plant after the board had held a
"show cause" hearing under the
War Labor Disputes Act and
affirmed its order on April IA.
The WLB said the tieup at the
plant had curtailed production of
Bendix Aviation.
The White House released letter
to the President from WLB Chair
man William H. Davis in which
Mr.. Davis said he was informed
that Bendix lis considering the
removal of machine tools and dies
from Hummer, for installation in
other plants, in order to insure the
receipt of needed turret parts for
military aircraft.
I'm view of these circumstances,
the board has no alternative but to
refer this case to you for such
action as you may deem appropri-
ate" the chairman wrote.
In the executive order, the Presi-
! dent said he found and proclaimed
that the Hummer facilities ARE
equipped for the manufacture and
production of articles and materials
that are required for the war ef-
fort or that are useful in connec-
ton herewith: that there are .ex-
isting and threatened, Interruptions
of the operation of the said plants
and facilities as a result of a labor
disturbance caused by the failure
of Montgomery Ward g. Co., Inc, to
comply with q directive order" of
the WLB.
The Secretary of War was directed
to observe the terms and conditions
of the WLB order.
The original WLB order issued
last August rs granted maintenance
of union membership on a six month
probationary basis because a walk
out had occurred at the plant. When
the order was affirmed, the proba-
tionary qualification was with
drawn because the six months had
expired without any interruption of
production.
Industry members of the WLB dis
Sented from the original order, but
the board was unanimous in refer
ring the case to the White House for
compliance earlier this month.
Pending Is suit brought by Hum
mer against the board and the Sta
bilization Director to prevent en-
forcement of the order.
Maj. A. H. Raskin, Army public
relations officer, said under the April
IA WLB order, wage rates, with a
general four cents an hour boost,
would have ranged from so cents to
81 "a an hour. The WLB approved
scale will be paid under Government
| operation, he added.