Evening star., 1944-01-07
|Cramp Workers Urge
Navy Seizure 10 End
!|Shipyard 5toppage
BY the Associated Press.


PHILADELPHIA, Jan. IA work
stoppage halted production of in
vasion ships for the Navy at the
vast Camp Shipbuilding Co. yards
for the second day today, with lead
ers of 1900 workers asserting op-
erations would be resumed If the
Navy takes over the plant.
The yards gates, closed early yes
terday, were thrown open today
while crowd of about 5000 workers
milled outside. Only a few walked
in, however, and union spokesmen
said they took the position that
they were locked out, and now they
are going to stay locked out until
this thing is settled"
The company termed the stoppage
a strike.
A statement by union officials that
ut is high time for the Navy to
seize the plant" was greeted with
wild cheering at meeting Of more
than 1000 employees who voted yes
terday to stay away from work until
AL grievances" against the COM
pany are settled.
IF the Navy takes over the yards,
everybody will 60 back to work i'm
mediately," said Herbert Meyer, ex-
|ecutive secretary of Union Local AZ,
CIO Industrial Union of Marine g.
Shipbuilding Workers. IF any one
refuses, we will drive him back with
a club if necessary"
Data Being Sent Here.
Full information on the dispute
was being sent to the Navy Bureau
Of Ships at Washington, Whitney
C. Colby, the company's director of
industrial relations, said
William F.. Schaffer, local presi-
dent, charged that $500 workers
were locked out yesterday. Mr. Colby
denied the charge and Comdr. J. M.
L. Joslin, labor relations director
for the 4th Naval District, agreed
that the shutdown was mot a COM
pany lockout"
Union members said the walkout
started when the company dis
charged AZ painters who insisted on
working with brushes at $l.2O an
hour rather than with spray guns
at $l.3l. The union said the men
demanded $l.80 for spray gun work,
the rate being sought In q contract
now before the War Labor Board.
Company officials said this dis
pute was being settled when 2l8
painters walked out yesterday. The
company then refused to arbitrate
until the men returned.
Rubbish heaps grew In front of
thousands of Philadelphia homes
today and q city official said public
health was menaced as about 5000
striking city employees remained
away from their jobs a second day.
Sixty convicts were assigned to re-
place strikers in the operation of
water filter station.
Public Works Director John H
Neeson said the walkout of street
cleaners and Water Bureau workers
threatened disease epidemic and
announced that if it continued he
would confer with health authorities,
Municipal Strike Continued.
City Council said the services OF
the prison inmates were needed to
keep the filter beds clean and guard
against interruptions in the water
supply. Robert T. Willard. business
agent OF the Water Bureau local.
told the workers yesterday the
union would see to it that men were
supplied to keep the flltering plants
in operation.
, In voting to remain away. from
their jobs for "at least one more
day" the workers ignored Mayor
Bernard Samuel's plea that they re-
turn Immediately. The strike was
called, union officials said, to en-
force demands for a l0-cent-an- hour
pay increase.