The Waterbury Democrat., 1944-05-09
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pute led to seizure of the Chicago property of Montgomery Ward by the government. Federal representa- tives moved in after the company refused to accept a War Labor Board order to extend an expired contract with the union pending an NLRB collective bargaining elec- ton. The company claimed the union no longer represented ma jority of Wards employees.
 Urged to Vote
 As the workers began casting their ballots both company and union used newspaper advertise. ments to urge employees to vote.
 Wards fully recognizes the right of each employe to join or not to join the union as he wishes," the company advertisement said.
 NO employe has to join union to work at Wards. No employe should be under the impression that union membership is necessary to his job.
 "The company urges each one of you to vote in order that the re- suits will truly represent the will of the majority"
 The union advertisement reviewed the history of the dispute and said When employees of Wards vote yes they will vote for: higher wages, secruity, seniority, arbitra- ton machinery"
 In its election campaign, the union floated e barge down the river, outside the ward plant. It carried 8 big banner saying: win With Local 20 CIO."
 Samuel Wolchcok, International President of the Union, predicted the union would win with between 80 and 90 per cent of the eligible voters.
 The employees voted in two units. One included all employees of the retail and mail order stores, and the Schwinn warehouse. The other covered employees in the photogra- phic department, the Central Print ing department, and the display factory.
 II Polling Places
 The Ii polling places were scat tered throughout the plant. One was in the women's lounge in the basement of the retail store, ar- other in the billing room of the mail order house, and another in a recreation room.
 The polls were located so that none of the employees would have to go far from the departments where they worked. The voting hours were staggered so that the ballots could be cast as the work CTS came into the plant or Left at the end of the day. but each work CT was given 6 specific period dur ing working hours to cast his ballot if he wished.
 A squad of II policemen was sta. tioned at the plant, but all the early ballottng was orderly.
 Counting of the ballots wtll be- gin at 7:30 ?. m., one half hour after the polls close.
 The election was the first of two major developments scheduled in the case this week.
 Tomorrow. Federal Judge William F. Holly will announce his decision on the governments petition for temporary injunction restraining Ward ofiielals from interference with operation og the plant seized by the Department Of Commerce. Labor leaders and politicians awaited Judge Holly's decision as the first court test Of President R00seyelts wartime powers and Of his policy Of settling labor dis. putas.
 Attorney General Francis Riddle. who is in Chicago directing the gov. ernment's ease. filed an ii-paee sup. plemental brief with Judge Holly yesterday in reply to q company brief filed gtth the court previously. Tine extent of the emergency and not the type of property taken ever by the government is the true test 0f the Presidents wartime powers, Riddle said in the brief.
 T5ae company had eontendea in lts brief that f the President could ssiae the War plant he could seize any retail store or farm. Tie com. | pany based its contention on the ground that Montgomery ward end Co~ wns operating . nua-war in. dustFy.