Evening star., 1944-05-11
Avery Still Defiant
AS New Ward Case
Goes 10 Roosevelt
Subsidiory's AFL Dispute
Sent to White House;
Third Fight Expected
BY the Associated Press.

by Gne Associated PreSS.
Another Montgomery Ward
labor dispute was headed toward
President Roosevelt for action
today, with the American FEEDER
alton of Labor involved this
time.
While the mail-order company
and the CIO United Mail Order,
Warehouse and Retail Employees
continued the contract wrangle in
Chicago which led the Government
to seize and operate the Montgom-
cry Ward g. Co. plant there for 13
days, the War Labor Board sent to
the White House dispute at the
Hummer Manufacturing Co., a
Ward subsidiary at Springfield, Ill,
where approximately $50 members
of the International Association of
Machinists have been idle five DAYS.
7 Byrnes to Study Issue.
The board voted late yesterday to
forward the dispute to the Presi-
dent, but Stephen T. Early, White
House secretary, expressed doubt
today that it would actually reach
the Chief Executive before Monday.
The interval will be devoted to
study of the matter by War Mobili-
zation Director James F. Byrnes.
The union said the company had
rejected as illegal a WLB order
providing for a wage increase and
M a n IF I.;x
Ward executives who have con-
sistently opposed efforts of the
WLB to incorporate the customary
membership maintenance provision
in their union contracts made no
statement on the Hummer case.
Attorney General Biddle has said
that the Springfield plant produces
carburetors, propellers and gun
mounts.
Still Another Fight Expected.
A fight over this same issue also
is IN prospect in a st. Paul branch
of Montgomery Ward.
In Chicago, where the CIO won
National Labor Relations Board
election Monday, shortly before the
Government relinquished control of
Wards, SeWell Avery, chairman,
continued to assert that the COM
pany would not sign pact embody-
ing the maintenance-o of f-membership
provision "or any form of closed
shop" He declared that ''the funda-
mental issues still must be deter
mined in the courts
Yesterday Federal Judge William
II. Holly refused to rule on the Gov
ernment's injunction suit against
Ward officials, and the legality of
President Roosevelt's seizure order
remained undecided.
Henry Anderson, president of the
local CIO union, said that refusal of
the company to include the clause
will mean "the whole thing will be
back in the War Labor's Boards
lap" The union has asked the WLB
to extend and enforce an expired
contract pending signing of a new
agreement.
NLRB Certification Awaited.
Samuel Wolchok, president of the
parent CIO union, said a request
had been made to company officials
to discuss grievances and a contract.
But, he added, the conferences can
not open until the National Labor
Relations Board issues a certifica-
ton of the results of the collective
bargaining ballot. He said he ex-
pected an early certification.
Mr.. Wolchok in a new statement
today said:
although negotiations have not
yet begun with the union of his
employees choice, Mr.. Avery has de-
clared he will not enter into the
spirit of collective bargaining with
| it. Local No. 20 and the American
people must now place squarely
upon Montgomery Ward the full
responsibility for whatever dis
turbanceS in Industrial relations
now occur. The union has a man.
date from its members to press for
contract with this management.
We intend to exert every effort to
see to it that that mandate is car
ried out"
Officials Withhold Comment.
Meanwhile, Government officials
withheld comment on the case, other
than statements made before Judge
Holly, who announced he would is
sue his formal order tomorrow on
whether the litigation was dismissed
with or without prejudice.
Government counsel objected to
company attorneys request that the
'injunctional proceedings be dis
missed with prejudice" Such
ruling, 1t was explained, would mean
(See MONTGOMERY WARD, Alb