Evening star., 1944-07-26
Wright Strike Settled ,
Union Asks Workers
To Return 10 Jobs
BY the Associated Press.

80 'NfN 'osOSlnlCa IICoSs
Settlement of a major labor dis
pute at the Wright Aeronautical
Corp, Lockland, Ohio, was an
nounced by union leaders today. but
other controversies kept about $500
idle in the Eastern half of the Ma
ton.
F. L. Innis, assistant regional di-
rector of the CIO United Automo-
bile Workers, asked the idle Wright
workers, estimated by the union at
1000 and by the company at 2,4O0.
to return to work after all-night
conferences produced an agreement
for reinstating suspended union Of
ficials.
Company officials. reporting first
shift operations today were near
normal, refused to disclose details
Of the settlement.
Called sympathy Move.
A reliable independent source, who
described the strike as simply a
sympathy move following the sus-
pension Of the union officers" esti-
mated that around 80 per cent of the
5,400 Negroes employed in the plant
and few others participated. Among
the suspended officials was William
Beckman, colored chairman of the
Bargaining Committee, who was a
central figure in hotly contested
union election last March.
The demonstration which resulted
in the suspension was described by
Mr.. Beckman yesterday as involving
200 union officers. committeeman
and stewards who, he said, gathered
at the administration building fol-
lowing suspension of another COM
mitteeman. Gilbert Thomas, during
the latter's investigation of al
workers protest against transfer
Company spokesmen's version was
that Thomas called "all available
stewards to the personnel office
after being escorted there for hear
ing on an accusation of using ''abu-
sive and obscene language in, the
presence of woman employe."
The company said 25 to 80 re-
sponded, and characterized the Incl
dent as "approximating mob action" :"
Strike Affects B-29 Parts.
An estimated 1900 employees in
three other plants in Ohio were in
volved in labor disputes. At Cleve-
land 5000 CIO UAW workers at the
Ohio Crankshaft Co. were idle in
protest over discharge of two in
spectors. Production of vital parts
for B-29 Super Fortress engines was
affected.
Also in Cleveland 100 AFL UAW
workers left their jobs last night at
the National Malleable g. Steel
Castings Co. after the WLB had
granted 400 of their members wage
increases union officials said were
smaller than had been expected in
some instances.
About 800 members of eight AFL
locals at the Toledo Shipbuilding
Co. were idle, in protest against
what union leaders called break
down of negotiations" on a series of
grievances.
A proposal for settlement of a
strike by $500 CIO steel workers at
the American Rolling Mill plant at
Ashland, KY. was scheduled for con-
siderat;on of the union local to-
day. The walkout yesterday had
forced start of a shutdown at the
Clayton Lambert Steel Co. threat
ening to force 2,400 employees out
of work.
WLB Seeks to End StOppageS.
The WLB sought to end work
stoppages in other industries. in
Guiding one in Chicago affecting 400
employees at the Western Foundry
Co. and in Detroit, where TOO Stat
Ter employees have been on strike
since last Thursday in contro-
versy over demands for increased
wages.
Two strikes in Detroit ended
About 900 metal polishers at the
Packard Motor Car Co. airplane en-
gine plant, and 600 employees of five
Detroit dairies voted last night to
end their walkouts. approximately
10000 families have been without
milk deliveries for the last two
weeks.
Undersecretary of War Patterson,
In a telegram to Lester Washburn,
international president of the UAW,
urged 100 striking employees of the
Centrifugal Fusing Co. in Lansing.
Mich, to return to their jobs He
asserted the strikers cannot pos