The Wilmington morning star. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1909-1990, 1945-07-02
u. STAKES OVER
HUGE OIL PLANT
President Orders Seizure
OF Texas Company Re-
finery Sunday

President Truman today ordered
government seizure of the Gil
plants of the Texas Company at
Port Arthur, Tex, where a work
stoppage of ITS employees started
Friday.
The plants refine aviation gaso-
line and other oil products for mil
itary use.
Declaring in an executive order
that the labor dispute threatened
to interrupt operation OF the plants
with ''irreparable damage. to the
war effort" the President directed
Petroleum Administrator Ickes to
take over their operation.
The striking workers are mem
bers of the Oil Workers Interna-
tional Union, CLIO. The company
employs a total of 1900 persons
at Port Arthur.
William H. Davis, director CT
Economic Sterilization, W h o
recommended the Presidential ac-
ton, said in an accompanying
statement that $4,000 barrels of the
refinery's daily output of $4,000
barrels of oil products are as
signed directly to military needs.
The military requirements in
clude 10000 barrels of 100-octane
aviation gasoline and 2,700 barrels
of 91-octane aviation fuel daily.
The Sterilization Director report
ed that the stoppage WIS the out
growth of the company's Suppression
of % cleaning and maintenance
workers for three days because
they allegedly refused to work at
established pay rates.
The Dallas Regional War Labor
Board directed immediate termin-
alton of the strike the day it start
ed, Davis said, and the union dis
regarded that order.
Davis said the War Department
informed him there was "a sig
nificant shortage of aviation fuels
to meet operational requirements
and that these requirements were
rising"
The Presidents order directed
the War Manpower Commission,
the Selective Service System and
the Department of Justice to coop.
crate with Ickes in carrying out
its purposes.
Some $50 Negro WORKERS, includ-
ing % whose suspension precipi-
tated the disturbance, remained
away from their jobs at the plant.
The Eighth Regional War Labor
board at Dallas had directed that
the suspended workers be put back
to work yesterday and that en-
ployes involved in work stoppage
as a protest against what a union
official called racial discrimination
as to pay, return to work immedi-
ately.
L. E. Lawson. President of the
white local of the Oil Workers In
ternational Union (CIO) said that
his local was supporting protests
of the Negroes. who, he said. are
represented by their own local. an
OWTU affiliate
Twelve Negro workers were sus-
pended Wednesday morning d
ten others Wednesday afternoon
for refusing to work as cleaners
in the bubble tower. The union con,
tended that the work was roechani.
cal he1pers' work and therefore
more than cleanino work.
Lawson said yesterday the walk
out was not Interfering with hioh
octane gasoline production at the
plant, but F. l.. Wallace works
manger. said truck drivers and
car-loaders were included amono
strikers and that their absence
was "hurtine" general production.
Clifford Potter vice chairman CT
the Regional WTB. said h
boards order was directed to local
% of the Oil Workers Union. cert
fled bv the National Labor Rela-
lions Board as exclusive bargain-
ing agent. and that the Board did
not recognize the Negro local for
any purposes Of negotiation.