The Waterbury Democrat., 1945-09-26
Near One Million Workers Idled By Strikes
Federal Powers
 May Intervene
(By United Press)

Sl1lkJAOyCS 4A1aAO 44OW threats today as the number of workers idled by labor dis putes throughout the coun- try climbed toward a million.
 The Regional War Labor Board intervened in an ef- fort to halt a union threat of a general strike of all building service employees and elevator operators in four of five New York boroughs. The board ordered both sides to attend a meeting tomorrow to explain why the strike Of elevator operators and other building service workers should not be ended.
 About 15,000 operators and other building workers wera on strike in some of the city's largest skyscrapers.
 OH Strike Denied
 In Chicago, union, company and government conferees attempted sp settle a strike of about 20000 cll workers in six states as an official source in Washington revealed tEaG the federal government may exer~ else it's seizure to get the cloeo4 refineries operating again # N7p dispute Is not settled by SatszEr day.
 O. A. Knight, international pEeEl dent of the oil Workers UNA4A (CIO), denied that he had 1eAe0 orders for an immediate TlaticnWf40 strike of 250,00O oil workers
 Knight said a report tlat strike had been ordered was due sQ a misinterpretation by the uklao@4 public relations officer of 6 slats~ inent issued by the union executive board.
 "There has been no strike caalsA. and there will be none as long a4 the present negotiations are in pro- gress," Knight said.
 Knight and other union oflca met again today with oil coEnpe representatives and federal concll@ iators in an effort to halt the Mlzl6@ which has sharply reduced the uAr tion's gasoline supply.
 The statement which was i4N1eH by the unions executive board and which Knight said was x1issnsN preted by Harvey O'Connor, tis8 unions public relations agent, sAi0s
 Mis-Tnterpreted
 The international executive collze ell of the oil workers union 1eeoE4 nizeS the fact that the oil an0uslsB has forced the union into slz'sA4 situation through unilateral 1elon on the industrys part to reau3s hours and earnings, thus making # imperatively necessary that the 41@ ternational OH Workers Union mnx@ shal all forces in defense Of Als membership.
 Therefore, the international ezs ecutive council authorizes and tne structS the international presideE8 to take charge of the situatlon and coordinate activities as necessary {4 seven districts in the Upited States so the full facilities of the iatekMAe tional union are employed to Aua< cessful conclusion" Knight said there was notnln# more to the statement "thAn mNess the eye" and that 1t should not ns taken aS meaning that Q strike WA9 being called throughout the oil Aa@ UNi Al issue was the Cro oil worksxs International union demand pcE 90 per cent wage boost. Allned @ inslring wartime levels of oaA4e home pay, this labor goal hes k1VA noted most of the postwar etElAss Ideals more than 726IOOO AnisrleAzz workers.
 Deadlock
 Ofacials of eight of the i4 h' oil companies involved in the rezzlA' cry strike, strangling three m4i petroleum areas, were deadloe late last night in an emez conciliation meeting with oW representative in Cnicago.
 Neither side had indicated willingness to make concesslo5ls As the first session of the coEAollia1iN|z effort, presided over by OolokAN# Supreme Court Jll2tice Wl-llAzM -- Knous, was recessed until IA neeN (EWT) today.
 Chief stumbling block In the sn# proach to an agreement was zl iinions' inSistence that barNatrIs for 52 hours pay for 70 houg4' #aA& be industrywide. The oil conlS34 want wage negotiations cpndua&e separately in each plant.
 The conference was called nY U., s. conciliation service when M refinery walkouts, involving 5000 workers, brought resuIzG of gasoline rationing in some &Ezz closed many filling stations threatened to fiel-atarve uIaA transportation.
 Gas shOrtags
 With the refinery dispute uo an estimated i,iO1. 600 barrels oI gasoline production daily, A4l cities suffered gasoline HnGS Only 17 Detroit filling etationz still open. Nine were dszIs to handle gasoline for easerl' only. Detroit taxicnb cam neared the end Of fuel r4seFV nearly half the eity's caAs garaged.
 Detroit and Pontiac. halAh companies were aasnle1 1x E1I low Of gaoollne. X0'0z1 W other clkies egnsmN4H YHI| l tlonlnR ol motor KsR. M
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