Evening star., 1945-10-26
Union Set 10 Call
Ward Strike al Most
0pporflne Time
by the Associated Press.

Montgomery Ward g. Co. was
threatened today.
A Nationwide strike by about 75,-
900 employees of the huge mail-order
house, which in the last few years
has been involved in numerous labor
disputes, was authorized yesterday
by the General Executive Board of
the CIO United Retail, Wholesale
and Department Store Employees.
The time for calling the strike,
the board said at a meeting in New
York, will be decided by President
Samuel Wolchok He announced
he would call it "at the most oppor-
tune time"
First, however, Mr.. Wolchok said
the union, acting in the public in
terest, would exhaust the processes
of negotiation and mediation. I"
We are willing and offer to submit
all issues to arbitration"
Avery Called "Tyrant."
The union chief charged that
Sewell l.. Avery, chairman of the
Montgomery Ward Board of Direc-
tors, was an industrial tyrant" who
directed all of his financial power
toward smashing the union"
The unanimous action of the
unions 23-man Executive Board in
authorizing strike placed "a stamp
of approval" on strike votes already
conducted by local unions, Mr.. VOL
chok declared.
Mr.. Wolchok said Mr.. Avery had
consistently refused Ito negotiate
in good faith and had Haunted
public interest in provoking unrest
by discharging five active union
members, including veteran hon.
orably discharged from the Navy
and the secretary of Local 20 in
Chicago" The five employees dis
charged had Is years of accumulated
service, collectively"
The union executive also said Mr..
Avery refused to negotiate in good
faith on ''22 demands of the union,
which include a 15-cent-per-hour
wage increase and a 65-cent-per-
hour minimum wage
$4,000 Workers Off Job.
Elsewhere along the country's
labor front, major disputes con-
cerned the prolonged strike of movie
workers in Hollywood and the CIO
United Automobile Workers fight to
gain a 80 per cent wage rate in
crease for a half million motor in
dustry workers. The various labor
troubles in industry and business
kept 223,0 900 workers away from their
jobs, 1000 less than reported idle
yesterday.
While tabulations of yesterdays
strike vote among some 125, ,00G
Chrysler Corp. employees in % plants
were not announced, CIO United
Automobile Workers officials inter
preted the results of similar pol
on Wednesday among General Mo-
tors workers as mandate" te
press UAW wage demands. They
said that although only 1864 Of
GINS $4,000 eligible employees voted
the nearly 6-to-1 majority favor
ing a work stoppage was indicative
of the workers sentiments.
Walter P. Reuther, UAW vic.
president, however, reasserted tha1
no strike would be called until every
possible effort to reach a peaceful
settlement" has been exhausted ane
then not without approval o.
the unions International Executive
Board. The union and corporation
officials continued their wage dis.
pute conference today.
In Hollywood, there was possible
indication that the prolonged strike
among movie workers might be set
tied. After hundreds of pickets
gathered at Warner Brothers ano
some other studios yesterday, Her
bert Sorrell, head of the striking
conference of studio unions, last
night ordered their withdrawal
observers" at Studios.
His order came after prelimi-
nary conference with producer rep
resentatives. A second meeting was
planned today. There was further
violence at the studios and at least
one striker was injured.
Mr.. Sorrel said few observers
would be at various studios" today
but only for the purpose of "advis.
ing" nonstrikers not to enter the
gates, and not as pickets.
A strike of 1000 CIO packing.
house workers at the Iowa Packing
Co. in Des Moines, Iowa, in dis.
pute over seniority rights of serv.
icemen, ended after three days
New workers on the strike lines in.
cluded 1000 AFL employees of tn,
Aluminium Co. of the American
Plant Co. at Lafayette, Ind, in dis.
pute over wages, and TOO CIO ma.
chinists at the San Leandro Calf ),
plant of the Caterpillar Tractor Co
also seeking 80 per cent wage in.
crease and a closed shop.
Sending of kilograms Halted.
In New York Western Union op.
orators suspended sending telegram,
from 10 to is minutes yesterday in {
demonstration CIO American Com.
munications Association officials sale
was protest against the company.
delay in complying with a regiona
War Labor Board decision granting
wage increases to 1000 metropolitan
area employees.
A union spokesman said a strike
NAV he called if the uapes are M,
paid soon. The union said 1000 EN-,
ployes participated in the demon.
stration, while the company sale
$500 were involved.
About 100000 bus passengers ir
New Jersey were inconvenienced al
strike of drivers was extended tt
third independent line in Jersey
City. The CIO drivers struck ir
protest over the company's inter.