Evening star., 1946-11-03
Sees Showdown Near
At AIIis-ChuImers
Violence and Bloodshed Mark
Failure of Strike Parleys

By HarDey Sch,uandner.
MILWAUKEE, Wis, Nov. 3.-Last
weeks violence at the giant West Alis
works of the Allis- Chalmers Manufac-
turing Co. indicates that a bloody show
down is approaching in the six-month-
old strike there. Neither the company
nor the Communist dominated Local 248
of the United Automobile Workers
Union has shown any inclination to
give in.
The controversy. has prevented the
manufacture of millions of dollars
worth of vitality needed farm equipment
and industrial machinery and has
caused a loss of an estimated so, 100000
to the strikers The situation is much
like that in 1941, when 76-day strike
tied up production Of $45,000,o00 worth
of defense material.
Here is the situation at present:
Enforcement of law and order has
broken down in West Allis.
There are no immediate prospects
that the strike will be settled.
The current violence has impeded
growing back-to-work movement in
which many workers have tried to break
through their unions picket lines.
Negotiations have broken down, with
no immediate promise Of resumption.
The violence last week-the first
since the strike began on April 30-fol-
lowed the breakdown in negotiations
Friday a week ago. Negotiations were
recessed until further notice" by Fed
eral conciliators after the union and
the company had rejected a series Of
offers and counteroders to settle the
strike.
The union offered to end the strike
and return to work Immediately on the
following terms:
All workers to be returned to the
payroll as of April 30 without discrimi-
nation; companys 1917 -cent-an-hour
wage increase proposal to be put into
effect at once; all issues in dispute to be
presented to a fact-finding board ap-
pointed by the Secretary of Labor, which
would make recommendations within
30 days; If company and union disagree
on any of the recommendations, they
are to bargain for 80 additional days
and issues then remaining in dispute
are to be submitted to an impartial
arbiter, appointed by the Secretary of
Labor, his decision to be binding upon
both parties.
The company rejected this offer
which had previously been made and
Notwithstanding that it would not
accept the arbitration decisions.
The company then repeated an offer
which 1t had made several times, that
all strikers be permitted to vote in
secret election on whether they will end
the strike and return to work on the
companys terms. The union rejected
this.
The union then suggested that all
strikers be permitted to vote In secret
on whether to accept the company's
terms or whether to submit the disputed
points Of arbitration. This was refused
by the company.
The breakdown in negotiations
brought swift action from the union.
Saturday afternoon 1t pulled out the 50
powerhouse workers who had been per-
mitted by the union to remain at work
to keep steam in the miles Of pipes in
the plant. The company at once put
supervisory personnel to work in the
plant, saying that they had been trained
for Just such an emergency.
The union called mass meeting last
Sunday to plan for mass picketing the
next day. On Monday the trouble
started. About ! 900 pickets were jammed
so tightly in front Of some gates that
some nonstriking employees could not
enter. (The company claims that 5000
of the 10000 production workers on
strike had returned to work before this
week. Some Of the nonstrikers, aided by
handful of West Allis police, smashed
through the picket lines. Several score
Of strikers and workers were mauled.
Many noses were bloodied. Some gates
had no pickets and hundreds Of nom
strikers streamed through them.
The mass picketing obviously was in
violation of decision of the State En-
ployment Relations Board, affirmed by
the Milwaukee Circuit Court. This deci-
sior ordered the union to cease and de-
sist from preventing any person ION foot
or in conveyance" from freely entering
or leaving the plant and from preventing
any lawful work at the plant.
As result Of the mass picketing and
violence, the State Employment Rela-
tions Board started contempt Of court
proceedings against IS officers and mem
bers Of the union.
On subsequent days, the violence grew
worse, despite the fact that the Mil
waukee County sheriff sent most of his
men to the strike scene and borrowed
more than 100 Milwaukee policemen.
The police were unable to keep order or
prevent violence, because the strike
scene was too big. There were several
Thousand pickets and more than 5000
spectators spread around the gates Of
the sprawling plant.
A dozen pickets have been arrested
on charges Of interfering with the pur-
suit of work, interfering with an oficer,
or cutting trolley wires on street cars.
Law enforcement authorities, stating
that spectators were causing much Of
the trouble, decided If necessary to dep
utize every spectator present to main
tain peace and order" This decision
is based upon a statute empowering
them to deputize civilians when law and
order breaks down.
Mayor Arnold Klentz Of West Allis.
alarmed at the turn of events, tele-
r~o vJ,n<J 1acrof a ~ ~ 7 ohor Grhwel1en.