Evening star., 1946-02-24
Labor Disputes
Drag on Despite
New U. 5. Policy
GIN Strike Unsettled; /;
WuIkout Threatens
VitoI Lead Output
By james Y. Newton


The first week of operation
under the administrations new
"strike-settling" wage-price poll
icy found the Nations industrial
machine still hamstrung with
strife, the General Motors Corp.
strike dragging through it's 95th
day and a new dispute in the
West threatening to halve vital
lead production.
Negotiations between GIN and the
CIO United Auto Workers were
recessed for the week end in De-
troit, with the parties still stymied
over differences of a cent-an-hour
on wages, seniority and vacation
pay. Yesterdays conference lasted
only an hour and half and James
F. Dewey, special mediator, reported
little progress toward settlement.
The GM-UAW talks will be re-
sumed tomorrow morning. Mean
while, Mr.. Dewey indicated that
he might come here today for a
conference with Secretary of Labor
Schwellenbach regarding his prob
lens, but spokesman for the Labor
Department said he knew nothing
about such a meeting.
Smelling Strike Slated.
The Labor Department failed
yesterday in efforts to head of
through conciliation a strike of
1000 members of the CIO Mine,
Mill and Smelter Workers against
1S operations in Western States of
the American Smelling and REIN
ing Co.
Reid Robinson, president of the
union, said after day of confer
ences here with Cancellation Director
Edgar l.. Warren that the strike will
begin as scheduled at 7 am. tomor-
row. The union demands a wage
increase of 21K cents an hour, while
the company has offered 1917 cents,
Mr.. Warren said.
Ralph D. HetZel, jr., director Of
labor requirements in the Civilian
Production Administration, said that
a shutdown of American Smelling.
coupled with the strikes at Utah
Copper Co, and other Utah lead
firms, would cut lead output at least
SO per cent. CPA prepared to con-
troll distribution of the metal which
is used for batteries, paint, cables
and other products.
Other Development.
There were these other develop
ments in labor:
l. William Green, AFL president,
declared war on the Case labor bill,
passed by the House, in testimony
before the Senate Labor Committee,
and Immediately ran into demands
from several Senators that he sug-
gest alternative controls.
2. A group of steel fabricating
firms in Pittsburgh which still have
$4,000 workers on strike telegraphed
Reconversion Director Snyder that
it will be many weeks or months
if ever" before they can reopen their
plants unless granted immediate
price relief.
8. A three-man Federal concilia-
ton panel announced in Peoria, Ill,
agreement on all issues in the three
week strike of 1880 workers at the
Caterpillar Tractor Co. there. Terms
of the agreement were not revealed,
but an official of the CIO Farm
Equipment and Metal Workers said
the union, which demanded 80 per
cent higher pay. would vote on its
acceptance today.
4. Cancellation Director Warren
assigned Ronald Houghton. his spe-
cial assistant, to the case of the
International Harvester Co. where
10000 workers have been on strike
for several weeks. Mr.. Houghton
will attend meeting of the COM
pany and CIO union in Chicago
Tuesday which was called in an
effort to reach settlement on the
basis of Federal fact-finding
boards decision that the workers
should receive pay increase of 1871
cents an hour.
The United Auto Workers, mean
while, asked President Truman and
Secretary Schwellenbach to inter-
vene in the 59-day strike of 1000
workers at plants of the j. I. Case
Co., Racine, Wis. Officials of the
company, which also makes farm
equipment, turned down an invita-
ton Of Mr.. Schwellenbach to meet
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