The Chronicle-star combined with the Moss Point advertiser., 1947-06-20
Engine Men
Return To
Yard Jobs
Craft Returns
To Work After
Special Meeting

A work stoppage of operating
engineers in the ingalls, shipyard
which curtailed activities in the
yard for four days was termin-
ated Thursday at 1925 a. m,
when the men voted to recess a
special meeting and return to
their jobs, and to undertake dis
cussion of grievances with the
company.
The action of the men in leav-
ing the yard was described Thurs
day by Paul Keefe, director of
industrial relations for the In
gals Shipbuilding Corporation,
as IAN unlawful work stoppage
in violation of their labor con-
tract" H. E. Miller, an interna-
tional representative of the union
who came to Pascagoula as a re-
suit of the work stoppage, de-
clined to make any statement to
the press following the Thurs
day session at which the men de-
cided to return to the yards.
Locals Statement
Carl Burton, secretary of the
local, described the work stop
page as a special meeting of the
local which began Sunday at
2 p. m. and continued, with night
recesses, until Thursday morning
at 1925 when. he said, "the men
voted to adjourn the special meet
ing and return to the yard to take
up pending grievances with the
company.
"The work stoppage was not a
strike, and no picket line was
posted at the yard" Mr.. Burton
said He said that approximately
100 members of the local had at
tended the daily sessions of the
special meeting. He declined to
comment on the actions or recon-
mendations of the international
representative, Mr.. Miller, during
the meeting.
Neither union nor company
spokesman would comment form
ally on the specific grievances in
volVed in the work stoppage. II
wa understood by some work.
men in the yard shat among the
issues involved were the question
of a guaranteed 40 hour week anC
compulsory medical examinations
Mr.. Burton stated that the
locals grievances have beer
pending with the company fol
two months" He said he under.
stood also that about 1000 mer
have been out of the yards" dur.
ING the period of the special meet.
ing of the operating engineers.
CompanY's Statement
Mr. Keefe's formal statement
on behalf of the company follows
"On Monday June 16 the oper-
ating engineers instituted an un,
lawful work stoppage in violation
of their labor contract which pro
vides that there shall be NO strike:
or interruption of work without
first submitting grievances to ar
bitration. This improper stoppage
was ordered without prior pres
entation of grievances and the
cause of IT was completely un-
known to the company when il
happened. International Repre-,
sentative II. E. Miller came sto
P%aseagoula Immediately and at.
tempted to get the men back to
work but his efforts in the first
instance were without success. Or
Wednesday William f. Maloney
International president of the OPP
Grating engineers at Washington
ordered immediate return to
work. Business Agent Carl Bur
ton was personally ordered by
President eMaloney to terminate
the strike which was in violation
OF the contract and ineXcusable
N'1h 1N NiAC ACoull vi tiiio uIl-
lawful action the shipyard has
been without adequate fire and
safety protection, more than a
thousand workers of other crafts
have been laid off, and the COM
pany has sustained losses run
nlng into many thousand dol
lars
Following the return of the
operating engineers to work on
Thursday the work of rounding up
all men who had been temper
arily laid off was begun immed-
lately.
1t was announced that a special
crew would be held for work all
Thursday night and that it was
hoped bv this means that the
5. s Loide-S. Domingos might be
launched on Friday as previously
scheduled
One of the important deteriora-