Evening star., 1947-01-09

continued to parade at all struck
buildings where cafeterias were
operating.
Lockout Again Denied.
GSI spokesmen reiterated pre-
vious denials of q lockout, insisting
the workers would be welcomed
back to their jobs during negotia-
tions.
Despite the efforts to bring about
"a settlement, union spokesmen said
they are attempting to be prepared
for prolonged strike and that II
the situation develops into that
they were trying to enlist the sup
port of other union workers in the
District.
In New York the Executive Board
of the United Public Workers Of
America last night threw its full
support behind the strikers and
called on all UPWA locals to con-
tribute financial support to them.
The board also asked the Federal
Works Agency, which has the con-
tract with GSI, to take over the
struck cafeterias, to cancel its con-
tract with GSI and to make COM
|plete investigation.
Tag Day Planned.
Several efforts to obtain food and
financial support for the strikers
were announced by Henry Beitscher,
president Of the Washington Indus
trial Union Council, CIO.
A tag day is being organized, he
said, while a committee headed by
Representative Powell, Democrat, of
New York, is attempting to recruit
drugstores and doctors to provide
free medicines and medical services
to strikers.
Appeals for food and funds have
been sent to more than 600 District
churches and the women's auxiliary,
CIO, is conducting neighborhood
campaigns for help while planning
to open depots to receive contribu-
tions.
Mr.. Beitscher announced he re-
ceived a pledge of 5000 this morn
ing from lodges of the District In
ternational Workers Order, ben
evolent organization. He said he
had been notified of Endorsements
of the positions of the workers by
the Church League for Independent
Democracy, the Fellowship of Social
Justice of the Unitarian Church and
the Rev. A. Powell Davies, pastor
of the All Souls Unitarian Church.
PBA Only Landlord"
Elsewhere in the strike picture,
Commissioner w. E. Reynolds of the
Public Buildings Administration
described the PBA as being merely
"a landlord" without power to COM
ply with a request by Daniel H.
Schwartz, regional director of the
United Public workers, that all the
cafeterias be closed to remove the
Government from the possible posi-
ton of taking sides in labor dis
pute.
In reply to Commissioner Rey-
nolds' invitation to submit evidence
which might indicate the Govern
ment is taking sides in the contro-
versy, Mr.. Schwartz charged that
Federal custodial workers were used
last night to remove garbage from
the Treasury Procurement Building
cafeteria.
This, Mr.. Schwartz charged, was
one of several instances by GSI to
use Government workers to break
the cafeteria employees union.
Mr.. Reynolds telegram to Mr..
Schwartz indorsed the principle of
collective bargaining with the assist
ance of the Labor Department con-
Citation service.
The washington Committee of
the Southern Conference for Hill.
man Welfare telegraphed a request
to Mai. Gen. Philip B. Fleming,
Federal works administrator, to
close all GSI cafeterias until a new
agreement is reached.
Plans, meanwhile, were announced
for meeting tonight of the Ex-
ecutive Board of the National As
sociation for the Advancement of
Colored People to discuss the posi-
ton to be taken by the organiza-
ton in the controversy.
GSI Board to Meet.
GSI announced that its Board OF
Governors will meet tonight, but
described 1t as only routine
monthly session.
Among other results of the strike,
many downtown restaurants and
practically all eating places in the
vicinity of affected Government
buildings were swamped at breakfast
and lunch hours today by the over
flow of Federal workers who normal
ly patronize the cafeterias.
Police said there had been no
reports of violence since a minor
incident of scuff1ing and stone
throwing yesterday near GSI head
quarters, 1135 Twenty-first street
NV.
Spokesman for the Washington
Central Labor Union said its. execu-
tive board had taken no action in
connection with the strike, although
members were watching the situa-
tion. y
Glen F. Preller, president of CLU,
appealed to AFL Government work.
ers not to patronize the GSI eating