Evening star., 1947-12-22
House Inquiry Calls
Chicago Witnesses
On Printers Strike
BY fhs Assoeioted Press

CHICAGO, Dec. 22.-Witnesses
we're called today before a three
man House Labor Subcommittee in
vestigating the union printers
strike against Chicagos six daily
newspapers.
Chairman Hartley of the House
Labor Committee appointed Repre-
sentative Owens, Republican,, of
Illinois. chairman, and Representa-
tive Kersten, Republican, of Wis
consin and Representative Kennedy,
Democrat, of Massachusetts, to con-
duct the inquiry into the 29-day-
old strike.
Subpoena Power Authorized.
Representatives of the six Chi
cago daily newspapers and Of the
AFL International typographical
Union. which represents the print
ers, have been invited to appear at
hearings in the Federal Building.
The subcommittee was authorized
by Mr.. Hartley to subpoena wit
nesses, and was directed to report
on its findings as soon as possible.
The parties already have held two
conferences with Mayor Martin H.
Kennedy, with a third set for to-
morrow The Mayor said the talks
were conducted in an encouraging
atmosphere
1,50o on Strike.
Fifteen hundred members of Local
is, Chicago typographical Union,
walked off their jobs when the pub
fishers refused to meet the union
demand for an immediate pay raise
pending negotiations toward a con-
tract.
The union has contended the
strike issue is primarily that of
wages, but the publishers say the
union has attempted to circumvent
the Hartley law by refusing to
sign contract OF reasonable dura-
ton"
The union had demanded wage in
creases from $3.50 to 500 a week
for day workers and from $9l to
$106 for night or early morning
workers. The day and night work.
ers put in 36H4 hours weekly, the
Cdlly wOl hClS oU.
Demands on Job Shops.
Yesterday the membership of
Local 16 at mass meeting adopted
a scale of higher wages and shorter
hours to be proposed on a condi-
tions of employment basis to 400
commercial printing shops in Chi
cago at the expiration of the present
job shop contract December 81.
The local, which has about $500
members employed in the CONNER
cial shops, also voted its officials
the power to notify Woodruff Ran
dolph, the 1TU international pres
ident, that a deadlock has been
reached if commercial employers re-
fuse to accept the proposed scale.
The scale proposed by the union
calls for s102.60 for workweek
of 321a hours on the day shift-an
increase of S2249 for three and
three-fourths hours less working
time weekly. For night and early
morning workers the wage proposed
was S112.86 week-an increase of
$27.68, with a 321a hour night shift
dIlO OU-HOuT lOUSUST SIlllL.
The midnight to am. shift
would be cut by two and one-half
hours.
Representatives of the union and
the Franklin Associat ton, the en-
ployers' bargaining group, were to
meet today with William G. Muir
ray. Federal conciliator.
Meanwhile. as the newspaper
printers strike entered Its fifth week,
substitute production methods for
the usual Linotype composition were
continued by the six struck news
papers. The publications were being
printed from photo-engraved plates
Of typewriter pages.
Visitors from other newspapers
throughout the country toured the
Chicago newspaper plants and
studied the substitute methods. The
Chicago Tribune reported that rep
resentatives of Al newspapers from
% cities in 81 States had visited its
plant since the strike began No.
vember "a.
The newspaper reported it had set
up special bureau to conduct plant
tours for visiting neWspapermen and
answer their questions.