Evening star., 1949-09-11
Hawaii Strike Talks
Quit Until Tomorrow;
No Progress Reported
Nv the Associoied Press

Rv the Assoeioied Press
NEW YORK, Sept. 10.-Eftorts
to end Hawaii's 133-day dock
strike were called off tonight for
the week end, with all sides re-
porting no progress toward set
tlement.
Cyrus Ching, director of the
Federal Cancellation and Media
ton Service, announced that
union and employer representa-
tives would meet with him again
at 10:30 am. Monday.
After four days OF intensive
probing of the issues in the strike,
which involves 1000 dock workers
and has dealt Hawaii's economy
a severe blow, there were these
estimates of the situation:
Mr.. Ching: They're as far
apart as when they came here
laSC wednesday.
Harry Bridges, president of the
CIO International Longshoremen
and Warehousemen'S Union: "The
attitude of the employers on wage
and other questions offers abso-
lutely no possibility of settle
ment."
w. Russell Starr, spokesman for
the Hawaiian Employers Council:
I'VE have made no progress de-
spite efforts by all concerned"
Bridges Makes Proposals.
Bridges made several wage pro-
posals of an undisclosed nature in
a separate meeting with Mr.. Ching
today.
The employer negotiators took
them to the Plaza Hotel, where
they are staying, to consider them
over tomorrow.
Plainly wearied by the hours
of talking, the 73-year- old Ching
said with wry smile that he
was going to the Zoo.
with no reflection on any of
the people I've been talking WITH"
he said, II am just a little tired
of the human race"
He did not say how long the
talks might continue next week.
Bridges went all-out for arbi-
tration today. He said he might
ease his wage demands if the
employers would agree to arbitrate
other differences with the union.
But he made it clear that he is
determined to get good settle
ment.
"They think we're weakening
and can be pushed around"
Bridges added, but we don't
push"
"Feudal ReactiOnarIes."
The union leader described the
employer negotiators as "a bunch
of feudal reactionaries trying to
exploit a group that they consider
their political, economic. social
and racial interiors"
He said the employers won't
have any part of arbitration or
unbiased fact-finding. He said
they haven't come up with a
single proposition-that their at
titude hasn't changed a bit since
they left Hawaii. ~
Bridges based his latest stand
on statement issued by the en-
ployers on the day before the cur
rent talks began.
This statement said in part:
Hawaiian water front employ
ers and other island employers,
are opposed to arbitration of cost
items such as wages
They accept, as do most main
land United States employers, the
principle of arbitration"
"All right" Bridges said, slap
ping a copy of the statement on
the table. 1--WE are willing to sub
NIT all matters except wages to
arbitration and then to talk about
wages only while we're here.
If they (the companies) will
agree to that, our position on
wages might change a Bit"
Want Talk Limited to Wages.
A spokesman for the employ
ers said the companies statement
meant only that they accepted
arbitration Of grievances arising
under their contract with the
union.
The employers also contend
that the wage issue is the only
one which should be discussed
now.
Bridges also is asking a guar
antee that union men won't be
required to cross picket lines, and
he wants the companies to bar
from future employment any of
the 1000 men now employed as
dockworkers by the Hawaiian
Territorial Government.
The Hawaiian government has
seized the docks and Is operating
them under an emergency act of
the legislature.
The CIO leader said he was