Evening star., 1952-02-01
Truckers Strike Stalls
Long HauIs in South
And 4 Midwest States
By the As.eeic..d Pres.

About 10000 AFL truck drivers
went on strike in Is States today
when their employers failed to ac-
cept a new contract worked out
with the aid of the United States
Mediation Service last week.
Operators in nine other States
accepted the agreement at the last
minute yesterday, averting strike
of another $4,000 drivers.
In Chicago, there was a bafiing
wildcat strike of truck leaders and
dockmen despite an agreement
reached last night between en-
ployers and the Chicago local Of
the AFL International Brother
hood of Teamsters.
Wage Boost Agreed On.
A threatened strike of the 1000
Chicago dockmen had been re-
ported averted when a wage boost
was settled on raising pay from
$3.50 to $1.73 an hour and cut
ting the work week from 48 toI
40 hours. However, the police
detail said this morning that car
loads of "goons" were going to
various loading docks throughout
the city warning dockers who
showed up for work to "get out
of here unless you want your
heads Dashed in"
Union officials could not be
reached for comment, but it was
reported the walkout was in vio-
lation of union orders. The police
labor detail said it did not know
who was involved in the cruising
squads of men visiting loading
terminals.
The strikes of the over-the-
road truckers in Is Southern and
Midwest States virtually paralyzed
operation of freight companies in
those States. The strike hit the
South from the Carolinas to
Texas, and in Kansas, Oklahoma,
Missouri and Ohio.
Ohio Rejects Proposal.
The AFL teamsterS ordered the
drivers out at midnight, when
their old contracts expired with
approximately 500 companies.
Ohio truck owners voted last
night to reject the wage proposal.
In Columbus, j. Ralph Riley, a
member of the negotiating COM
mittee for Ohio operators, said
I'VE have given our final decision.
:. Federal conciliatorS are meet
ing with Ohio truck owners rep
resentatives in Chicago now. r
have heard that various terminals
over Ohio are being picketed now
and it looks like a general strike.
I would say that 98 per cent of
Ohio truckers are not working. :
Mr.. Riley said that at last
nights meeting about 104 Ohio
companies were represented "and
no one voted to accept the terms.
Headquarters of the Teamsters'
Unions Southern Conference att
Memphis, Tenn, sent out strike /
orders to southern local unions
after contract negotiations with
Southern operators collapsed.
''The strike is on" said w. M. |
Miller. chairman of the confer
ence.
Mr.. Miller estimated that at
least 100000 drivers, warehouse
men. and city pickup and delivery
drivers in other States would be
affected by the strike because of
the curtailed long-haul services.
Southern States hit by the
strike are Georgia. Florida, Ala
bama, Tennessee, Louisiana,
Texas. Arkansas, North and South
Carolina, Kentucky and MisSis-
sippi.
In Chicago, James j. Spillane,
regional director of the Federal
Mediation and Cancellation Serv-
ise, said five operators associa-
tions representing 500 firms signed
q three-year contract granting
drivers an immediate hourly wage
increase of 19 cents and provid-
ing for raises of 71a cents in 1858
and 1854.
The agreement also granted an
increase in the mileage pay rate
of three-fourths of cent a mile,
with further mileage boosts of
one-fourth cent to come next year
and in 1854.
The average pay for drivers in
the Midwest has been $1.6O an
hour, with varying mileage allow
ances, depending on equipment,
loads and distances.
The Midwest contract included
o provision for an additional IS
cents an hour and a ene-half- cent
mileage boost for drivers handling
explosives.