Evening star., 1954-07-07
CI0 Workers
Strike at Two
Atomic Plants
Pickets Posted at
Oak Ridge, Tenn,
And Puducuh, Ky.

Van NA1tGI5, 4ctlI., July IT,
CIO workers who help produce
the Nations entire supply Of
fashionable uranium-235 for
atomic weapons struck today in
wage dispute at plants here
and in Paducah. KY,
Ignoring the possibility of a
Taft-Hartley law injunction, the
CIO Chemical Workers Union
posted pickets at 6 am, three
hours before the appointed hour
Of the strike. Some 4,500 pro-
duction and maintenance work.
ers are affected.
Carbide g. Carbon Chemicals
Co., which operates the plants
for the Atomic Energy Commits
sion. ordered its supervisory per-
sonnel to keep the plants in
production. An official of the
company said last night: Were
going to run the plants, strike
or no strike"
PRODUCTION was not halted at
either plant.
Police said construction and
other workers passed through
the picket lines into the plants
area without incident.
Might Take Year to Reopen.
The chemical process for pro-
duction of U-235 is so complex
officials have said it might take
a year to get the plants in
operation again. once stopped.
President Eisenhower issued
an order yesterday for a fact
finding board to investigate the
dispute. But union officials said
they would ignore the Presi-
dents action.
The struck plants, costing
hundreds of millions of dollars.
produce U-235 by the gaseous
diffusion method.
The strike is the first in the
Nations history by workmen who
help produce U-235. A rival AFI
union. which bargains for 4,50O
employees at two other atomic
plants here. struck two days
last July to mark the first walk
out by production workers at
any atomic plant.
There have been numerous
strikes by construction workers
here and at other atomic install
lations, but none of these affect
ed production.
Highways Congested.
The pickets caused traffic jams
today on highways leading to the
six gates to the plants area. Po-
lice said cars were backed up
hundreds of yards.
A CIO official said the strike
appeared to be 100 per cent ef-
fective so far as the plant here
was concerned. But there were
reports that some workmen at
the plant reported for work.
I'VE will make no attempt to
keep construction and other
workers from their jobs" CIO
spokesman said. I'VE, plan to
maintain an orderly picket line
and we expect no trouble"
15-Cent Raise Sought.
The strike was ordered in sup
port of the unions demand for
a pay raise Of Is cents an hour.
The demand was scaled down
from 81 cents after union men,
bers rejected a 6-cent raise
recommended by a presidential
panel.
Another $500 workers repre-
Sented by the rival AFL Atomic
Trades and Labor Council also
rejected the Presidential panels
Scent recommendation after
parallel negotiations for 19-
cent raise.
Members of both unions au-
thorized a strike call, but Jess
Haman. president of the coun-
Gil. said the AFL workers would
stay on their jobs. The scales
for all plants range from $1.58
to $2.40.
The strike call was issued yes
terday after neither side retreated
in a final meeting of company
and CIO negotiators with Fed
eral mediators present.
Sought Offer, Union Says.
1--WE asked the company to
make an offer. any offer" said
Emerson Pownall. president Of
the CIO Unions Local 288. "They
refused. We gave them ample
opportunity for a satisfactory
settlement
The dispute already has gone
through special atomic energy
labor relations without settle
ment. President Eisenhower's
order that fact finding board
be set up is the first step toward
invoking the Taft Hartley Laws
Injunction provision. The board
would report in Is days, after
which the President could seek
an Injunction for an 80-day