WILL GO ON

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LXVI, 3 September 1934, Page 5

WILL GO ON

TEXTILE STRIKE IN AMERICA EFFORTS OF SETTLEMENT FAIL CLAIMS OF UNION LEADERS (United Press Association—By Electrio Telegraph—Copy righti WASHINGTON, Ist September. The last slender hope that the textile strike would be averted passed when labour leaders, after listening to hours of argument, pleading, and coaxing, emerged from the offices of the National Labour Relations Board with a grim assertion that the strike wiil go on. As practically all mills will be closed during the week-end which extends through Monday, a legal holiday, “Labour Day,” the effectiveness of the textile strike will not be known until next week. Union leaders claim nearly 100 per cent, compliance of a. membership totalling 450,000 in cotton textiles, and 15,000 each of the wollen and silk industries. With several 100,000 unemployed, they claim about 1,000,000 under the strike order. Mills they hope to close include 1281 cotton, 500 wollen, and 2000 silk. HOPES OF OWNERS The owners' spokesmen are making no specific claims, but hope that many mills wiil continue operation, some with almost a complete personnel. On the other hand many will voluntarily close as already they are suffering from a surplus of stocks and finished goods. While the Employers’ Association sent out a last-minute protest against the use Federal relief funds to succour the strikers, union leaders countered with a demand that the State National Guard must not be allowed to use Federal equipment, meaning rifles, revolvers, machine guns, ammunition, etc., to suppress picketing. , SGAIE VIOLENCE LIKELY As mills are closed through Monday no trouble is expected till Tuesday, when some violence is likely to result from those mills opening. COLLECTIVE BARGAINING RIGHTS OF WORKERS OFFICIAL NOTIFICATION OF ACT NEW YORK, Ist September. Coincidental with the textile strike, the National Labour Relations Board of the N.R.A. issued an important decision that is likely to have a profound effect on the trend of American industrial warfare. It is an official interpretation of the so-called section 7A of the Recovery Act defining the rights of workers to collective bargaining. In a test case the Board declared the wish of the majority of workers in any industry regarding who is to represent them will bo binding on all work M's. In effect this means that where independent American Federation Labour units gain a majority vote, tlie company unions created by employers become illegal. Largo industrialists immediately announced they would fight the decision through the Courts. EFFECTIVE MIDNIGHT ON SATURDAY EXTENSION TO SILK WORKERS WASHINGTON, Ist September. The. general textile strike, which became effective at midnight on Saturday, has been extended to include 200,000 silk workers. SUNDAY CALM FINAL PLANS MADE UNION’S DEMANDS REITERATED (Received 3rd September 12.55 p.m.) WASHINGTON, 2nd September. A Sunday calm existed in the textile strike situation as Union headquarters here perfected final plans and sent out last minute instructions to various local unions to make the tie up as effective as possible. It is now estimated that 600,000 operatives will quit their jobs. Headquarters said they expect 150,000 velvet, drapery, upholstery, and other types of workers to strike during the week. Union headquarters have been flooded with telegrams from field workers reporting compliance with the strike order. Some declared that mill operators ore recruiting “thugs and scabs” in an effort to break the strike. The principal iutmiations of violence come from southern states, in several of whLh the milita is prepared to mobilise.

Francis Gorman, chairman of the striko committee, reiterated the union’s demands from which he said they would not retreat. These include a. thirty hour week, compared with the present forty hour week, with no reduction in pay; recognition of the union for collective bargaining; and the creation of an impartial board under the N.R.A. to^settle disputes.