PITCHED BATTLE AT FACTORY

Southland Times, Issue 23183, 26 April 1937, Page 5

PITCHED BATTLE AT FACTORY

OFFICIALS FIRE ON STRIKE PICKETS WOMEN AMONG 50 INJURED (United Press Assn.—Telegraph Copyright) (Received April 25, 7.5 p.m.) STOCKTON (California) April 24. At least 50 persons, including several women, were shot and injured, several critically (one was partially blinded), in a fight between union strikers and non-union workers, deputy sheriffs and State police at a canning factory. Nauseating gas bombs were hurled by all parties. The non-unionist defenders of the plant erected barbed wire entanglements to keep pickets out, and a pitched battle occurred when the authorities attempted to conduct a lorry carrying spinach to the plant. They fired many times at the pickets, who attempted to overturn the lorry. Officials at Stockton requested troops to handle the situation, but the Governor of California (Mr Frank F. Merriam) refused. The State Assembly sent a committee of five to investigate and to attempt to avert further bloodshed.

FORD PLANT CLOSED BY STRIKE

1200 EMPLOYEES IN FULL POSSESSION (Received April 25, 630 p.m.) SAN FRANCISCO, April-24. A “sit-down” strike of 1200 employees has closed the Ford plant. The strikers are in full possession. Leaders of the United Workers blame discrimination against the union. The men say that the company refused to allow officials of the plant to confer with representatives of the union. OSHAWA WORKERS TO RESUME ALL PARTIES CLAIM A VICTORY (Received April 25, 7.30 p.m.) TORONTO, April 24. The strikers at rhe Oshawa plant of the General Motors Corporation at a meeting ratified the settlement by a vote of 2205 to 36, and will return to work on Monday. The Premier of Ontario (Mr M. F. Hepburn) the company and the United Automobile Workers each claim victory. Mr Hepburn contends that he has prevented the Committee for Industrial Organization from gaining a foothold and has halted the drive to organize the miners. The General Motors Corporation says that it feels it has signed a contract with representatives of its own employees only, and the union contends that it won de facto recognition for itself and the Committee for Industrial Organization, because the Oshawa union is mentioned in the contract and members of the United Automobile Workers are affiliated with the C. 1.0. LONGSHOREMEN’S STRIKE SETTLED (Received April 25, 6.30 p.m.) NEW YORK, April 24. The strike against the Cunard White Star line is settled. The National Independent Longshoremen’s Union of Canada has received an international association charter.