Johnson Moves To Resolve Strike

Press, Volume CV, Issue 30953, 8 January 1966, Page 13

Johnson Moves To Resolve Strike

(AZ. Press Association —Copyright) NEW YORK, January 7. President Johnson took action today in the New York transport strike. He sent the Secretary of Labour (Mr Wirtz) to New York.

Mr Wirtz said the President was “very much concerned.” As soon as Mr Wirtz arrived he conferred with the Mayor (Mr Lindsay) and Mr Harry Van Arsdale, the president of the New York Central Trades

Council. Mr Van Arsdale said the meeting was to discuss “the matter of the imprisonment of our labour leaders.” He added that he planned to confer with the New York Governor (Mr Rockefeller) “to see if we can help to bring about full justice for the transport workers, and arrange a satisfactory agreement.” Mr Wirtz said: “We realise the important thing is agreement and we are working to that end. In a lot of ways good Democrats and good Re publicans can work together ' Hundreds of telegrams from irate New Yorkers had poured in to the White House expressing bewilderment at why the; President intervened so i quickly into the steel price; controversy, but held himself; aloof from the transport chaos, I The strike, which is costing the city’s economy an estimated 100 m dollars a day, I yesterday caused the closing; of two Broadway shows.

“Utbu,” and “The Devils.” Most off-Broadway shows have already shut for the duration.

In spite of the glimmer of hope raised yesterday when Mr Lindsay reported “some movement” in negotiations, there is still a big gap between the demands of the transport workers and the latest offer by the Metropolitan Transit Authority. At Bellevue Hospital, where the strikers’ leader, Mr Michael Quill was taken after collapsing in gaol on Tuesday, a spokesman described his condition as “serious but not critical.”