STRIKES IN AMERICA

Chronicle (Levin), 11 April 1947, Page 5

STRIKES IN AMERICA

tPo'&sa Assn.

State Meve To iave Them

&y {Relegrash-

■iG&mnriaht

iRooeivecl Thursday, 9.5 :p.m. WARRINGTON, April 40. With -fhe nation >in '-the 'gr-ip of .its :iii'st coast to eoast telephone strike "ffinw he c ountry !s soft eoal production moix .lian ihalved by .the refusai otf -the .niners to descend -th-e pits .until ceitti.ted safe — 'i-egarded >by industrial lead>rs as merely a variation. in -the miuers ' strike tacties — -the 41ouse 'Bepiibliean •leaders approv.ed and -substantially k.i-n-sured the -passage .next wveek af the 'ftib to arai the Government to suppress U).y ingunetion strike s alTecting tlie qjilblu mterest. The Bi'll is .designed to "sniasii the closed shop principle and tindustry•wide bargaining, ai.id uestriot all "tlie great boftv of union .privilege sbuilt uip yy law and court interpiretations •hrough the Eoosevelt era. Telephone strike negoyations -maae small jii'ogress until late last night when long-distanee workers and flic Ameriean Telephone -and Telegraph Bompany agreed on a basis .of aetttle ment. The agreement aroused liopes for rhe settlement of the strike general'ly Imt it is emphasised that tlie National Federation of Telephone Workers' policy eommitte.e niust lirst appro.ve the agreement as well as a ropor.ted agree ment between negotiators in the Illinois :ection of the dispute. The NjF.TsW has Uhusfar set its face firmlv against settlement s -by ■individual affiliat.es. Undaunted by a new and hastilv enacted state law providing gaoi sentences and (ines for, sti'ikes >ol" utility workers, 12,000 New Jersey telephone operators remained away from their jobs yesterday. Applieation begiils today of penaities, including flnes up .to 500 dollars and imprison ment to 30 davs, against individual strikers and fines of 1000 dollars rlailv against striking unions. The unions regard the law as unqonstitutional. Twenty tliousand rnore coa'lminors returned to tlie pits yesterday — -niany disobeying union instructions — and fhc nation Js produetioh exeeeded 1^000,00 ■ tons but this is onlv about 45 per c.ent. of the nornial.