U.S. STRIKES

Hokitika Guardian, 30 September 1933, Page 5

U.S. STRIKES

HAMFE3KTG TRADE THIRTY-HOUR WEEK ASKED FOR (United Frees Association—By Electric Telegraph—Copyright.) •NEW YORK, September 23. A. total mounting towards one hundred thousand strikers are hampering the coal, steel, automobile, and silk industries in the United Stages. Ton thousand steel worker's are idle in West Virginia and Panhandle. More than seventy thousand coal miners are away from the shafts in Pennsylvania. The Ford plant stuff are on strike in Fdgewater, New Jersey, and there ,are numerous minor strikes throughout the country.

At Edgewater a delegation of 1500 &tUikers from Ford’.s Chester plant p.ppeared before lords Edgewalei lant after a night ride by a cavalcade of 250 automobiles. They began picketing, resulting in the walk out of 2200 Edgewater employees in a sympathy strike. Immediately following the Chester strike, the Ford officials closed the plant. The efforts , 0 f (the Washington <N.R.\A*. Labour Board to mediate failed. Senator Wagner declared himself helpless, saying : “I cannot stop an employer from shutting the plant, if he wants to."

Mr Green president of the American Federation of Labour, announced that Labour will ask Congress to approve a thirty-hour week, unless the N.R.A. codes are revised and provide for shorter hours and higher .pay. The announcement came, following a survey issued by Mr Green that 815,000 persons returned *o 'work during (August, representing “a greater progress in employment than in any month since the depression, but that 11,001,000 unemployed remained,'’ and “the relief needs of this winter will .Ijo ,greater than ever before.” It is estimated that possibly 4,000,000 families will require such relief.