18—Waterbury Republican, Friday, June 23, 1967
Federal Officials Enter Talks In Rubber Strike
PITTSBURGH, Pa.— Negotiators from five major rubber producers, the United Rubber Workers and federal mediators sat down Thursday to begin talks in one large group Thursday, but a swift end to a 63-day-old strike was not apparent.
Although no one would predict how long the talks in Pittsburgh might last, one could presume they will not end quickly, as progress made on working conditions during separate talks will be subject to renewed discussion on a group level.
Moderating the talks between the United Rubber Workers and the top five rubber producers was director of the Federal Mediation and Counciliation Service, William E. Simkin.
Thursday’s talks, according to sources, were mostly geared to laying the groundwork for further talks, the first of which is slated to begin today at 9 a.m.
This was the first time since 1947 that all five companies and the union talked together at one table. An attempt earlier in this series of negotiations failed when B. F. Goodrich union representatives refused to join a group meeting with the other companies because they did not want to talk a three-year contract.
According to a news source, the five companies, including Uniroyal, met with the union at one table during Thursday’s talks, then adjourned to meet separately.
Although RW officials have stated they would stand by their wage demands, RW President Peter Bommarito has indicated to reliable sources that he may be willing to move on the union’s demand for a supplemental unemployment benefit totaling 95 per cent of the weekly wage.
Bommarito was reportedly pleased to some degree with a recent General Tire offer which granted 80 per cent of the so-called “guaranteed annual wage.”
What displeased the international president of the
Regional Hospital View Cited
HARTFORD (AP) — A regional approach to meet the pressures of future hospital expansion in the face of slim federal support was urged Thursday by Dr. Edwin L. Crosby, executive vice president and director of the American Hospital Association.
Speaking to more than 200 hospital officials at the 49th annual meeting of the Connecticut Hospital Association at the Hartford Club, Dr. Crosby warned that the state’s hospitals cannot remain “voluntary” without freedom from federal control.
160,000-member union was the wage offer from General Tire, which had been upped from the last offer of 40 cents to 43, cents, with raises of 15 cents the first year, 15 the second and 13 the third.
Bommarito reportedly feels this is still too low, and is looking for at least 50 cents.
General Tire’s wage offer, however, is five cents higher than wage offers from the other four companies. An observer said Thursday that if General Tire could raise the wage offer, Bommarito would probably be willing to settle.
All companies are talking three-year contracts with the union, pensions and insurance included. Bommarito said the RW was holding a policy committee meeting in Cleveland Monday to discuss pension plans.
On another angle, spokesmen for the nation’s auto makers said Thursday the strike has created no shortage of tires for new cars. Production of 1967 cars, they said, would be complete without shortages.
One source said Thursday that the only difficulty might be in the area of molded and extruded rubber parts, such as motor mounts and grommets, which the companies do not heavily stock.
The auto industry will shut down in July for the changeover to new models. Spokesmen would make no predictions about what would happen if the rubber strike continues into the model changeover.