4-21-67
Naugatuck Rubber Strike Idles 5,000
By PATRICK KEATING
Register Staff Reporter
NAUGATUCK —A strike, the second in the past two years against Uni-Royal by the United Rubber Workers, AFL-CIO, has closed the company’s three local divisions and idled some 5,000 workers today.
The decision to strike the entire Uni-Royal operation was made early this morning after contract talks between management and the URW’s International Policy Committee broke down when the midnight deadline passed. The old contract between the company and union expired at midnight.
The URW, in addition to striking Uni-Royal, hit two others of the big four of the rubber industry as workers at Firestone and Goodrich were called out. Good year, the other member, is presently negotiating with the union on a day-to-day basis.
Although Goodrich is being struck, the Shelton and Derby plants of the Goodrich Sponge Products Division were not affected by the strike since neither plant is unionized.
It is estimated that over 50,000 union workers are on strike nation-wide. Of this total, Uni-Royal employs 22,000; Firestone, 18,000 and Goodrich, 11,000.
At Chicopee Falls, Mass., 1,600 UniRoyal employes went on strike, led by 500 third shift workers who walked off their jobs. Union spokesmen said pickets would be set up this morning.
At Woonsocket, R. I., 800 UniRoyal employes went on strike and picket lines were established.
Another 700 employes struck the Uni-Royal plant in Providence, R. I., and set up pickets.
At Fall River, Mass., union leaders called a strike by 650 employes of Firestone Tire & Rubber Co., and pickets were established.
All 800 employes at the Goodyear plant in Windsor, Vt., were reported on the job today. A company official said they would work on a day-to-day basis while negotiations continued.
Representatives of the three locals involved —Local 45, Footwear Division; Local 208, Synthetic and Local 218, Ch emical —are partipitating in the contract negotiations that have been in progress this past month at Cincinnati, Ohio. Talks are expected to resume today.
Immediately after word was received about the breakdown in talks, preparations were made for establishment of picket lines at the three local plants. Shortly before 1 a.m., the pickets were marching.
Magnagement personnel were permitted this morning to cross the picket lines and assume their duties. No incidents were reported as a pre-strike agreement had been reached concerning the admittance to plants of supervisors, foremen and office employers.
It is not known at this time whether the company will adopt a policy of having supervisory personnel “live in” at the chemical plant. Several years ago when the plant was struck, this procedure was followed and the operation continued with this skeleton crew.
Workers who reported Thursday at 11 p.m. for the regular last shift at the three divisions, walked off the job when notified that the strike was in progress.
Union officials reported that it was an orderly walk-off since the locals and the company had agreed on plans for closing down the operation.
The pickets have been instructed to stop all trucks entering and leaving the plants that might be transporting company products. However, the company will not be affected by such a stoppage as merchandise for customers had been shipped by rail and truck in excessive amount during the past two weeks.
The strike does not come as a surprise to most union members here. They had been alerted to such a possibility for the past week as news out of Cincinnati indicated that the negotiators were not making any headway.
“However, there was a faint hope expressed late Thursday that an extension of the talks might be granted.
Two years ago, the walkout carried through three working days. Another strike eight years ago crippled production for three weeks.
Information that has filtered through from Cincinnati indicates that the company has turned back the first proposals for wage increases, reportedly around 20 cents an hour for pro-
See STRIKE Page 2