rbury American, Tuesday, April 18, 1967

Naugatuck

4-18-67

Union, Uniroyal Talks Continuing In Cincinnati

NAUGATUCK—Less than three days remain before the contract between the United Rubber Workers of America and Uniroyal, Inc., expires at midnight Thursday.

After that date the union may

Naugatuck Valley

call a general strike against the company’s various plants throughout the country, including the local Footwear Plant, the Naugatuck Chemical Co. division, and the Synthetic Rubber Plant.

Company and union negotiators are in their sixth week of talks in Cincinnati, Ohio, and as the deadline approaches the talks are being intensified in an effort to ward off a strike. It was learned that negotiations had recessed last Thursday and resumed Saturday.

Raymond Mengacci, vice president of Local 45, Footwear Plant, declined to comment on progress of the talks, but said a call had been received from Local 45 Pres. George Froehlich Monday from Ohio, reporting that the negotiations are still in process.

An agreement had been made between the company and union negotiators that no information about the talks will be released before the talks end.

Several weeks ago union employees of the Chemical Division, the Synthetic Plant and last week the Footwear Plant, representing approximately 6,000 workers in the three locals, took an affirmative strike vote, authorizing the International Policy Committee to call a strike if the talks are stalemated.

However, if progress is being made by the negotiators when the contract expires, the contract may be extended in the hope that an agreement can be reached without a strike.

One of the issues being discussed, it was learned besides additional benefits, is a guaranteed annual income for all employes of the nation’s big rubber companies.