**Source:** Unknown
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A hearing was to resume this morning in Waterbury Superior Court on an application by the United Rubber Workers for an injunction against Uniroyal, Inc., which has plants in Beacon Falls and Naugatuck.
The union filed its application last Thursday, after the company began production of samples of new footwear designs.
The company agreed at that time to halt production until after a court hearing.
The hearing opened Tuesday before Judge Leo V. Gaffney. Three hours of testimony was taken in the afternoon from three union members.
At the center of the controversy is a written agreement, signed April 18 by both parties, three days before the nationwide rubber workers’ strike began.
The agreement provides for the orderly shutdown and maintenance of the Naugatuck Footwear plant during the strike. It includes a clause stipulating that “the company agrees that for the duration of the strike there will be no work performed by nonbargaining unit employees that is normally performed by bargaining unit personnel.”
Local 45 of the URW maintains last Thursday’s production violates the agreement.
Company Defense
While not clearly stating what its defense would be, the company yesterday indicated it would argue the April 18 agreement was voided when the union allegedly violated a provision intended to insure unimpeded entrance and exit to the plant through specified gates.
Three days of clashes between union members and police early in May, when pickets attempted to keep office personnel from entering the plant, resulted in the arrest of 71 union members and a warning from Judge Gaffney that he would issue an injunction against the union if the violence was not stopped.
In testimony yesterday, Raymond Mengacci, vice president of Local 45, said he had “no doubt” violence would erupt at the plant unless the court issues an order restraining the company from producing sample shoes with nonunion supervisory personnel.
“We will have some very bad violence. You can expect bloodshed in Naugatuck,” Mengacci said.