Ruth Nichols

UniRoyal Struck As Talks In Ohio Come To Stop

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UniRoyal Struck As Talks In Ohio Come To Stop

4-21-67 [handwritten notation]

PICKETS formed this morning on Maple St. in front of the Central Office of UniRoyal’s footwear division. Everything was done in an orderly fashion and no incidents have been reported. Negotiations between the rubber firm and the union broke down shortly after midnight today.

—(News photo by Nichols)

By CYNTHIA BARAN
and
RUTH NICHOLS

United Rubber Workers Union members struck UniRoyal, Inc., and three other giant rubber firms across the country today as contract negotiations in Ohio came to a halt.

Approximately 65,000 workers for the rubber firms are out, including some 22,000 UniRoyal employes, about 5,000 of which are in Naugatuck.

A company official said today it had offered to continue the contract on a day-to-day basis but that the union declined.

Negotiations broke down shortly after midnight this morning, and a new session has not been scheduled as yet.

The situation in Naugatuck is very quiet with everyone apparently keeping an eye to the Ohio negotiation scenes.

Local police, which has added 10 extra patrolmen to duty, reported no incidents.

UniRoyal workers maintained an all-evening vigil while waiting for word from the negotiation table in Cincinnati, Ohio. At 12:30 a.m., George Froehlich, president of Local 45, got a phone call through to headquarters with one word: Strike!

Within minutes, picketing was organized and third shift workers were pouring out of the gates. Several workers interviewed said they hoped the strike would end soon.

John Braziel, a member of Local 45, said, “Although we don’t like to go on strike, it is sometimes necessary to settle contract disputes.”

When asked what they will do during the strike, many workers, hoping the strike will not be too long, said they would “do spring cleaning in the house and in the yard,” “relax,” “picket.”

The strike affects four major rubber companies, Firestone, Goodrich, Goodyear and UniRoyal. In Naugatuck, the chemical, footwear and synthetic divisions will lie idle until the strike is settled.

Headquarters at the Portuguese Club were occupied all evening. Phone calls were frequent. By 11:30 the phones were ringing incessantly. At 11:45 Froehlich called informing the other union officials that Firestone had left the negotiation table, but that UniRoyal was still bargaining. He indicated that “it did not look good.”

It appears that the strike was called after the management of the company offered its counter proposal which did not satisfy the workers’ representatives.

Earlier in the evening, local residents speculated on the possibilities of a strike. “I think they’ll go on strike and if they do it’ll be a long one.” A store clerk, “I want one so I won’t be so busy here, but then again, I don’t want one because my mother will be home to keep a stricter eye on me.” Customer at a local gas station, “A strike is bad for any town.”

2 Union Vice-Presidents Included In Arrests; All Charged Breach/Peace

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2 Union Vice-Presidents Included In Arrests; All Charged Breach/Peace

Sep 67 [handwritten notation in top right]

By Ruth Nichols

Forty-three UniRoyal strikers were arrested this morning including Raymond Mengacci, vice-president of Local 45 and Cy Blanchard, vice-president of Local 218, as police attempted to restore order to the picket lines on Maple St.

In the midst of the scuffle, which began early this morning, one man, Nunzio Finateri, about 51, was taken to St. Mary’s Hospital with a possible heart attack.

Both policemen and pickets received minor injuries as management attempted to cross the lines to enter the UniRoyal buildings.

Maple Street was closed to traffic about 7:30 this morning for an hour, until order was restored. By 8 a.m. all office workers were allowed through the line without incident.

Several groups of women gathered together on Church St. and waited for their male supervisor before attempting to enter the offices.

The first group of strikers arrested were brought forcibly to police headquarters; later however, the mood changed and the arrested strikers came in on their own to be booked. All strikers were charged with breach of peace and bond set at $150.

It was noted however, that although Local 45 is 80 per cent women, only men were booked this morning. Three police officers were at the desk, one in the file room and one in the detective’s room, booking the men as fast as possible to clear out the station.

When the bookings first began, the main room of headquarters was so full that those arrested were lined down the hallway.

Capt. Joseph Summa, in charge of the special force on strike duty, ordered a crowd dispersed outside the station where a retired employe of UniRoyal was attempting to incite pickets and stop the white collar workers from entering the buildings.

No personnel were entering the buildings through the warehouse, but rather coming through the Maple St. gate and then crossing over into the warehouse area.

Both policemen and strikers were bruised in the melee. Some women were on the outer edge of the picket line with others in the center.

women on the outside left the line and the women in the center had to wait their opportunity to leave.

Officer Jerry Sirica was the officer in charge of the policemen on duty at the Maple St. gates under the supervision of Capt. Summa.

Policemen received twisted arms, kicks in the shins, feet stepped on, and in one case, a hand bitten as they struggled with the pickets.

The pickets were ordered to keep moving in an orderly fashion once the scuffling was over until calm was insured.

Rumors are strong that a restraining injunction will be served upon the URW Unions before the day is out, but no confirmation has been received.

A report of police brutality was threatened following an incident last night when attorneys were trying to leave the plant and the picketers were not going to permit them through.

To add to the general confusion this morning, crowds of people were going home from St. Francis Church, adding to the already heavy traffic flow.

than 24 hours that UniRoyal would attempt to move some materials out of the warehouse on Rubber Ave. early this morning.

By noon today, however, no activity was attempted in this direction. Orderly picketing was going on by a large group of strikers on Elm St., next to the warehouse.

Union leaders were dividing their times between the Maple St. gates, the Rubber Ave. warehouse and another warehouse in Beacon Falls. Some picketers were picked up from the Rubber ave. facility and driven to Beacon Falls to add to those already there.

Rumors about the activity in the two towns ran rampant this morning. Word that more than 100 people had been arrested was heard being passed from picket to picket.

UniRoyal Summoned To Show Cause Hearing Tuesday

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Union Seeks Injunction

6-23-67

UniRoyal Summoned To Show Cause Hearing Tuesday

By Ruth Nichols

UniRoyal agreed yesterday in Waterbury Superior Court to stop production on footwear until a hearing is held next Tuesday at 11 a.m.

Judge Leo V. Gaffney signed an application submitted by Local 45 URW seeking a restraining injunction against UniRoyal yesterday afternoon.

Local 45 sought the injunction on the grounds that the company had violated an agreement signed by management on April 18 to the effect that no supervisory personnel would perform jobs normally done by bargaining personnel.

The company had notified the union that it intended to resume production yesterday morning.

Judge Gaffney said that if the company did not agree to stop production and return to the status of 6 p.m. June 21, he would take evidence yesterday afternoon and issue an injunction immediately, because the “exigencies of this situation are so grave.”

He also assured the union, through its counsel Daniel Baker, that he would be available all weekend, if the company failed to keep the agreement not to produce and it should be called to his attention.

The agreement that the union was using as a basis for its complaint had been signed three days prior to the strike. In it the union agreed to an orderly shut down of the plant in case of a strike.

A union official said yesterday that the union had lived up to this by keeping 185 men in the plant after the strike was called at midnight April 20 to see that the machinery was shut down in an orderly fashion.

Since the onset of the strike, the union has permitted electricians and maintenance men to work to maintain the plant.

The hearing yesterday afternoon was preceded by a lengthy consultation between the attorn-

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Alanskas. 6-23-67

UniRoyal Summoned

Continued From Page 1

ey representing UniRoyal, J. Kenneth Bradley, of the Bridgeport firm of Pullman, Conley, Bradley and Reeves, the union attorney Baker and Judge Gaffney.

Raymond Mengacci, vice-president of Local 45, and Joseph DeCarlo and Anthony Mascola of the union’s negotiating team were in court yesterday. George Froehlich, president of the local, is in Pittsburgh attending the Federal mediation sessions.

T. Rex Behrman, industrial relations manager, and Thomas Nelligan, labor relations manager for the footwear plant, were in court to represent the company.

The Local has been conducting its picketing under the threat of a restraining injunction since the first part of May. After two days of turmoil, when union members sought to keep management from entering the plant, the company applied to Superior Court for an injunction.

Since that period the local has been conducting its picketing in an orderly fashion, allowing supervisory personnel

Ratification Vote On Proposed Pact Set Saturday

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Ratification Vote On Proposed Pact Set Saturday

Naugatuck, Conn.

Established 1885
THURSDAY, JULY 27, 1967
10 PAGES
Price Seven Cents

Ratification Vote On Proposed Pact Set Saturday

Local 45 To Vote In H.S., 2:30 P.M.

By RUTH NICHOLS

At 8:45 last night the telephone call that has been awaited for three months came through from Cincinnati announcing the end of the UniRoyal—URW strike.

George Froehlich, president of Local 45, notified the local headquarters in Naugatuck that a tentative agreement had been reached, ending the record-breaking 97-day-old strike.

Negotiating sessions began at 10 a.m. yesterday and were conducted continuously through the day until an agreement was reached.

Membership of all three borough Locals began celebrating on receipt of the news. The around-the-clock pickets at the UniRoyal Chemical and Synthetic plants were called off the line and some tore up their picket signs in jubilation.

Warehouse employes at the footwear plant were called into work this morning with other workers being called back to their jobs as they are needed, a company spokesman said this morning.

Working on a list of names garnered earlier this week, the company will begin manning departments which are incidental to the starting up of production lines.

According to the company spokesman, there are many auxiliary departments which must be started first before actual production can begin.

A production line involving sample footwear for UniRoyal, Inc. salesman will be given “top priority,” the spokesman said.

Employes of the warehouse on Elm St. may report for work just as soon as possible, a Footwear Division management spokesman said today.

The firm asked employes Tuesday and yesterday if they would be available for work at any time during their vacations, should the strike end. The company had the opportunity to poll the workers as it handed out more than $2 million in vacation checks to the striking workers.

A spokesman said today the response was very good. About 1,000 employes signed up and indicated they would be available. More workers are signing up today, also, the spokesman said. The official said that about 25 per cent of those employes eligible signed up to work at some time during the vacation shutdown.

The official pointed out that any employe who has not worked at the firm long enough to earn a vacation may also sign up for work during the shutdown. They should report to the firm’s employment office.

Vice-president of Local 45, Raymond Mengacci, said this morning, “I want to thank all the members of Local 45 for

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PHOTO CAPTION:

REPARATIONS FOR getting UniRoyal, Inc., production lines back in operation were made this morning by officials of the local rubber firm and Raymond Mengacci, vice-president Local 45, United Rubber Workers. Factory Manager Jack Smith is seated. Standing, left to right, are Mengacci, Charles F. Welsh, general superintendent of fabric shoes sponge and shoe hardware, and Edmund W. Fossbender, general superintendent of the waterproof mill. —(News Photo by Baker)

Local 45 Membership Meets This Afternoon

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Local 45 Membership Meets This Afternoon

Local 45 Membership Meets This Afternoon

5-29-67

By RUTH NICHOLS

A meeting of the membership of Local 45 United Rubber Workers is scheduled for this afternoon at 2:30 in the Naugatuck High School auditorium.

Local 45 President George Froehlich, home from the negotiating sessions in Cincinnati, will address the membership as a whole for the first time since the beginning of the 39-

day old strike. No advance word as to the subject of this meeting has been released.

Because of the Memorial Day holiday this week, the issuance of the strike benefit checks will vary from the previous weeks. Those who have been receiving their checks on Tuesday are scheduled for the same time Wednesday and those who normally pick up checks on Wednesday will report Thursday, Local

45 announced.

Picketing in the borough remained quiet today at all three plants of UniRoyal. Both Local 45 and 218 are operating with the threat of a restraining injunction being imposed at the first sign of violence.

At the beginning of the month the membership of Local 45 became angered when management officials announced they

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Arrest 4 At Synthetic Plant

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Arrest 4 At Synthetic Plant

5-31-67 UniRoyal Strike

Arrest 4 At Synthetic Plant

By RUTH NICHOLS

Four members of Local 308, URW, were booked on breach of peace charges this morning as a result on the part of the Local to try to keep management personnel from entering the Naugatuck Synthetic Plant of UniRoyal.

Approximately 150 pickets were massed at the gate of the Synthetic plant at 7:30 this morning. Local 308 officials had been notified by management that they intended to start production in the plant today. The Local has a membership of approximately 200.

President Edward Alves of Local 308 stayed in town today to be with the Local and attempt to talk with management. He said that he talked with Benton Leach, production superintendent of the plant, but was unable to talk with John Evans, plant manager.

Alves stated that the Local took action out of concern when it learned unskilled operators would operate the production. He said “This would be a disaster if the right people were not operating the production lines. The chance of explosion is great and could affect the entire Naugatuck Valley.”

Alves also revealed that the Local had checked with the insurance company to see if UniRoyal had notified them that they were going to produce at the plant. Periodical inspections are made by the insurance company while the plant is in operation. The insurance company said they had not been contacted by the company as of that time, Alves said.

Alves said that one of the gases used at the plant is explosive when contacted by air. This was his main concern, safety-wise.

A team of 12 police officers, under the supervision of Capt. Joseph Summa, was dispatched to the Synthetic when Police Chief Frank Mariano was notified that management was being barred from the plant.

Capt. Summa read the riot act, according to the state statute, to the group of pickets assembled. The pickets continued to march in a circle around in front of the gate, in an orderly fashion.

A wedge of policemen were sent into the picket line to open it up as the cars driven by the supervisory personnel lined up to enter the grounds.

The majority of pickets immediately moved aside; however, two pickets were forced out of the way by policemen and two others booked when they objected to the line breaking up. As soon as the line was opened the line of assembled cars drove through the gate without being hampered by the pickets.

The rest of the pickets started to march to police headquarters, thought better of it and about 30 men arrived at the station by cars.

Police started booking men

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Minor Scuffling At Struck UniRoyal Plants

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Minor Scuffling At Struck UniRoyal Plants

5-3-67 [handwritten date in top right]

By RUTH NICHOLS

Scuffling and shoving erupted this morning on the picket lines at the struck UniRoyal Footwear Plants in the borough as a result of the announcement by management of its intention to start shipping to critical customers.

The surge of activity began last night at approximately 8 p.m. when UniRoyal began to move personnel with suitcases through the gates.

John Smith, Factory Manager of the Footwear plant, verified the fact that management had notified the union yesterday of the company’s intent to ship to critical customers. Smith said that everything was quiet at the plant late this morning. He had no comment to make as to what number of persons were within the plant.

An all-men picket force was thrown around the gates of the plants last night, continuing through this morning. Scuffling and some incidents ensued early this morning as white collar workers attempted to cross the lines.

However, police report no arrests made. In most instances, police were not successful in escorting personnel through the line.

The heaviest picket lines were in front of the Central Office on Maple St., and the Warehouse located on Rubber Ave. Most of the activity centered around the main warehouse building on Rubber Ave.

Police reported that one group of four was successfully taken through the line. Pickets allowed a nurse and an attorney to enter the warehouse without incident this morning, according to reports.

A special police force of 24 men was put on duty today. The officers said that raincoats were torn and clothing damaged as a result of the early morning activity. Capt. Joseph Summa, in charge of the special force, was kept busy this morning checking the action at the gates to insure the situation did not get out of hand.

Raymond Mengacci, vice-president of Local 45, said late this morning that picketing was “orderly” and that a picket line had been set up at all gates. He added that today the union was not allowing any white collar workers through the lines.

Mengacci stated that the union was told yesterday of the company’s intention to start shipping materials out of the plants.

President of Local 45, George Froehlich, was called in Cincinnati today and informed of the situation in Naugatuck. Froehlich informed Mengacci that one of the companies, not UniRoyal, was “close” to settlement.

An executive vice-president of the company had been brought into the negotiation sessions. This is the first good sign since the strike was called at midnight Thursday, April 20.

Rumors are circulating the borough that UniRoyal is attempting to seek an injunction against the “lock-out.” Mengacci told the NEWS today that as yet no papers have been served on the Union. No confirmation could be obtained from the company as to the veracity of this statement.

Office workers reported for work at their usual time this morning but were not allowed to enter the buildings. Shortly after 8 a.m. management announced via a bull-horn that the workers were to go home and try again tomorrow morning.

Police Chief Frank Mariano is watching the activity closely. He said, he has had no additional information but that at present the local department was able to handle the situation.

Mayor Joseph C. Raytkwich is keeping a close eye on the strike and conferring with officials in an attempt to keep on top of the situation.

UniRoyal Cites Need For Sample Shoes

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UniRoyal Cites Need For Sample Shoes

By Ruth Nichols

Production at the UniRoyal Footwear plant will be suspended for at least another week to allow time for briefs to be filed and Judge Leo V. Gaffney to come to a decision on whether a restraining injunction should be granted against the firm.

Two days of testimony from both Local 45 and UniRoyal Footwear Division management ended yesterday afternoon in Waterbury Superior Court. Judge Gaffney asked that written briefs be submitted to him by next Wednesday by both attorneys and stated that he will make his decision within a couple of days after reviewing the briefs and transcripts of the court proceedings.

Local 45 ended its testimony yesterday after calling Joseph Foley to the stand. Foley, a 21-year employe of the plant, member of the Union negotiating team and strike captain, was questioned on what might happen if the company was allowed to produce sample shoes.

Foley told the court that there would be violence on the picket line. He also testified that large numbers of supervisory personnel passed through the picket lines daily without incident.

Atty. J. Kenneth Bradley opened UniRoyal’s testimony by calling Thomas Nelligan, Labor Relations Manager, to the stand.

Nelligan told the court that 4,500 footwear plant employes are out on strike while 850 non-bargaining employes are working. All UniRoyal plants in the borough, with the exception of the footwear plant, are producing.

Nelligan cited the need for the sample shoes by August 1st. If the shoes were not ready to show by that date, according to Nelligan, there would be a reduction of production and a need for less employes.

Nelligan, under questioning, stated that if production of samples was allowed there would be no loss to striking employes but their wages. The Judge ruled that this answer should be stricken. Nelligan said he had no way of knowing what the cost to URW members and their families would be overall.

Nelligan said that these sample shoes could not be produced elsewhere. That it would take about 200 people, six weeks to two months to produce the necessary number of sample shoes. He said the bargaining people had been offered, through the union, the work first.

Factory Manager Jack Smith told the court that it was Monday or Tuesday of last week that the decision was made to start production on sample shoes.

Attorney Daniel Baker, URW counsel, questioned Nelligan about production at other UniRoyal plants. He asked if these samples couldn’t be made at one of the other company shoe producing plants that was currently in production.

Nelligan told the court that this was not possible because a different type of shoe was made at these plants.

Baker then opened the question of management starting its inventory using non-bargaining personnel. He also returned to the subject of the “Gray Building.”

How many shoes were produced in the building? Nelligan stated that the first three or four sample shoes were made in the building. The union sought inspection of the “gray building.”

Judge Gaffney asked if a member of the Industrial Relations Department accompanied the union inspection team on its tour.

Smith told the court about the pickets not allowing personnel into the plant in the early days of the strike. He said on the first day of mass picketing he conferred with Naugatuck Police Capt. Joseph Summa and sent management personnel home. He said all this occurred after the union had been notified 24-hours in advance of the company’s intention to ship.

Smith testified that on the May 15th meeting with union representatives, the company made known its intention to start production, first offering the work to bargaining personnel. He told the court he, at that time, told the union he believed there was no longer an agreement; however, it was then believed settlement was imminent and the company did not press for production.

Again on the subject of sample shoes, Smith said that production could not be carried on in the “Keds” line, produced here in the borough, in another company plant without moving equipment in large numbers to another location.

Smith spoke of the work the union had allowed to continue in the “Gray Building.” He said that the union knew that certain materials were produced in the main plant to carry on this work and hadn’t objected.

He said that this was the only footwear plant in the United States to be shut down and declared it was necessary to have sample shoes ready by the August 1st date.

Smith said that if samples were not ready, salesmen would miss sales and this, in turn, would lower sales, lower fill-in sales, and thus reduce production in the Naugatuck Footwear plant.

Smith, again questioned about the agreement and the May 15th meeting, told the Judge that he did not remember coming back into the meeting room after making a telephone call and telling union representative that he would “honor the agreement.”

Baker asked Smith had he given the union 24-hours notice of intent to ship. And had not the company made an oral agreement that no personnel would enter the plant after 6 p.m.

Then Baker asked had not the fact that personnel came into the

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Beacon Falls

Beacon Hose Co. Firemen To Parade

BEACON FALLS – Captain Walter C. Carlson of Beacon Hose Co. No. 1 has announced that members will attend the Firemen’s Parade in Oxford this evening.

Members are requested to meet at the firehouse at 6:30 in full dress uniforms.

No Violence As Management Crosses Lines

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No Violence As Management Crosses Lines

By Ruth Nichols

Police were alerted early this morning when it was noticed that an unusually large number of pickets were massing at the gates of the Chemical Division of UniRoyal, Inc.

An attempt was made by approximately 30 pickets to keep management of the Chemical Division from entering the plant.

A large contingent of policemen, led by Capt. Joseph Summa, was dispatched to the trouble area. Capt. Summa read the riot act to the pickets when they refused to open their ranks to allow management through.

However, there was no violence committed by the pickets in their attempt to seal off the gates.

A group of eight pickets, including Joseph Rzeszutek, president of Local 218, URW, were taken to the police station in patrol cars where they were booked on breach of peace charges at 8 o’clock this morning. No resistance was offered.

Rzeszutek said this morning that the union had been notified that the company intended to resume production yesterday using supervisory personnel.

Rzeszutek issued the following statement on behalf of the Local: “The membership questioned the poor judgment of management’s decision to operate equipment with personnel unfamiliar with operation procedure and safety hazards involved. Serious accidents occur with experienced operators at the control of equipment and with a full compliment of people who were fortunate to contain hazardous situations.”

Rzeszutek continued by saying, “Operating production equipment with inexperienced personnel and only skeleton crews presents definite hazards