Rubber Negotiators

by

Naugatuck, Conn.

Established 1885

Rubber Negotiators

SATURDAY, JULY 15, 1967
10 PAGES
Price Seven Cents

Take Weekend Break

AKRON, Ohio (UPI) — With the nation’s rubber production down to 25 per cent of its total, negotiators for four major tire companies and the striking United Rubber Workers (URW) took a weekend break.

There was little hope a tentative agreement reached Thursday with General Tire & Rubber Co. would pave the way for a settlement between the union and Uniroyal, B.F. Goodrich, Firestone and Goodyear.

General Tire’s 3,000 idled workers could return to their jobs Sunday night.

A pay raise differential between the tire and non-tire workers appeared to be the major stumbling block in talks with Goodyear, the largest producer.

Tire workers averaged $3.68 an hour under the old contract and non-tire employes $2.69 an hour.

Goodyear offered a 43-cents-an hour to wage increase to tire workers—the same as General—but two cents less to non-tire workers.

The tire workers’ increase would go into effect in steps of 15, 15 and 13 cents over a three year period. A Goodyear spokesman maintained that although the non-tire workers’ increase was two cents lower, it would go into effect sooner and, in effect, eliminate the differential.

A union spokesman called the offer “substandard.” It was the final offer when negotiations broke up for the weekend. Talks resume Monday.

UniRoyal, B.F. Goodrich, and Firestone have been closed the past 12 weeks. Goodyear was closed early Friday, bringing the number ideled to 76,000.

The URW general agreement included a supplemental unemployment benefit plan that will pay a worker laid off 80 per cent of his salary.

URW President Peter Bommarito said the plan “makes it possible for the blue collar worker to plan his family expenditures for months ahead.”

The rubber strike appeared to pose no immediate threat to the automobile industry.

Auto factories one-by-one are Halting production for the annual model changeover and large supplies of tires will not be needed until production of 1968 autos start in August.

Raymond Mengacci, vice-president of Local 45, URW, said yesterday afternoon he had talked with George Froehlich, president of the Local and who is in Cincinnati, yesterday at noon time.

Froehlich told Mengacci the UniRoyal negotiators had asked for the afternoon off to discuss the offer made by General Tire and were expected to begin negotiations again this morning at 9 o’clock.

Mengacci said Froehlich told him the negotiating teams will keep talking “Saturday and Sunday, if necessary.”

Froehlich said he expected UniRoyal to make an offer to the URW very similar to that of General Tire.

Uniroyal Worker Replies To End-The-Strike Advocate

by

MARIAM C. SCHLICHT
Chairman,
Democratic Town Committee

Roxbury

7-16-67

Uniroyal Worker Replies
To End-The-Strike Advocate

To the Editor of The Republican:

As a member of Local 45 URW I would like
to answer Mr. Anthony Ensero’s letter to the
editor which appeared in The Republican July
13.

Mr. Ensero is a badly confused and mis-
informed individual. His expressed desire to
have postcards sent to our negotiating commit-
tee in Cincinnati telling them “to get going”
shows a great lack of the common sense he
professes in his letter to have.

Just what does he think they have been
doing? Is he aware of the deep concern these
men have for the members of their respective
locals? Does he know of the long tiring hours
they have been putting in (without pay) to try
to reach a settlement that will be beneficial to
all of us.

Mr. Ensero states that, in his opinion, “the
company is offering a fair settlement.” I agree
their offer sounds very generous. There are
however, too many clauses which they have
included that render it unacceptable.

There are some instances in which members
are subjected to unfair working conditions. Are
these to be ignored? Can an extra holiday or a
few cents more an hour compensate for this?
Perhaps for Mr. Ensero, but not for me nor for
the majority of my fellow workers who feel
they have certain rights that the company
must recognize and accept.

It is true we will not regain the money we
have lost, but we will have retained our dignity
and our determination to move forward. With
both my husband and I working at Uniroyal we
feel the same, if not a greater, strain on our
purse strings as Mr. Ensero. We don’t, howev-
er, have his belly ache.

Some sacrifices have to be made if we are
ever going to get ahead. In the history of the
American Labor Movement there have been
many struggles, and the benefits we now enjoy
have been obtained for us through the efforts
of others. Are we so small that we can do noth-
ing for ourselves or for those who will come af-
ter us.

If Mr. Ensero must “appeal to and urge” his
fellow workers, let it be to give our negotiating
committee a strong vote of confidence, and a
sincere word of thanks for their dedication.

I cast my vote for these men two years ago,
and I firmly believe now, as I did then, that
they will do the best they can for me and for
all of us, including Mr. Ensero.

THERESA N. MORGADO
Member Local 45

471 Willow St.
Waterbury.

Settlement Is Reached At Goodrich

by

7-16-67

Settlement

Is Reached At Goodrich

COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — Negotiators for the B.F. Goodrich Co. and United Rubber Workers Union announced in Columbus on Saturday they had

(In Naugatuck, a three-month-old strike of Uniroyal by the United Rubber Workers continues. The union settlement with the General Tire Co. on Thursday encouraged negotiators in the belief that a breakthrough was at hand. (Related story on Page 24.)

reached a tentative agreement to end a marathon strike against the company.

In Akron, after the agreement was announced, Goodrich President Ward Keener said pay

See GOODRICH Page 2

Uniroyal Talks Resume; New Accords Lift Hopes

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Monday, July 17, 1967

BEACON FALLS

Uniroyal Talks Resume; New Accords Lift Hopes

Negotiations were to resume today in Cincinnati between the United Rubber Workers, AFL-CIO, and Uniroyal in an atmosphere of optimism over recent settlements in the rubber industry.

Union agreements with two members of the industry’s big five — B. F. Goodrich Co. and the General Tire and Rubber Co. — have lifted hopes for an accord with Uniroyal, which has plants in Naugatuck and Beacon Falls. Uniroyal has been struck since April 21.

Negotiations were also to be resumed today by Goodyear at Cincinnati and Firestone in Cleveland.

The Goodrich company was ready today for a quick start – up of production at its nine plants in eight states after an agreement was reached in Columbus Saturday.

A tentative settlement was reached with General Tire Thursday in Cleveland.

Union members are expected to ratify both pacts in votes not yet scheduled.

Both the Goodrich and General agreements provide for a total of 43 cents in hourly pay raises-15 cents this year and again next year and 13 cents in 1969. There is an additional 10 cents hourly in the first year for skilled workers. Present hourly top scale is $3.88, the union said.

An increase to 80 per cent of normal pay for supplemental benefits to laid-off workers was hailed by Peter Bommarito, URW international president, as a “giant step forward in reaching the goal of the guaranteed annual wage.”

Judge Issues Injunction Prohibiting Uniroyal From Resuming Production

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Judge Issues Injunction Prohibiting Uniroyal From Resuming Production

7-17-67

Judge Issues Injunction Prohibiting Uniroyal From Resuming Production

A Superior Court injunction was issued today restraining Uniroyal, Inc., from resuming production at its strike-bound Footwear Plant in Naugatuck.

The order prevents the company from producing samples of its new line of footwear for distribution to potential buyers during the strike.

It enforces an agreement signed by the company and Local 45 of the United Rubber Workes Union April 18, three days before the current strike began. In that agreement the company said it would not perform any work done by bargaining-unit members by non-bargaining units members for the duration of the strike.

Judge Leo V. Gaffney said he was issuing the injunction in an attempt to forestall “acts of violence” by union members should the company be allowed to go into production with non-union help.

“If the company is not restrained from violating (the agreement),” the judge said, “all confidence (in the union) will be lost, its effectiveness as a bargaining unit will be destroyed and its control over its members will be lost, as well as any hope of restraining its members from acts of violence.”

As for the company’s claim that it would lose money through its failure to exhibit new samples to buyers, Judge Gaffney said “compare this with a destroyed bargaining unit which has enjoyed the trust and confidence of its members over a great many years.”

If the order had not been issued, Judge Gaffney said, the result “would necessarily lead to complete disillusionment of the union leadership by its rank and file members and would in-

(Cont’d on Page 8—Uniroyal)

Uniroyal 7-17

(Continued from Page One)

deed in the opinion of the court sound the death knell of its effectiveness.”

“Not to be overlooked is the welfare of the 3,500 members (of the union)on strike for 11 weeks, undergoing economic hardships and deprivations and being faced with a potential loss of their security,” the judge said.

“The injunction was requested by the union in June after the company announced that it intended to produce a total of 40,000 pairs of samples using non-union supervisory personnel. The company claimed that if it was not allowed to make the samples it would suffer “grave financial loss.” The union contended that any production would violate the April 18 agreement.

Injunction Against UniRoyal Imposed

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Injunction Against UniRoyal Imposed

7-11-67 [handwritten]

Judge Leo V. Gaffney ruled today in favor of Local 45, United Rubber Workers, and imposed a restraining injunction against the Naugatuck Footwear plant of UniRoyal, Inc.

The order restricts the footwear plant from performing any work by non-bargaining personnel for the duration of the strike with the exception of work that had been performed at the plant before June 21.

The plant had attempted to start production on sample shoes, using non-bargaining personnel to perform work normally done by bargaining unit personnel, on June 22.

Local 45 immediately went into Waterbury Superior Court before Judge Gaffney requesting an injunction. Following two days in Court the Judge studied the testimony and rendered the above ruling.

The negotiating session scheduled yesterday in Cincinnati between UniRoyal and URW was canceled. According to a source, UniRoyal negotiators went to New York Sunday to meet with the Board of Directors of UniRoyal. The next scheduled meeting is tomorrow.

Raymond Mengacci, vice-president of Local 45, said this morning that he expects the strike will end by 6 p.m. tomorrow.

Two of the “big five” rubber companies have settled with the URW; UniRoyal is expected to be the next. General Tire settled Friday and B.F. Goodrich reached agreement Saturday.

Soon after the Goodrich accord was announced, the company began calling back its maintenance employes to prepare its idled plants for a resumption of production, probably later this week.

Peter Bommarito, who has been URW president less than a year, apparently is on his way to wrapping up the most costly pay and welfare contract agreements in the union’s history. He termed the Goodrich and General Tire pacts “giant steps” toward realizing the union’s goals. “We achieved everything we had hoped for,” he said.

The Goodrich and General Tire agreements are much the same. However, Goodrich calls for the 43-cent an hour pay boost for all employes over a three year period, disregarding the differential between tire and non-tire workers.

Goodrich has agreed to unemployment compensation would be made at 80 per cent of straight time wages for one year to all employes with up to five years service and on a graduated scale up to four years of payment for employes with 25 years of service or more.

The Goodrich agreement includes a revamped vacation schedule but doesn’t provide an additional paid holiday as did General Tire’s. Goodrich’s liberalized program will provide two weeks’ vacation after one year, three weeks after five years, four weeks after 15 years, five weeks after 22 years and six weeks after 30 years.

Like the General Tire settlement, Goodrich’s provides a first year additional pay increase for skilled trades workers of 10 cents an hour; a boost in monthly pension payment to $5.50 from $3.25 for each year of service; company-paid life insurance coverage of $7,500, up from $6,500 previously, and increased hospitalization, medical and dental, visiting nurse and sickness and accident benefits.

The boost in pension payments will mean an increase of $56.25 in monthly payments to those who retire with 25 years’ service. Those now retired also will receive a boost of $1.50 a month for each year of preretirement service.

The new contract runs to April 20, 1970, and contains an “umbrella clause” providing for continuation of pension and welfare provisions for up to 90 days in the event the union cancels the agreement at its expiration date. This reflects an innovation for the industry, which heretofore has had one contract for wages and fringe benefits and another for pensions and welfare issues. Both contracts were expiring this year, however, with the wage accord running out April 20 and the pension pact expiring Sept. 15. During four months’ negotiations, the union finally agreed to putting all the issues into a single package.

AKRON, Ohio (UPI) —Three major rubber manufacturers returned to the bargaining table today with hopes for an end to an 88-day strike, while two firms readied their plants to resume production.

The B.F. Goodrich Co. began preliminary maintenance work within hours after announcing a tentative agreement with the United Rubber Workers Saturday. It planned to start production as soon as possible and to call workers back as the preparations proceeded.

The General Tire & Rubber Co. had tentatively scheduled work to resume Sunday night, pending a ratification vote by URW locals at its plants here and in Waco, Tex. The local executive boards met Friday but put off scheduling a vote because complete texts of the agreement were not available. They planned to meet again Wednesday.

In the Goodrich agreement, the union achieved its goal of equal raises for tire and non-tire workers. The pact calls for 43-cent an hour raises for all employes in steps of 15, 15, and 13 cents over the next three years. Skilled workers are given an additional 10 cent increase, effective immediately.

Same Hikes

The General pact, announced Thursday, offers the same pay raises, but no non-tire workers are involved.

Both agreements provide a supplemental unemployment benefit plan guaranteeing laid-off employes 80 per cent of their wages. They formerly got 65 per cent.

Under the old contracts, tire workers averaged $3.68 an hour and non-tire workers averaged $2.68.

URW International President Peter Bommarito said he was “very confident” the agreement would be ratified. approval send 12,000 of 76,000 strikers back to work.

Please turn to Page 10

Injunction Against

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Injunction Against

7-17-67

Continued From Page 1

William E. Simkin, head of the Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service, congratulated both Goodrich and the URW for completing what he called “extremely difficult negotiations”

He and Bommarito had assisted in the Goodrich negotiations in Columbus.

The Firestone Tire & Rubber Co., the Goodyear Tire & Rubber Co., and UniRoyal Inc. were scheduled to meet today. Firestone, Goodrich and UniRoyal were struck April 20, General June 21 and Goodyear last Thursday.

Goodrich President J. Ward Keener said the contract would mean price increases throughout the product line.

Forecast

UniRoyal Won’t Appeal Injunction Decision

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UniRoyal Won’t Appeal Injunction Decision

7-18-67 [handwritten]

BULLETIN

UniRoyal officials reported at noon today that the giant rubber firm had decided late this morning that it will not appeal the decision of Superior Court Judge Leo V. Gaffney to impose the injunction against the company.

A company spokesman said this morning that the Footwear Division of UniRoyal will appeal the restraining injunction imposed upon them by a ruling of Judge Leo V. Gaffney in Waterbury Superior Court.

The order issued by the court bars the company from producing sample shoes using non-bargaining personnel for work ordinarily performed by bargaining personnel.

The footwear officials and officers of Local 45 URW had signed an agreement April 18 in which the company agreed not to use supervisory personnel for work usually performed by striking URW members in exchange for an orderly shut-down of the plant and plant maintenance during the strike duration.

Local 45 claimed in Waterbury Superior Court that the company had violated this agreement when it started production on June 22; however, the company claimed during the hearing that the Union had violated the agreement when violence broke out at the gates the first week of May and the company no longer considered the agreement in effect.

Footwear officials testified at the hearing to the necessity for sample shoes to be produced for showing on the market by Aug. 1st if the company expected to compete with other lines. The company contended this was for the striking employes’ benefit as well as the company.

The local footwear plant is the only plant stopped completely from producing. Both the local Chemical and Synthetic plans are on limited production.

Vacation pay checks will be issued to employes of the Footwear plant of UniRoyal next Tuesday. It is expected that the company will issue a schedule later this week for employes to pick-up their checks.

UniRoyal negotiators will sit down at the tables again today in Cincinnatti. It is believed that the company negotiators and United Rubber Workers Union are not far from agreement and settlement may come at anytime.

AKRON, Ohio (UPI) — Talks were expected to resume today between the United Rubber Workers (URW) and the Goodyear Tire & Rubber Co. after mass picketing brought a day’s interruption.

Several hundred pickets who gathered at the Goodyear headquarters here dispersed after an injunction was issued in Summit County Common Pleas Court. It limited pickets to two at each gate.

A Goodyear spokesman said the firm had been assured salaried employes would be allowed to enter the plant today.

In addition to Goodyear, the URW was to continue to meet with Firestone Tire & Rubber Co. and Uniroyal, Inc.

Tentative settlements were reached last week with General Tire & Rubber and B. F. Goodrich, the first breaks in the now 88-day-old strike. The strikes idled 76,000 workers.

Firestone was the only company to meet Monday with the Union. It was reported to have placed the same offer on the bargaining table that produced the two other settlements.

The General and Goodrich agreements call for wage increases of 43 cents an hour over three years and a supplemental unemployment benefit

Please turn to Page 10

7-18-67 [handwritten]

program giving laid-off workers 80 per cent of their regular pay. Tire workers average $3.68 an hour under the old contract.

The URW was allowing maintenance and service workers to go back to work at the two General and nine Goodrich plants to prepare them for resumption of production. No date had yet been set for a ratification vote on the agreements.

A union spokesman indicated workers may return at Goodrich before the agreement is ratified.

Picketing In Akron Interrupts Resumption Of Contract Talks

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Picketing In Akron Interrupts Resumption Of Contract Talks

Picketing In Akron Interrupts Resumption Of Contract Talks

7-18-67 [handwritten date in top right]

AKRON, Ohio (UPI) —Talks were expected to resume today between the United Rubber Workers (URW) and the Goodyear Tire & Rubber Co. after mass picketing brought a day’s interruption.

Several hundred pickets who gathered at the Goodyear headquarters here dispersed after an injunction was issued in Summit County Common Pleas Court. It limited pickets to two at each gate.

A Goodyear spokesman said the firm had been assured salaried employes would be allowed to enter the plant today.

In addition to Goodyear, the URW was to continue to meet with Firestone Tire & Rubber Co. and Uniroyal, Inc.

Tentative settlements were reached last week with General Tire & Rubber and B. F. Goodrich, the first breaks in the now 88-day-old strike. The strikes idled 76,000 workers.

Firestone was the only company to meet Monday with the Union. It was reported to have placed the same offer on the bargaining table that produced the two other settlements.

The General and Goodrich agreements call for wage increases of 43 cents an hour over three years and a supplemental unemployment benefit program giving laid-off workers 80 per cent of their regular pay. Tire workers average $3.68 an hour under the old contract.

The URW was allowing maintenance and service workers to go back to work at the two General and nine Goodrich plants to prepare them for resumption of production. No date had yet been set for a ratification vote on the agreements.

A union spokesman indicated workers may return at Goodrich before the agreement is ratified.

“Samples” Made In Japan?

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"Samples" Made In Japan?

“Samples” Made In Japan?

7-18-67 [handwritten date]

A court injunction has been issued restraining UniRoyal, Inc. from resuming production of footwear at its strike-bound Naugatuck plant, thus enforcing an agreement between the company and the United Rubber Workers union which was signed before the current strike began.

The court has found for the union in this instance, partially on the ground that failure to restrain the company from resuming production would mean the loss of all confidence in the union . . . “its effectiveness as a bargaining unit will be destroyed and its control over its members will be lost, as well as any hope of restraining its members from acts of violence.”

The company cannot, as a result of the decision, produce samples of its new line of footwear for distribution through salesmen to potential buyers—which raises an interesting question.

If salesman cannot deliver samples, they will have nothing to sell. With nothing to sell, they are not going to be taking any orders. Without any orders, there isn’t going to be much work for the members of the United Rubber Workers when and if they finally get back to their jobs. It strikes us that this, too, might have a detrimental effect on the future of the union. A bargaining unit can be destroyed in more ways than one.

Has anyone on either side of the UniRoyal impasse attempted to reach a compromise on this matter of sample shoes? If the union will not allow the company to use supervisory help to produce the samples, might it not be logical for the URW to suggest that on a seniority basis a certain number of production workers would be allowed back to work to produce the vital samples?

From the company point of view, wouldn’t it be better to produce the samples now under any agreeable arrangement than to have no samples at all?

It would be of mutual benefit to both company and union if some arrangement could be worked out on this matter, without in any way affecting other issues in the current impasse.

Of course, UniRoyal could always go out into the open market and pick up “samples” with that “Made in Japan” label on them. There’s no shortage of those around.

After all, it’s generally accepted that the Japanese are pretty clever at copying American-made products of all kinds. Why not reverse the process?

Uniroyal Settlement Still Sought

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Uniroyal 7-19-67

Settlement

Still Sought

NAUGATUCK—Although there was no settlement Tuesday of the United Rubber Workers’ strike against Uniroyal, a union source said that union and management were meeting in small groups late Tuesday night.

The groups will meet as one today to resume large-scale talks in an attempt to reach accord.

In Akron, Ohio, talks between the union and Goodyear Tire & Rubber Co. resumed Tuesday after mass picketing brought a day’s interruption.

An injunction was issued against the union in the Summit County Court of Common Pleas limiting pickets to two at a gate after several hundred pickets had gathered at the Goodyear headquarters gate.

Tentative settlements were reached last week between the union and General Tire & Rubber and B. F. Goodrich, the first breaks in the now 89-day-old strike.

Firestone reportedly placed the same offer on the bargaining table that produced the two other settlements.

The General and Goodrich agreements call for wage increases of 43 cents over three years and a supplemental unemployment benefits totaling 80 per cent of regular pay in the case of a lay-off.

No Appeal Scheduled By Uniroyal

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7-20-67

No Appeal Scheduled By Uniroyal

NAUGATUCK—Uniroyal, Inc., will not attempt to appeal to the State Supreme Court in an effort to overturn an injunction issued against the company Monday, an attorney for the firm said Wednesday.

In accepting the injunction, Uniroyal will not be able to produce sample shoes carried by salesmen.

Atty. Raymond E. Baldwin said Uniroyal officials agreed late Tuesday not to appeal the injunction which was handed down by Superior Court Judge Leo V. Gaffney at the request of Local 45 of the United Rubber Workers Union.

The order restrains the company from using non-union personnel for the production of sample footwear.

Meanwhile, B. F. Goodrich and General Tire prepared to call back 15,000 workers on the basis of tentative agreements reached Saturday.

Some 60,000 workers for Uniroyal, Goodyear and Firestone remain out of work as talks continue in the longest and largest strike in United Rubber Workers history.

Settlement Appears Close

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Settlement Appears Close

Naugatuck, Conn.

Established 1885
WEDNESDAY, JULY 19, 1967
12 PAGES

Firestone Next?—

Settlement Appears Close

AKRON, Ohio (UPI) — Observers looked for further breaks in the 88-day-old rubber industry strike today with attention focused on the Firestone Tire & Rubber Co. talks in Cleveland.

United Rubber Workers International President Peter Bommarito was in Cleveland to assist at the negotiations.

A Firestone spokesman said, “We’re hopeful something will come soon, but there have been no indications yet.”

Future settlements were expected to follow substantially the same pattern set in agreements reached last week with the General Tire & Rubber Co. and the B. F. Goodrich Co.

The agreements provided all workers an increase of 43 cents an hour in steps of 15, 15, and 13 cents over the next three years and a supplemental unemployment benefit plan that gives laid off workers 80 per cent of their regular pay.

The Goodrich agreement achieved a major union goal of equal raises for tire and non-tire workers, eliminating a differential in previous contracts.

The union was expected to ask the other companies to also eliminate the differential.

Goodyear Tire & Rubber Co. resumed talks with the URW Tuesday after mass picketing cancelled a day at the bargaining table. The firm Monday had refused to meet with the union until the number of pickets was reduced to comply with a restraining order.

UniRoyal, Inc., also resumed talks Tuesday with the URW.

URW Local 9 was to vote here today on the tentative agreement reached with General. No vote had been set by Local 312 in Waco, Tex.

Local 5 here scheduled a Sunday vote on the Goodrich offer and other locals at eight Goodrich plants around the country were expected to schedule weekend meetings.

Both General and Goodrich prepared to resume production. The URW permitted maintenance and service employes to go back to work before ratifi-

Please Turn to Page 12

Settlement Appears 7-19

Continued From Page 1

cation to prepare the plants.

The strike, which idled 78,000 men nationwide, was called April 20 against Firestone, UniRoyal and Goodrich; June 21 against General and July 6 against Goodyear, largest of the nation’s rubber producers. The walkout cut the industry’s production capacity to 25 per cent.

Ohio Talks Hold Key To Settlement

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Ohio Talks Hold Key To Settlement

Rubber Strike

7-20-67

Ohio Talks Hold Key To Settlement

Striking United Rubber Workers employed at the UniRoyal plants in Naugatuck are anxiously waiting news from Cincinnati. With two of the “Big Five” rubber companies settling their differences, local residents are hopeful that a settlement with UniRoyal will come next.

Although negotiators met yesterday jointly following several small group meetings Tuesday that lasted into the night, no immediate news of progress has been released.

Local workers eager for settlement are wondering about the annual footwear plant shut-down scheduled for three-weeks beginning July 28.

If the strike should end this week, the question now is when would the employes start back to work. Some have planned vacations that they feel can not be cancelled even though they have been out on strike for 90-days.

Negotiators were scheduled to meet again this morning at 9 a.m. A few issues are still to be resolved according to sources, and agreements must be stated in terminology acceptable to both the company and the union before settlement is gained.

AKRON, Ohio (UPI) — Signs of optimism were apparent today in the 90-day-old rubber industry strike.

There also were further signs of the walkout’s growing financial toll, as the B. F. Goodrich Co. reported its second quarter net income was down 92.5 per cent.

Goodrich and General Tire & Rubber Co. reached agreement with the United Rubber Workers (URW) last week.

UniRoyal, Inc., of Naugatuck, Conn., Firestone Tire & Rubber and Goodyear Tire & Rubber continued negotiations with the URW.

Among the hopeful signs was approval of the General three-year contract by Local 9 here. Despite a heated feud over the method of voting, the union’s executive board ruled Wednesday that a four-to-one favorable vote — First by a show of hands and then a standing vote — would be upheld.

Production in some departments at the General plant here resumed last midnight. The company said it expected to be going full steam sometime next week. Local 312 in Waco, Tex., will vote on the same agreement Saturday.

Akron Local 5 will vote on the Goodrich agreement Sunday and locals at eight other Goodrich plants also were expected to vote during the weekend.

Industry spokesmen reported growing hopes other settlements would come soon.

Please turn to Page 10

Ohio Talks Hold Key

7-20-67
Continued From Page 1

At UniRoyal one official described it as an “optimistic but cautious” attitude.

Future settlements were expected to follow substantially the same pattern set in the General and Goodrich agreements.

The contracts provide all employes with wage increases of 43 cents over three years and an 80 per cent supplemental unemployment program.

The Goodrich agreement eliminated a pay raise differential between tire and non-tire workers and the URW was expected to ask the other firms to do the same. Non-tire workers were not involved at General.

Goodrich reported its net income fell to $1,007,732 or 11 cents a share from $13,403,086 for the second quarter last year. Sales for the quarter were off 10 per cent.

Goodrich was the first of the “Big Five” firms to release figures showing the nearly full impact of the strike. Goodrich plants have been closed for all but three weeks of the second quarter.

Firestone, UniRoyal and Goodrich were struck April 20, General on June 21, and Goodyear on July 6.

At its peak the strike had idled 76,000 men.

300 Rubber Workers Return to Jobs

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300 Rubber Workers Return to Jobs

Globe & Nation

7·20·67 [handwritten]

300 Rubber Workers Return to Jobs

AKRON, Ohio (AP) — About 300 General Tire & Rubber Co. workers went back on the job at midnight Wednesday, and the company said all of the remaining 1,500 employes who went on strike June 22 would be called in by Friday afternoon.

United Rubber Workers Local 9 by a 4-1 margin Wednesday ratified a new three-year contract at a noisy meeting attended by 1,100 members, Ray Campbell, local treasurer reported.

A ratification vote at General Tire’s other plant employing 1,250 at Waco, Tex., is scheduled for Saturday.

At B. F. Goodrich Co., where a strike of 12,000 United Rubber Workers rounds out its third month tonight, employes will vote Sunday on an agreement reached last Saturday.

Vacation Pay Due Strikers In Naugatuck

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7-23-67

Vacation Pay Due Strikers In Naugatuck

NAUGATUCK — Striking employes of the Footwear Division of Uniroyal, Inc., will receive more than $2 million in vacation checks on Tuesday and Wednesday as the plant prepares for its scheduled three-week shutdown beginning Friday.

Footwear officials reminded those eligible that checks will be distributed on both days from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Water Street gate.

As the employes prepare to go on vacation here, workers for the General Tire & Rubber Co. in Waco, Tex. ratified a new three-year contract Saturday between the company and the United Rubber Workers, AFL-CIO. Union members in General’s Akron plant previously approved the contract.

It was also announced here that regardless of the present contract negotiations, plans have been made to fulfill the scheedule of closing for the three weeks.

This policy has been set to provide vacations for the hundreds of management personnel including foremen, supervisors and office employes who have been on the job since the walkout on April 21.

It was pointed out that the vacation schedule is set up early in the winter with the approval of Local 45 officials. This procedure allows for a uniform shutdown during the first three weeks in August.

94-Day Uni Royal

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behalf of that group.

94-Day UniRoyal

7-24-67

Continued From Page 1

Under the old contract, tire workers averaged $3.68 per hour and non-tire workers $2.68. A pay raise differential between the two was eliminated in both the Goodrich and Firestone pacts. General employs no non-tire workers covered by the URW contract.

The settlements set an industry precedent by wrapping up wages, working conditions, pensions and other benefits in single three-year contracts. Traditionally wages and working conditions have been negotiated every two years, pensions and benefits every three years, in separate contracts with separate expiration dates.

Goodrich Union OKs New Pact

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Goodrich Union OKs New Pact

7-24-67

AKRON, Ohio (AP) — Rubber workers in Akron voted overwhelmingly Sunday to accept a three-year contract with the B.F. Goodrich Co.

A spokesman for Local 5, United Rubber Workers, said the standing vote was “about 3,000 for and 25 against.” Goodrich has 10,930 union members in nine locals and the Akron local has about 4,900 workers.

If other rubber workers at Goodrich plants follow the Akron settlement, it will be the second ratification among the industry’s big five companies.

General Tire & Rubber Co. employes here and in Waco, Tex., have ratified a similar contract. The union has reached a tentative agreement with the Firestone Tire & Rubber Co.

A spokesman for Firestone Local 7 in Akron said a vote will be taken by members tomorrow night. It appears each of the 11 Firestone locals will set its own date for a ratification vote.

Meanwhile, talks between the URW and the Goodyear Tire & Rubber Co. and Uniroyal continue in Cincinnati. The two companies represent about 43,000 of the 71,000 URW members.

Uniroyal, UAW Still Carrying On Talks In Effort To Reach Accord

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Uniroyal, UAW Still Carrying On Talks In Effort To Reach Accord

Uniroyal, UAW Still Carrying On Talks In Effort To Reach Accord

7-24-67 [handwritten]

NAUGATUCK — Despite settlement between the United Rubber Workers and three of the “big five” in the rubber industry, negotiators were still seeking accord this morning between Uniroyal and the URW in Cincinnati, Ohio.

Uniroyal and Goodyear Tire & Rubber Co. remain the only firms who have not yet been able to reach an agreement with the URW. Talks reopened early this morning, according to a Local 45 spokesman here who was in contact with Union officials by telephone in Cincinnati.

More than $2 million in vacation checks will be distributed by the Uniroyal Footwear Plant Tuesday and Wednesday. Bargaining unit employes may pick up their checks at the Water St. gate between 9 a. m. and 4 p. m.

The company Friday said that it would go through with it’s scheduled three-week vacation at the Footwear Plant, which will begin officially next Monday, whether agreement is reached before that date or not.

Locals in Akron and Miami, Okla., voted Sunday to accept a new contract from the B. F. Goodrich Co., bringing the 94-day strike, longest in rubber industry history, closer to an end.

Negotiations with Goodyear and Uniroyal did not arrive at a settlement hoped for during the weekend.

Some 4,000 URW members jammed the auditorium of Akron University to shout approval of the new Goodrich contract. Local 5 in Akron has 4,900 members, almost half of the 11,000 employes covered in the contract.

Voice Vote Approval

In Miami, where the Goodrich employes have been back working since Friday, Local 318 approved the contract by a voice vote. Other votes from other locals arouns the country were expected today at URW international headquarters in Akron. A majority of locals must retify the contract before it is officially accepted.

General’s two tire factories, in Akron and in Waco, Tex., were expected back in full production this week, following the vote by Local 318 in Waco to ratify the contract Saturday. All 3,000 URW members in the General Tire factories have approved the contract.

Some 17,000 Firestone employes, in 11 locals in nine states, were to begin voting on their settlement today.

A majority of the more than 75,000 strikers, however, are still idled. About 22,000 of them have been out since April 20th when Uniroyal was struck. The 21,000 at Goodyear did not strike until July 14.

A Goodyear spokesman declined to make any comment about what was holding up negotiations.

They were also taking place in Cincinnati.

The settlements, when they are acheived, were expected to conform closely to the pattern already set.

The three settlements will all provide raises of 43 cents per hour to production workers, in steps of 15, 15 and 13 cents. The contracts will include a supplemental unemployment benefit plan giving laid off workers 80 per cent of their regular wages.

Under the old contract, tire workers averaged $3.68 per hour and non-tire workers $2.68. A pay raise differential between the two was eliminated in both the Boodrich and Firestone pacts. General employs no non-tire workers covered by the URW contract.

The settlements set an industry precedent by wrapping up wages, working conditions, pensions and other benefits in single three-year contracts. Traditionally wages and working conditions have been negotiated every two years, pensions and benefits every three years, in separate contracts with separate expiration dates.

Quick End To Strike At UniRoyal Dimming

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Quick End To Strike At UniRoyal Dimming

gatuck, Conn. Established 1885 TUESDAY, JULY 25, 1967 14 PAGES Price Seven Cents

Four Down, One To Go

Quick End To Strike At UniRoyal Dimming

With four of the “Big Five” rubber companies settled with the United Rubber Workers Union, prospects for an early settlement between UniRoyal, Inc. and the URW don’t look particularly good today.

The annual three-week vacation shutdown of the UniRoyal plants throughout the nation begins Friday.

The firm began distributing vacation checks this morning to some 4,500 local UniRoyal employes who are members of Local 45, URW.

At the same time, UniRoyal officials are asking workers if they would be willing to work during the vacation shutdown, in the event the strike is settled during the vacation. It is not known what response the firm is getting to the request.

Many workers have scheduled trips during the vacation shutdown and won’t be available for work, should local production lines start up. For this reason, company officials are asking workers what week or weeks they would be available for work.

The company received cooperation from officials of Local 45. George Froehlich, president, is involved in negotiations in Cincinnati, Ohio.

A reliable source said this morning that apparently negotiations are being held up in Ohio on non-wage issues. UniRoyal said today that the firm “has offered the United Rubber Workers proposals which match the settlements achieved in their negotiations with Goodrich and Firestone last week.

“To date, the URW has not seen fit to accept the UniRoyal proposals and continues to press demands on a number of issues which involve the right to manage,” a high-level source said.

Although the company did not officially disclose the issues preventing settlement, one knowledgeable source said one of the issues is a demand by the union for a differential in pay increases for certain plants.

One plant is asking for a two-cent hike over that offered the other plants and another plant is seeking a one and one-half cent increase, the source said. Neither of the plants is local, the source said.

One of the main issues of the 95-day-old strike has been the union demand for the same hike for non-tire workers as tire workers. The above demand for a pay increase differential is in direct contrast to previous demands for the same pay increase for all workers, if the source is accurate.

URW International President Peter Bommarito is currently participating in the negotiations with UniRoyal in Ohio. He actively took part in settlements with the other members of the “Big Five” and his participation is thought to have hurried settlements in the other four firms.

UniRoyal, Inc. today issued a statement telling of diminished net profits of the firm due to the strike.

The strike, involving more than 70 per cent of the domestic operations of UniRoyal, Inc. which started April 21 and continues, caused net profit for the second quarter of 1967 to drop to $1,551,000, compared with $14,309,000 in the same period last year, a decline of 89.2 per cent, the company announced today.

Earnings for the quarter after provision for dividends on the preferred stock were two cents a share of common stock compared with $1.06 a share in the same quarter of 1966.

Sales for the second quarter totaled $321,375,000, which were 7.7 per cent lower than the $348,164,000 in the same quarter a year ago.

For the full half-year ending June 30, net profit was $11,100,000 or 53.9 per cent below the $24,061,000 in the first half compared with $1.75 a year earlier.

Sales for the six months came to $636,962,000, compared with $667,050,000 in the previous year, a reduction of 4.5 per cent.

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Working Conditions Final Barrier In 96-Day-Old UniRoyal-URW Strike

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Working Conditions Final Barrier In 96-Day-Old UniRoyal-URW Strike

gatuck, Conn. Established 1885 WEDNESDAY, July 26, 1967 12 PAGES Price Seven Cents

Working Conditions Final Barrier In 96-Day-Old UniRoyal-URW Strike

Negotiations between UniRoyal and the United Rubber Workers union ran well into midnight this morning in Cincinnati with apparently no agreement reached.

In the event of a settlement during the annual scheduled footwear plant shut-down, striking URW members are being asked if they desire to work instead of vacationing in this period.

Local 45, URW, is cooperating with the officials in the footwear plant in permitting this survey to be taken. A spokesman for the union said that they understand the company’s problem and in consideration of the need for samples, will go along with this.

No one is being pressured into working during the shutdown. Both the union and the company stressed that this is purely on a volunteer basis.

Jack Smith, factory manager of the Footwear plant, said this morning that the response has been gratifying. A large number of people, he said, signed up to work all or part of the vacation period. He added several persons, uncertain yesterday when queried, returned this morning, after checking at home or with the union, to sign up.

UniRoyal employes are in their 96th day of a strike which is the longest in the industry’s history. The talks, according to sources, are snagged on local issues.

AKRON, Ohio (UPI) — Negotiations continued today in an effort to bring the fifth and final settlement in the 96-day rubber industry strike.

UniRoyal, Inc., with headquarters in New York, is the only one of the big five rubber companies that has not reached a settlement with the United Rubber Workers. A union spokesman said Tuesday disagreement over working conditions was was now the major barrier to a settlement.

Some 5,500 rubber workers at Naugatuck, Conn. are among those involved in the strike. UniRoyal has three major plants in the city.

A company spokesman charged the “URW continues to press demands on a number of issues which involve the right to manage.” He did not elaborate.

The union spokesman said the

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Continued From Page 1

“provisions under discussion may not have come up in previous negotiations, but that is because they involve working conditions present only in this particular system.”

UniRoyal said it had offered the 22,000 striking employes proposals matching those in four previous agreements. They included wage increases of 43 cents an hour over the next three years and an 80 per cent supplemental unemployment benefit program.

UniRoyal Tuesday reported an 89.2 per cent drop in its second quarter net income and a 7.7 per cent drop in sales compared to the same period last year. The strike has closed 70 per cent of UniRoyal’s domestic operations for all but two weeks of the second quarter.

Work has resumed at the General Tire & Rubber Co. and the B. F. Goodrich Co. and Firestone Tire & Rubber Co. are in the process of resuming production.

Some 21,000 workers vote today and Thursday on an agreement reached Monday night with the Goodyear Tire & Rubber Co.

At its height, the strike idled 76,000 men and cut the industry’s production capacity to 25 per cent.

Goodyear, Union Agree

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Goodyear, Union Agree

Goodyear, Union Agree

7-25-67 [handwritten]

AKRON, Ohio (UPI)— Goodyear Tire & Rubber Co. and the United Rubber Workers Union (URW) reached agreement on a new three-year contract Monday.

Goodyear is the fourth of the “big five” rubber companies to come to terms in the 95-day strike, longest in the industry’s history. Negotiations continued with Uniroyal Inc., which has 5,000 employes at plants in Naugatuck.

Financial terms in the settlement followed those reached in agreements between the union and General Tire & Rubber Co., B. F. Goodrich Co. and the Firestone Tire & Rubber Co.

Ratification votes on the Goodyear accord will be held Thursday.

URW locals in Woodburn, Ind., Miami, Okla., and Akron ratified the Goodrich contract Sunday. Reports on votes at seven other plants had not been received by the union’s international headquarters here.

The general pact was officially ratified Saturday when workers in Waco, Tex., added their vote of approval to earlier balloting by Local 9 in Akron.

Local 7 in Akron was to vote Monday night on the Firestone pact.

The agreements all give production workers hourly wage increases of 43 cents over the next three years. They also provide supplemental unemployment benefit plans giving laid-off workers 80 per cent of their regular pay.

Goodyear and Uniroyal employ the majority of the 76,000 men who were idled when the 94-day-old strike was at its height. Some 22,000 are to strike at Uniroyal and 21,000 at Goodyear.

Both General and Goodrich are in process of resuming production. Firestone hoped to begin preparations for start-up as soon as the contract was ratified.

Under the old contracts, tire workers averaged $3.68 an hour and non-tire workers averaged $2.68. A pay raise differential between the two was eliminated in the Goodrich and Firestone agreements.

Footwear Division Vacation Checks To Be Spent On Variety Of Things

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Footwear Division Vacation Checks To Be Spent On Variety Of Things

Footwear Division Vacation Checks To Be Spent On Variety Of Things

7-26-67 [handwritten]

By Cynthia Baran

Many UniRoyal Footwear Division employees will be spending this summer vacation on home grounds according to a survey taken of those on picket duty and those picking up their vacation pays in the past few days.

The answers are many and varied to the question: “What is the first thing you are going to buy with your vacation pay?”

By far the most frequent response was “Pay my bills,” but many admit they will at least take one or two-day trips.

One worker told us, “I’m not picking up my vacation check. I don’t really need the money because I’ve been doing odd jobs. I’ll leave it there until I go back to work and have to start paying bills again.”

Others are at a loss as to what to do with the money.

“There’s so many things that have to be done with that check, I don’t know where to begin.”

“My vacation pay is going to be stretched and restretched. I have bills galore.”

On the whole, UniRoyal employees are cheerful as they come to pick up their checks. Quite a few intend to have a good time with the money.

“I’m going to spend it at Green Mountain.”

Still others will attempt to hang on to the money for various reasons.

“I’m not going to buy anything. Why should I?”

“I’m putting it in the bank as fast as I can.”

“I’m saving it for Christmas.”

Local residents are thinking of taxes that are due this summer and said that their vacation pays would be used to pay property and car taxes.

Those informing us that they

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FRONT DOORS to many stores in the borough were jammed early this morning when they swung open at 9:30 to let in crowds of people in to take advantage of Vacation Sales Days here. Borough shoppers can be seen crowding around counters in this downtown store.
—(News photo by Baker)

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)

Ratification Vote

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Ratification Vote

7-27-67

Ratification Vote

Continued From Page 1

their cooperation during this long, hard strike.”

Mengacci, weary from the long weeks in charge of the local’s headquarters in the borough, said that he was extremely happy it’s over and added that he hopes the membership turns out in a goodly number to the ratification meeting Saturday afternoon in the High School auditorium at 2:30.

Mayor Joseph C. Raytkwich, in a statement this morning, said he wished to thank the officials of all the unions for their cooperation without which serious incidents might have occurred. The Mayor is thankful no one was hurt during the long strike period.

Ronald Pohl, industrial relations manager of the Chemical Division of UniRoyal, said that some employes will be called back into work at 3 p.m. today and the company hopes to be back to normal by tomorrow.

Some employes have been called to start work at the Synthetic plant at 3 p.m. today. Local 308 has called a meeting for Monday at 7 p.m. in the Portuguese Club to vote on ratification.

President of Local 45 George Froehlich will remain in Cincinnati working on the agreement. Another session was called for 9 a.m. this morning when the negotiators began work on the wording of the agreement and proof-reading the final copy.

Union officials stated that they would allow the membership to begin work immediately instead of waiting for official notice of ratification. With 19 UniRoyal plants located all over the country, each represented by a local, it will take approximately two weeks for official notification of agreement from the International Union headquarters.

AKRON, Ohio (UPI) — The longest strike in the history of the rubber industry ended Wednesday night when UniRoyal, Inc., became the fifth major producer to reach agreement with the United Rubber Workers (URW).

The strike, which at one time idled 76,000 men throughout the country and raised fears of a shortage of tires for defense and passenger vehicles, lasted 96 days.

The agreements, all within the last two weeks, gave workers the largest wage and fringe benefit package in industry history.

A vote will be taken Saturday by 5,500 URW men in Naugatuck, Conn. where the record walkout halted production at three UniRoyal plants. It was expected that the Naugatuck members would ratify the agreement almost unanimously.

The UniRoyal agreement, stalled by diagreement on working conditions, followed the same lines as earlier agreements with General Tire & Rubber Co., the B. F. Goodrich Co., Firestone Tire & Rubber Co. and Goodyear Tire & Rubber Co.

All production workers are provided wage increases of 43 cents an hour in steps of 15, 15 and 13 cents under the contract that expires April 20, 1970. Skilled workers receive an additional 10 cents per hour immediately. Under the old contract, tire workers averaged $3.68 an hour and non-tire workers $2.68.

The three-year contracts achieved two important union goals: elimination of a pay raise differential between tire and non-tire workers and a supplemental unemployment plan giving laid off workers 80 per cent of their average hourly pay. The plan is considered a major step toward a guaranteed annual wage.

The union also won increases in pensions and insurance payments from the company and other fringe benefits.

The General and Goodrich pacts have already been ratified and production was resumed. Votes on the Firestone and Goodyear are continuing and production is expected to start soon.

URW TREASURERS of two borough Locals go over some final figures this morning at Union headquarters on Rubber Ave. Art Calder, treasurer of Local 308, and Rita Ruggiero of Local 45 compare lists. –(News photo by Baker)

The U.S. Civil Air Patrol was organized as a division of the Office of Civilian Defense on Dec. 1, 1941.

Residents Relieved At End Of 97-Day UniRoyal Strike

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Residents Relieved At End Of 97-Day UniRoyal Strike

Residents Relieved At End Of 97-Day UniRoyal Strike

By Cynthia Baran
and
Holly Fitzsimmons

“It’s wonderful!” “It’s great!”
“Yippee!”

Such were the comments on borough streets this morning following the end of the 97-day strike.

Businessmen expressed relief that the long walkout has ended and hope that business will soon be back to normal.

Restaurant owners who depend almost exclusively on patronage from UniRoyal employees are looking forward to the end of the shutdown.

Barry Demirali, proprietor of Robinson’s Luncheonette, said, “It’s wonderful. We were very slow. Fortunately, we didn’t have to lay off any of our people.”

At the Coffee Shop on Maple St., John Fazo noted, “We’re very happy. People won’t suffer anymore.”

Carl Nickle of Donovan’s Pharmacy added, “I’m very enthusiastic; very happy. Business will pick up.”

Bariki Seit at the A&B Sub Shop, which opened two days after the strike began, commented, “It was too long.”

People may not eat in restaurants during a strike, but they still have to eat. Peter DeSanto, manager of First National Store, said that business was as usual. He admitted that he expected a slump in business and was surprised that it did not occur.

A checker at the grocery store noted that they bought less when they shopped, but came more often.

Other businesses in the borough also suffered as a result of the strike.

The Handee Variety Store on Water Street, which depends on UniRoyal workers for 90 per cent of its business, was forced to close in the afternoon for the duration of the strike as 80 per cent of its customers evaporated. The proprietor cancelled subscriptions to all afternoon newspapers.

The story at Vic’s Smoke Shop was slightly different. The number of papers in stock was decreased, but people continued to come in in the morning asking for the latest word on the strike.

“I’m glad it’s over,” said one employee. “I was getting tired of being the Town Crier.”

Conversely, the Teri Travel Agency reported that business remained normal. “We were hurt more by the airlines strike last summer than by the local strike. It was an opportunity for some people to have a real vacation.”

Man-on-the-street comments ranged from “I’m very happy” to “The whole strike was a big joke anyway.”

Richard Dlugokecki, a UniRoyal employee enjoying a peaceful breakfast in a local luncheonette, said about the settlement, “A better thing couldn’t have happened.”

“It’s a wonderful thing. I’ve been looking forward to it for a long time. I’ve been going crazy hanging around,” Gene Thomas added.

George Sprocca, retired, observed, “The strike was bad for the town. They’ll never make up all the money they lost.”

Residents 7-27-67

Continued From Page 1

Paul Bessette, chairman of NYAC, stated, “I hope both union and management are satisfied with the new contract. Certainly the town economy has been effected by the strike. Who knows how long it will take to recover?”

Danny Lamano, heaving a sigh of relief, expressed the borough concensus, “I’m thrilled over this … after 14 weeks … it was too long.”

Uniroyal Talks Still Going On

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Uniroyal Talks Still Going On

Uniroyal Talks Still Going On

7-26-67

CINCINNATI, Ohio—Although negotiations between Uniroyal and the URW continued until past midnight Tuesday, a top level union spokesman said that no settlement was imminent.

Asked if it was at all unusual that the groups should meet so late, the spokesman said “not at all—we meet at all hours.” The late talks, he added, were not to be taken as meaning that Uniroyal and the union were about to reach accord.

AKRON, Ohio (UPI)— Disagreement over local working conditions has prevented an end to the United Rubber Workers (URW) strike against Uniroyal, Inc., a union spokesman said Tuesday.

Uniroyal, which employs 7,000 at plants in Naugatuck, Conn., is the last of the “big five” rubber companies to remain shut down. Settlements with General Tire & Rubber Co., B. F. Goodrich Co., Firestone Tire & Rubber Co., and Goodyear Tire & Rubber Co., have been reached in the last two weeks.

A Uniroyal spokesman said the union “continues to press demands on a number of issues which involve the right to manage.” The spokesman, who declined to elaborate on the demands, said Uniroyal had offered the 22,000 strikers proposals that matched the other strike-ending agreements.

The union spokesman said “the provisions under discussion may not have come up in the previous negotiations, but that is because they involve working conditions present only in this particular system.”

Union, Uniroyal Reach Tentative Settlement

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Union, Uniroyal Reach Tentative Settlement

Union, Uniroyal Reach

Tentative Settlement

7-27-67

Ratification Is Expected Over Weekend

AKRON, Ohio (AP) — The longest strike in the history of the rubber industry ended Wednesday when the United Rubber Workers Union and Uniroyal Inc. reached a tentative agreement at Cincinnati on a new three-year contract.

Previous settlements had been reached with other members of the industry’s “Big Five” and the Uniroyal agreement was in line with those settlements.

The agreements provide a wage increase of 43 cents an hour over three years, plus an additional 10 cents an hour for skilled workers the first year. The top hourly rate is now $3.88.

The settlements also call for 80 per cent of normal pay through supplemental benefits for laid off workers, an improved pension plan, increased company – paid life insurance and more vacation time.

Expect Ratification

A Uniroyal spokesman said in New York that the contract covering some 51,670 workers throughout the country will be signed Friday and that ratification votes by union members are expected over the weekend.

Naugatuck URW officials indicated last night they expect the local membership to ratify the three – year contract.

Thomas Nelligan, labor relations director in Naugatuck, said this morning that the 5,500 employes will be advised when they will be wanted back to work. He said it will take about two days to “get things organized and get the plant back into prodduction.”

Nelligan said the plant is presently in the middle of its annual vacation period and that employes would not normally be working at this time.

He said about 1,000 employes have volunteered to come back

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Uniroyal Strike Settled

7-27-47

Continued from Page 1

to work immediately. Some $2 million in vaacation pay was distributed to employes earlier this week.

URW locals started voting Wednesday on the agreement with Goodyear Tire & Rubber Co. which was reached Monday in Cincinnati.

The URW struck Uniroyal The Firestone Tire & Rubber Co. and the B.F. Goodrich Co. when their contracts ran out at midnight April 20.

Goodyear’s contract also expired at the same time, but the union continued working at the company’s plants on a day-to-day basis until July 13.

The General Tire & Rubber Co., whose contract ran out May 15, was added to the strikebound list June 21.

Other Uniroyal plants are in Philadelphia, Chicago, Detroit, Los Angeles and Santa Ana, Calif.; Chicopee Falls, Mass.; Prividence and Woonsocket, R.I.; Passaic, N. J.; Opelika, Ala.; Eau Clair, Wis.; Washington, Michawaka and Indianapolis, Ind., and Painesville, Ohio.

Decline

The vacation pay is supplementing the $15 a week the union has been paying its members on strike duty.

The union had been paying $25 a week during the first two weeks of the strike, but had to cut down on the payments as the walkout dragged on.

Merchants in Beacon Falls and Seymour said yesterday there had been some decline in business.

Businessmen in Beacon Falls have been feeling the pinch more acutely than those in Seymour.

“The strike has definitely affected business here,” Albert

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‘Too Long’

In Seymour, father south of the Naugatuck rubber plant, the strike is being felt, but not as strongly as in Beacon Falls.

“Business has dropped off some,” John Gregos, owner and operator of a grocery store at 335 South Main St., said. “The effect has been slight, though, because there are not as many Uniroyal people down here as there are north.”

Peter Klarides, part owner of Klarides’ K Supermarket, 271 Bank St., had a different idea.

“This strike has gone three months too long,” Klarides said. “I would say it has definitely not done us any good.”

Klarides, who manages the sale of appliances in a store that also handles groceries, said the sale of large, luxury items such as appliances, had dropped off because of the strike.

He said he didn’t believe the sale of groceries had been as much hit by the walkout as more expensive items.

“And I don’t think the vacation pay the Uniroyal people are getting this week will help things,” Klarides said, “because that money will be going toward mortgages.”

Production To Start Soon At UniRoyal

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Production To Start Soon At UniRoyal

Production To Start Soon At UniRoyal

7-28-67

Two of the three UniRoyal plants in the borough expected to be in production today with many of the departments in full operation.

The Chemical and Synthetic plants, which had been partially in production during the strike, started calling back employes to start working at 3 p.m. yesterday. Ronald Pohl, industrial relations manager of both plants, said that the employes are being notified personally by management.

The Footwear plant called warehouse employes into work immediately and are working out a schedule to start calling others into the factory. The Footwear plant annual shutdown is scheduled to begin today. Many employes have volunteered to work during their vacation period.

The three United Rubber Workers Locals in the borough have scheduled meetings of its membership to explain the new master contract and to take a vote on its ratification.

Cy Blanchard, vice-president of Local 218, Synthetic Division of UniRoyal, announced that a meeting will be held for the membership of the Local Sunday at 7 p.m. in the auditorium of the Nautuck High School. The Local’s president, Joseph Rzesutek, will return from Cincinnati tomorrow.

Local 308, Chemical Division of UniRoyal, will hold its meeting Monday at 7 p.m. at the Portuguese Club, Rubber Ave., according to announcement made by Joseph Arbachauskas, vice-president of the Local.

A special and regular meeting of Local 45, Footwear Division of UniRoyal, has been called for Saturday afternoon at 2:30 p.m. in the auditorium of the Naugatuck High School.

Local 45 requests all members to attend the meeting which has been called for the purpose of hearing a report from the policy committee on the new master contract and to take action on said agreement.

The public relations office of the Footwear Plant released the following announcement concerning the annual shut-down.

The Naugatuck Footwear Plant will observe the annual Plant Vacation Shutdown from today to August 21.

However, plans are in process to set up several production units for those employees who are available and willing to work during the shutdown period on a voluntary basis. Available employees should contact the Industrial Relations Department if they have not already signed up to work and every effort will be made to place them.

Mass shutdown forms will be distributed at the Water Street entrance of the Naugatuck Footwear Plant tomorrow from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Employes eligible

Please turn to Page 10

Reach Agreement

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Reach Agreement

ESTABLISHED 1881 86th YEAR (DAILY EDITION) NO. 208 WATERBURY,

Uniroyal, Union

CONN., THURSDAY, JULY 27, 1967 FORTY-FOUR PAGES 7c PER COPY 42c WEEKLY BY CARRIER

Reach Agreement

Wage increases over the period will total 43 cents an hour, with a 15 cent increase this year, another 15 cent hike on July 1, 1968 and 13 cents on June 30, 1969. Skilled trade employes will receive an additional 10 cents an hour this year.

Sources indicated that although the wage differential between tire and non-tire employes was not eliminated, the raises for both groups are the same.

The rubber workers have scored a “first” in major industry with the achievement of an 80 per cent guaranteed annual wage.

Although it could not be learned Wednesday whether the guaranteed annual wage agreement with Uniroyal was the same as that with B. F. Goodrich, Goodyear, General Tire and Firestone, if it is benefits would last 52 weeks for employes with five years of service, and up to four years for employes with 25 years of service.

Under the old contract, employes were guaranteed 65 per cent of their regular wages in the event of a layoff.

Company-paid life insurance will be up from $6,500 under the old contract to $7,500 under the new contract.

Hospitalization benefits under the new contract were doubled from 365 to 730 days.

Pension payments were increased from $3.25 to $5.50 per month for each year of service. Employes who retired after July

(Cont’d On Page 2 —Uniroyal)

Local Vote To Ratify Pact Due

By TOM NUGENT

NAUGATUCK — The longest strike in the history of the rubber industry headed toward a halt Wednesday at Uniroyal and United Rubber Workers negotiators reached a tentative settlement on a three-year contract.

Some workers are due to return to work today.

Ratification of the new contract is presently scheduled for Saturday at the high school, according to Local 45 Vice President Raymond Mengacci.

In the meantime, he said, the contract will be signed by both sides pending final approval by the three locals, 45, 218 and 308.

According to Uniroyal officials the new contract extends until April 20, 1970. Sources added that the contract includes a 90-day “umbrella coverage” on the pension and fringe benefit clauses.

In the past the union worked under a two-year master contract and a supplemental contract with pension and fringe benefits, which was due to expire Sept. 15.

The new agreement, said Uniroyal officials, will cost approximately 80 cents an hour and represents an average increase of more than six per cent a year for three years.

Disability pensions have been increased from $6.50 to $11 per month for each year of service. The only apparent economic difference between the Uniroyal agreement and that reached with the four other companies seemed to be the matter of sickness and accident benefits.

While the other companies set heirs at $60 per week for women and $70 for men, Uniroyal has set theirs according to an employe’s average earnings with a minimum of $50 per week and a maximum of $80.

Although the contract has not been ratified by union mmebers warehouse personnel have been asked to report today at the regular starting time.

The new contract has been four months in the making. The two groups sat down in March to hammer out what started as a master contract.

Exactly one month after negotiations started, the start of the strike took place April 21 when 21,000 Uniroyal workers, including almost 5,000 from the Naugatuck plants, joined strikers from Firestone and Goodrich.

Although there were a few brief incidents on the Naugatuck picket lines, on the whole the strike was quiet, and there were instances of cooperation between the union and management during the course of the strike.

One such instance occured when the union answered a request that oilers be sent into the plants to maintain the machinery. 7-27-67

Production To Start

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7-28-67

Production To Start

Continued From Page 1

for unemployment compensation during the vacation shutdown period should arrange to appear in person and obtain their shutdown form during this time.

Employes must present their plant identification badge in order to receive their form. Employes who have volunteered and have been notified to report for work during the three-week period of shutdown need not obtain this form.

Applications for supplementary unemployment benefits

900 Ready To Return To Work Immediately

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At Uniroyal 7-28-67

900 Ready To Return To Work Immediately

NAUGATUCK—In lieu of their upcoming three-week vacation, more than 900 employes at the Naugatuck Footwear Plant of Uniroyal, have signed up to go back to work as soon as possible.

Thomas Nelligan, labor relations manager for the Footwear Plant, said he has received hundreds of requests from workers who do not want to take their vacation but instead want to come back to work. The plant is scheduled to be shut down for a three-week vacation period beginning today.

However, Nelligan noted that only a few of the conveyors would be set up, and that only a small portion of the 900 would be called in.

He promised notification by Monday or Tuesday of next week for those who would be called in to work during the vacation period. He noted plans are still incomplete.

Two of the three locals at the company have announced meetings for membership ratification of the new contract.

Joseph Arbachauskas, vice president of Local 308, United Rubber Workers, announced today that a meeting for ratification of the new contract will be held by the membership Monday at 7 p.m. at the Portuguese Club, Rubber Ave.

Ratification by Local 45, Footwear plant, has been tentatively set for 2:30 p.m. Saturday at Naugatuck High School. Vice president Raymond Mengacci said he is awaiting approval of the Board of Education for the use of the school.

As of presstime, there has been no announcement from Local 218 as to when and where the ratification meeting for that local will take place.

Footwear Setting Up Work Units

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Footwear Setting Up Work Units

7-29-67 [handwritten]

NAUGATUCK—Although the annual vacation shutdown at Uniroyal began Friday, Footwear Plant officials are setting up several production units for employes available and willing to work during the shutdown.

It was announced Friday that available employes should contact the Industrial Relations Department if they have not already signed up for work and wish to do so.

Mass shutdown forms will be distributed today at the Water St. entrance from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Employes eligible for unemployment compensation during this shutdown should arrange to appear in person to obtain the forms. Identification badges will be required.

Employes who have volunteered and have been notified to report for work during the vacation need not obtain the form.

Applications for supplementary unemployment benefits may be obtained at the same time the shutdown forms are obtained.

Two Locals Ratify UniRoyal-URW Master Contract; Third Due Tonight

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Two Locals Ratify UniRoyal-URW Master Contract; Third Due Tonight

atuck, Conn. Established 1885 MONDAY, JULY 31, 1967 10 PAGES Price Seven Cents

SURE-FIRE evidence of the end of the long UniRoyal strike | spaces on Water St. are now filling up more and more as work-
can be seen throughout the borough. Long empty parking | ers return to their jobs. —(News Photo by Baker)

Two Locals Ratify UniRoyal-URW Master Contract; Third Due Tonight

Vacationers Head For The Hills

Vacation time – a time when creatures from the land of steady habits undergo a metamorphosis and become camera-slung tourists, headed for all points of the compass.

Determined to have fun, they take to the highways and byways laden with all sorts of equipment; campers, boats, fly-rods and bicycles, and fun is what they usually find.

Of course there are minor irritations – the endless procession of suitcases crammed with things some member of the family just “had” to have, the bumper-to-bumper traffic in 90-degree heat and the kids em-

broiled in a free-for-all, but somehow, arriving at the vacation destination erases it all.

For some, lakes and rivers provide the ultimate in entertainment whether it be in the next town or the next country. Others find world travel more to their liking.

Group travel has grown in popularity within the past few years offering the vacationer more for less. Business or clubs arrange tours for employes or members at somewhat reduced rates thereby offering the individual a better vacation than he might otherwise have been able to afford.

UniRoyal has offered its employes several of these vacation trips in past years and this year has planned three trips to Hawaii, Puerto Rico and the Bahamas.

More than 160 employes will leave Kennedy Air Port Monday for two weeks, jetting across the ocean to their island in the sun.

Wherever the vacationer goes, here or abroad, for a weekend or a week, it’s all a part of the good life. It offers a change from the ordinary, a chance to soak up the sun and let the fresh air blow away the mental cobwebs.

Two of the three United Rubber Workers locals in Naugatuck have voted to ratify the master contract with UniRoyal. Local 308, Synthetic Division, is also expected to ratify the contract at a 7 o’clock meeting tonight.

Local 45, Footwear Division, voted unanimously Saturday afternoon to ratify, becoming the first Naugatuck local to do so.

Local 218, Chemical Division, held a voting session Sunday with only about 125 of its 725 members present. It is speculated that the small turnout is a result of many workers being away on vacation.

Several Local 218 members expressed annoyance at having to wait 45 days to begin negotiations on the local supplemental contract.

As the URW locals vote to ratify the master contract, UniRoyal is putting out the call for volunteers to work during vacation. A UniRoyal official said today that about 600 workers have already been placed but

Please turn to Page 10

Uniroyal Back at Work After 14-Week Strike

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Uniroyal Back at Work After 14-Week Strike

7-31-67 [handwritten]

Uniroyal employes were returning to work today in Naugatuck and Beacon Falls after two of three striking local unions voted to ratify a three – year contract ending the 14-week walkout.

Resumption of full – scale production is expected to be delayed since many workers are on annual vacation. About one-quarter of the workers have volunteered to postpone their vacations and return to the job immediately, the company said today.

Local 218 , United Rubber Workers of America, Chemical Division, approved the contract last night by voice vote. About 125 of the 725 members were present at Naugatuck High School. Vacations kept most away.

Unanimous Vote

Local 45, Footwear Division, voted unanimously Saturday night to accept the contract.

The third local, 308, Synthetic Division, will vote tonight. It is expected to approve the contract.

About eight men walked out Sunday night before casting their ballots and about five were heard to vote “no.”

A local spokesman for Uniroyal said the “new agreement will cost approximately 80 cents an hour and represents an average increase of more than 6 per cent a year for three years” of the contract.

Wages alone will show a 43-cent hike over the period, he said.

PLEASE TURN TO PAGE 9

When asked about this from the floor Sunday, Rzesutek replied: “That’s the way it’s been for 20 years.”

One union member, who walked out before the vote Sunday, said:

“I just spent 14 weeks (on strike) for that contract, and now they tell me I’ve got to wait 45 days before we get the benefits.”

In addition to the 80 per cent guaranteed annual wage, one of the significant gains appears to have been in company-paid surgical plan, which now has unique and untried aspects.

Instead of the $450 maximum for surgical operations, Rzesutek reported, the company will pay the entire bill as long as it’s a “customary and reasonable charge.”

Undoubtedly, the local president told the membership, “we’re going to have some (court) test cases on this.” He said he hoped to get the cooperation of local doctors on this clause regarding “customary and reasonable” medical bills.

The union leader expressed specific pride in improvement of “time spent in grievance meetings.” Also, he said the union won pay for any time spent in arbitration proceedings, “up to 40 hours.”

One other aspect of the contract yet unreported was complete medical coverage of wife and dependants of a worker, who dies on the job and who is at least 55 years old with 15 years of company service.

3 Local Unions Ratification Voting Set

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7-29-67

3 Local Unions Ratification Voting Set

Ratification vote sessions for the three local unions, United Rubber Workers, which recently settled with UniRoyal, Inc., will be held today, tomorrow and Monday, union officials reported.

Local 45, Footwear Division, will hold a regular and special meeting today in the Naugatuck High School auditorium, Rubber Ave., at 2:30 p.m. The policy committee will give a report on the new proposed contract and a ratification vote will then be taken during the special session.

Local 218, Chemical Division, will meet tomorrow at 7 p.m. in the high school auditorium also for its ratification vote.

Local 308, Synthetic Division, will hold a regular and special session Monday at 7 p.m. in the Portuguese Club, Rubber Ave., for the purpose of taking a ratification vote.

Local 308’s Contract Rejection Won’t Affect Uniroyal Production

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Local 308's Contract Rejection Won't Affect Uniroyal Production

The Evening Sentinel, Tuesday, August 1, 1967

BEACON FALLS

Local 308’s Contract Rejection Won’t Affect Uniroyal Production

Local 308, United Rubber Workers Synthetic division, rejected the master contract Friday night which was recently agreed upon by the union and Uniroyal, Inc., in Cincinnati.

Less than one-fourth of the 240 members of the local turned out for the vote. The tally was 32 to 26 against ratification.

Of the three Naugatuck locals, this was the only one to reject the contract. Local 45 ratified it Saturday, followed by Local 218 Sunday.

It was understood that Local 308’s action would not affect production at Uniroyal, where union employes returned to their jobs this week after the 14-week strike.

Reason for rejecting it according to President Edward Alves, was that it did not offer time-and-a-half for Saturdays and a night shift bonus.

Alves said that under the present system workers get time-and-a-half after 40 hours. The membership was satisfied will all other aspects of the contract, he said.

Requires Majority

Union sources say that in order for the new contract to become effective it must be ratified by the majority of the Uniroyal URW membership and the majority of the company’s 19 locals.

If the majority of the Uniroyal locals ratify the master contract, Alves said, it will go into effect when the secondary contract is signed.

Although the vote cast by the local will not hold up talks on supplemental contract, Alves said that a date has not been set for the talks. A membership meeting will have to be held first. This has been tentatively set for Aug. 15.

Uniroyal, 3 Locals Discuss Supplemental Pact Issues

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Uniroyal, 3 Locals Discuss Supplemental Pact Issues

36

9-17-67

Uniroyal, 3 Locals Discuss Supplemental Pact Issues

NAUGATUCK — Discussions among management of the three Naugatuck Divisions of Uniroyal and representatives of the three locals of the United Rubber Workers Union concerning the supplemental to the master contract are expected to pick up tempo during the coming week.

Preliminary meetings were held this past week especially between Local 45 and Footwear Management but there was no comment as to any progress on the issues involved.

The supplemental contract has an important bearing on each of the individual plants in Naugatuck. This is in sharp contrast to the master contract which was negotiated at a company -wide level throughout the 97-day strike that ended July 27.

The supplemental applies directly to the working conditions at the respective plants of the Footwear, Naugatuck Chemical and Synthetic Divisions.

It could be possible for one local to reach an early agreement with its management over the supplemental contract while the other locals could be tied up in a lengthy discussion because of failure to settle in -plant problems.

Conceivably, a break -off of negotiations on the supplemental contract could result in a walkout at any of the plants. However, it would not involve either of the remaining locals in the controversy.

There are reports of some dissension over the supplemental contract but there has been no comment from officials of all three locals, 45, 218 and 308 to either support or refute such talk.

Uniroyal Talks Resume Tuesday, Other Industry Moves Watched

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Uniroyal Talks Resume Tuesday, Other Industry Moves Watched

Uniroyal Talks Resume Tuesday, Other Industry Moves Watched

Sunday May 14, 1967

By PATRICK KEATING

NAUGATUCK — A “wait-and-see” atmosphere hangs over the community as the strike that has crippled production at the Footwear, Chemical and Synthetic Divisions of Uniroyal is in its 24th day.

The 5,000 members of the United Rubber Workers, AFL-CIO, have been idle here since April 21. Their return to work depends on the outcome of contract talks at Cincinnati between the URW policy committee an Uniroyal Management .

However negotiations were recessed Friday for a long weekend. It will not be until Tuesday morning before the union and management representatives return to the conference table.

Meanwhile, union leaders, including George Froelich, president of Local 45, Footwear Division have taken advantage of the recess to return to the borough for meetings with their memberships. Several sessions have been scheduled for today and Monday.

Local information on the progress of a new contract is dependent solely on reports and these have been good and bad during the past week.

Union officials are showing concern “for what the other people are doing in their negotiations with URW.” They refer to talks between the international and Firestone, Goodrich and Goodyear.

It is their feeling that if one of the other companies settles, any agreement reached will set a pattern for the entire industry. And it could mean a quick end to the strike against Uniroyal.

The spotlight will also be turned Monday towards the General Tire Co., which has a midnight deadline for reaching a contract agreement with URW. Again, if a satisfactory contract is negotiated at General, it could mean considerable to the rest of the industry.

The past week in the community has been very quiet, a sharp contrast to the previous week when demonstrations resulted in the arrest of 71 URW members.

Tuesday, Uniroyal was granted a temporary restraining order against the union for two weeks. Under the court order, the union must conduct its picket lines in an orderly fashion; allow management personnel to enter the plant and refrain from interferring with the shipment of products from the Footwear warehouses.

The union has complied with the court edict and there have no incidents. It has the privilege of requesting truck drivers not to enter the factory gates and in a number of instances, union drivers have refused to cross the lines.

A reliable source reports that beginning Monday, Footwear management plans to resume some production that has been curtailed since April 21. In line with this report, supervisory and other management personnel have been requested to work a 7 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. shift.

The report further indicates that these white-collared groups will be shifted to conveyor making lines at the tennis division. Jack Smith, factory manager, was not available for comment on this or a report that striking workers may be asked to return to their jobs.

Union officials declined to comment also, saying that they would have to see what happens first before issuing any statements.

This past week, members of the union received a weekly strike benefit check of $25. These payments will again be issued on Tuesday and Wednesday of this week.

The workers are now entering their fourth week of “no pay” from the company. Locally, the borough welfare department is surveying the situation and reviewing requests for financial assistance from residents on strike.

Pact Talks Resume In Uniroyal Strike

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Pact Talks Resume In Uniroyal Strike

MONDAY MAY 15, 1967

Pact Talks Resume In Uniroyal Strike

NAUGATUCK— Negotiations between the United Rubber Workers and Uniroyal, Inc. resume Tuesday at 10 a.m. in Cincinnati, Ohio, as the strike against the three local plants moves into its 25th day.

The current strike is the longest since the 22-day old walkout in 1959.

Union and management negotiators returned to their homes over the week end after talks were recessed Friday.

Quiet is the report from the local scene where picket line turmoil of early May days has given way to court directed noninterference with the movements both pedestrian and vehicular of supervisory and nonunion personnel.

Shipment of goods resumed last week, without apparent incident other than the refusal of some truck drivers to cross the picket lines to enter the strikebound plants.

Quiet prevailed this morning, too, as supervisors and office employes go back on the job, some arriving possibly an hour earlier than the customary 8 a.m.

At least one supervisor reported being notified to start work at 7 a.m. today, but the reason for the earlier start could not be determained Sunday night or this morning.

The company and union are negotiating the master contract which concerns all 19 plants of Uniroyal throughout the country. About 7,000 workers in the borough are affected by the strike.

Still Quiet In 25-Day-Old Strike

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Still Quiet In 25-Day-Old Strike

Monday May 15, 1967

Still Quiet In 25-Day-Old Strike

George Froehlich, president of Local 45, United Rubber Workers Union, stood at the Maple St. gate of the Footwear Plant, along with picketers this morning, as supervisory personnel of UniRoyal reported for work.

Production in the plant by management was reportedly scheduled to begin today. However, no incidents occurred on the picket lines this morning as some employes arrived an hour earlier for work.

John Smith, manager of the Footwear Plant, was unavailable this morning for comment.

Shipment of goods from the warehouse continued all last week without incident. A few truck drivers, members of the Teamster Union, refused to cross the picket line, but some trucks were brought in by trucking company management.

Negotiations on the master contract in Cincinnati were recessed for the weekend with sessions scheduled to resume at 10 a.m. tomorrow morning. Froehlich returned to the borough over the weekend as well as other local members of the union negotiating team and management negotiators.

The strike, now 25 days old, continues with no word on the progress, if any, being made in negotiations. The issues have not been defined by either side, holding to a pact made by both sides that no statement would be made until settlement has been reached.

The Union was given a strike vote by the membership before it entered into negotiations in Cincinnati and no meeting of the locals has been called to inform the membership of progress.

The three locals in the borough will distribute the $25 benefit checks to its eligible membership for the second week, starting tomorrow.

Rumors of immediate settlement and ones of a long, drawn-out strike, both are rampant in the borough. Most merchants are beginning to feel the pinch of the strike. A few merchants have reported excellent sales as the strikers have been doing household repairs in their idle time.

Many strikers have resorted to part-time jobs to implement their dwindling funds while others, in desperation, have applied for welfare.

Meeting Here Lessens UniRoyal Strike Tensions

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Meeting Here Lessens UniRoyal Strike Tensions

Meeting Here Lessens UniRoyal Strike Tensions

Tuesday MAY 16, 1967 [handwritten]

A three-hour meeting yesterday morning between management and union of UniRoyal led to the lessening of mounting tension. Management assured the union no attempt at footwear production would be made by supervisory personnel.

Following the meeting, the union decided to reduce the hours of picketing back to the original schedule of 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. at the footwear plants. The around-the-clock schedule of picketing at the Chemical and Synthetic plants will continue.

The meeting was called yesterday when management personnel began reporting at the plant an hour earlier than their normal schedule. Men were observed attired in casual clothes, indicating the rumor that production would begin held some vestige of truth.

Management also assured the Union officials that no efforts to move trucks in or out after 6 p.m. will be made.

Contract negotiations resumed this morning in Cincinnati following a weekend recess. The strike of United Rubber Workers is now in its 26th day.

Union And Uniroyal Reach Joint Accord

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Union And Uniroyal Reach Joint Accord

Union And Uniroyal Reach Joint Accord

Tuesday MAY 16, 1967 [handwritten]

NAUGATUCK— Pickets at the strikebound Uniroyal Footwear Plant have gone back to their original hours of picketing from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m., following an agreement with management that no effort will be made to move trucks in or out of the plant after 6 p.m., Local 45 union officials said Monday night.

The arrangement does not affect schedules at the chemical and synthetic plants where picketing continues around the clock.

Decision to reduce the picketing schedule at the footwear plant came after a three-hour meeting between the union and company officials Monday morning at which management also assured the union no attempts at footwear production would be made by supervisory personnel.

Local 45 spokesmen said rumors that such an effort would be made starting Monday had become so prevalent the meeting with management was deemed necessary to pin down the matter one way or the other.

Around-the-clock picketing began May 3 when reports reached the union that management intended to resume shipping. Two days of scuffling followed before the strike reached an even keel again.

Contract negotiations aimed at ending the strike are scheduled to resume at 10 a.m. today in Cincinnati, Ohio.

AKRON, Ohio (AP) ))— Negotiators for the United Rubber Workers and the General Tire & Rubber Co. recessed bargaining after the URW contract with the nation’s fifth largest rubber producer expired at midnight.

Another meeting was scheduled today as work continues, a union spokesman said.

Representatives of the company, with headquarters here, met with union negotiators at Cleveland.

General has 3,052 workers in the URW, which has been on strike against three of the country’s big four rubber companies for 26 days.

That strike idled more than 50,000 April 20 at plants of Firestone Tire & Rubber Co., B. F. Goodrich Co. and Uniroyal.

Employes of Goodyear Tire & Rubber Co. have continued to work on a day-to-day basis after the April 20 deadline.

Negotiations have continued with Goodyear and Uniroyal in Cincinnati, Goodrich at Columbus and Firestone in Cleveland.

Neither side has commented on the negotiations.

Firestone has laid off some workers at its tire cord plants in Gastonia, N.C., and Bennettsville, S.C., because of the strike. The textile division plants are not covered by the URW contracts.

Union Goes On 12-Hour Schedule Of Picketing

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Union Goes On 12-Hour Schedule Of Picketing

16—Waterbury Republican, Tuesday, May 16, 1967

Joint Agreement

Union Goes On 12-Hour Schedule Of Picketing

NAUGATUCK — Around-the-clock picketing in the 26-day-old Uniroyal strike was halted at

Naugatuck

the footwear plant Monday and the original 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. schedule restored.

Reason for the reduced schedule, officials of the 4,000-member Local 45, United Rubber Workers, said, was management assurance that no effort to move trucks in or out after 6 p.m. will be made.

The arrangement does not affect schedules at the chemical and synthetic plants where picketing continues around the clock.

Decision to reduce the picketing schedule at the footwear plant came after a three-hour meeting between the union and company officials Monday morning at which management also assured the union no attempts at footwear production would be made by supervisory personnel.

Local 45 spokesmen said rumors that such an effort would be made starting Monday had become so prevalent the meeting with management was deemed necessary to pin down the matter one way or the other.

Around-the-clock picketing began May 3 when reports reached the union that management intended to resume shipping. Two days of scuffling followed before the strike reached an even keel again.

Contract negotiations aimed at ending the strike are scheduled to resume at 10 a.m. today in Cincinnati, Ohio.

Uniroyal Strike Affects Beacon Falls Area Economy

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Uniroyal Strike Affects Beacon Falls Area Economy

Uniroyal Strike Affects

Beacon Falls Area Economy

Tuesday MAY 16, 1967 [handwritten]

By R. E. FITZPATRICK

The Uniroyal strike is having its effect on the economic life of the Naugatuck-Beacon Falls area.

With some 5,000 men and women on strike since April 21, considerably less money is flowing into the area.

Bank deposits are down and withdrawals are greater than normal, some area bankers have found. They expect this trend to continue even after a strike settlement is reached, at least briefly.

Independent grocers have noted a somewhat greater volume of credit buying, but they term the amount not excessive.

Case loads of welfare departments in some surrounding communities are up slightly, but less than some welfare officials had expected.

With time on their hands, many of the strikers apparently are working on do-it-yourself projects.

Local lumber and hardware dealers have noted an increase in the sale of home-repair and home-improvement supplies during the first two weeks of the strike.

Otherwise, they say, business is about normal for this time of year.

The violence that marred the strike early this month has faded. Trucks are entering and leaving the Uniroyal plants daily, taking out cargoes of finished goods.

Picketing is much reduced and has been peaceful.

Around – the – clock picketing ended yesterday at the Naugatuck footwear plant of Uniroyal and the original 6 a.m.-6 p.m. hours were restored.

Officials of Local 45, United Rubber Workers of America, said the move came after the company assured them at a meeting Monday morning that there would be no attempt to drive trucks into or out of the plant after 6 p.m.

Picketing continues around the clock at the chemical and synthetic plants of Uniroyal.

Some 800 office and supervisory personnel are going to work daily at the struck Uniroyal plants in Naugatuck and Beacon Falls without incident, according to Thomas J. Nelligan, industrial relations spokesman for Uniroyal.

Meanwhile, in Cincinnati negotiations are continuing in the nationwide strike that has idled about 50,000 United Rubber workers, including those in Naugatuck and Beacon Falls.

Union Goes On 12-Hour Schedule Of Picketing

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Union Goes On 12-Hour Schedule Of Picketing

16—Waterbury Republican, Tuesday, May 16, 1967

Joint Agreement

Union Goes On 12-Hour Schedule Of Picketing

NAUGATUCK — Around-the-clock picketing in the 26-day-old Uniroyal strike was halted at

Naugatuck

the footwear plant Monday and the original 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. schedule restored.

Reason for the reduced schedule, officials of the 4,000-member Local 45, United Rubber Workers, said, was management assurance that no effort to move trucks in or out after 6 p.m. will be made.

The arrangement does not affect schedules at the chemical and synthetic plants where picketing continues around the clock.

Decision to reduce the picketing schedule at the footwear plant came after a three-hour meeting between the union and company officials Monday morning at which management also assured the union no attempts at footwear production would be made by supervisory personnel.

Local 45 spokesmen said rumors that such an effort would be made starting Monday had become so prevalent the meeting with management was deemed necessary to pin down the matter one way or the other.

Around-the-clock picketing began May 3 when reports reached the union that management intended to resume shipping. Two days of scuffling followed before the strike reached an even keel again.

Contract negotiations aimed at ending the strike are scheduled to resume at 10 a.m. today in Cincinnati, Ohio.

Picket Lines Stay Quiet At Uniroyal

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Picket Lines Stay Quiet At Uniroyal

Thurs MAY 18, 1967 [handwritten notation]

Naugatuck-picket lines at the strikebound Uniroyal Chemical division remained quiet throughout the night and this morning following a meeting between John Evans, plant manager and other company officials and Local 213 President Joseph Rzesutzek, Wednesday morning.

Evans said the company was “contemplating” shipping from the plant, however, no shipments were reported to have been made to date.

Evans said he had no comment to make following a meeting between management and Local 218 officials Wednesday morning, and cited the agreement with the union that no statements would be issued while negotiations were in progress.

Joseph Rzeszutek, who had flown in from Cincinnati Tuesday night, concurred with Evans that no comment would be made.

Rzeszutek said that picket teams would not be increased but would continue on the normal, around-the-clock schedule.

Uniroyal Picket Lines Still Quiet

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Uniroyal Picket Lines Still Quiet

Thursday MAY 18, 1967

NAUGATUCK — Although Naugatuck Chemical plant manager John Evans said Wednesday that the company was “contemplating” shipping from the plant, the scene on the United Rubber Workers Local 218 picket lines remained quiet throughout the day. No shipments were reported.

Evans said he had no comment to make following a meeting between management and Local 218 officials Wednesday morning, and cited the agreement with the union that no statements would be issued while negotiations were in progress.

Local 218 President Joseph Rzeszutek, who had flown in from Cincinnati Tuesday night, concurred with Evans that no comment would be made.

Rzeszutek said that picket teams would not be increased but would continue on the normal, around-the-clock schedule.

Negotiations continued in Cincinnati Wednesday, although no word was available concerning the progress of the talks.

Dear Sir:

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Dear Sir: Wed. MAY 17, 1976

As a pensioner of UniRoyal I was certainly disgusted to read the letter to the Editor on May 11, 1967 where a member of Local 45 wrote you concerning strikers on the picket line, the policemen and management personnel.

I was there and had seen what was going on and at no time was there any rough tactics used by members of Local #45-#218-#308. It was an impossibility for anyone to get hurt when all of the pickets had their hands in their pockets. As I saw it, the group of members of Local #45-#218-#308 formed a solid line, then a certain few, of the militant and aggressive from the police department along with management personnel tried to break through by using strong arm tactics, which caused minor injuries.

Also when Captain Joseph Summa read the laws to the members three times and the crowd did not disburse he motioned to his men that were standing in the street to come and arrest the members and that was done in an orderly basis. Also Captain Summa pointed to other members to follow the police to the police station to be booked. There is no question about who pays the salaries of the police. We all know the taxpayer’s do and we also know that we need a good police force to protect all of us.

I want to say that this problem could have been avoided if management had not violated the verbal agreement that was negotiated by them and the negotiating committee prior to leaving for Cincinnati to negotiate the Master Contract. The verbal agreement was and has been in the past to allow management personnel in the plant for training purposes and for whatever other work that concerned management, but not to work on production of any kind. The only union members to be allowed to work in the plant was for the proper maintenance of the plant. I know these are the rules we followed in the past. I have served under four different Presidents as a Steward, Division Chairman, Policy Committee member, Executive board member, Safety Committee, Negotiating Committee and others.

I want to say that since we organized in 1935 we have come a long way and that it was not handed to us on a gold platter. If the members will look back some years and see what the wages and benefits were, they were very nil. In fact no benefits at all.

The member, referring to the one who wrote the May 11 letter, stresses the point of Vickers closing down. That is not a fact, all they did was to move to where they could get cheaper labor. They did not tell you that they “reaped the harvest” for years. Those members had no seniority rights or no job security like you have. As for the newspaper closing down in New York, from what I read in other newspapers it was from poor management. They have to blame someone, so they blame the Union because of high labor cost. They did not even sit down with the Union and tell them of their problems so that they could solve them.

It seems to me “name withheld” that you are anti-union or you are well taken care of by your boss by getting all the over-time you want. You also say you will never make up the loss, this is not a fact for the simple reason you will get a wage increase, benefits, better working conditions and numerous other gains.

Another point I want to stress is that, the cost of living has already gone up for the past 2 years. You also say it is ridiculous to get 93% of your wages in case of lay off this, in the long run would cost the company about $.02 more per hour. This does not compare with the 14 million dollars the company gave management personnel as a bonus.

You say that you were not told why you are on strike, if you read the last issue of the Rubber Workers newspaper (May Edition) instead of burning it, you would know. Also if you attend the regular monthly meeting you will find that all of these demands are made by the membership and not only the officers. I also want to say that when the policy committee of 19 Local Unions are meeting with management of 19 plants, there are probably 19 hundred problems.

I could go on and on about this but I will close on this subject Mr. or Mrs. Anti-Union saying that I am very proud to have been able to serve as a representative of our great union Local #45 under the Leadership of Mr. George Froehlich, Mr. Raymond Mengacci, Mrs. Rita Ruggerio and all of the officers, policy committee members and also the United Rubber Workers of America. (C.I.O. A.F.L.)

There is also one last remark I want to say is what this policy committee is doing is good for everyone in the area of Naugatuck for the present and future. In 32 years of being an organized union, Mr. or Mrs. Anti-Union, we were never a hooded union or used strong armed tactics and definitely your house would not be burned down.

Mr. Editor please print my name, I am not ashamed I am an honorary member of Local #45 with 36 years of seniority and 39 years of service with UniRoyal Footwear Division.

Pensioner
Mr. Michael San Angelo
77 Chestnut Street

Train Enters Chemical Division Without Incident

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Train Enters Chemical Division Without Incident

Thursday MAY 18, 1967

Train Enters Chemical Division Without Incident

Three pickets stood at the main gate of the Chemical Division of UniRoyal, Inc., yesterday afternoon and watched a train go into the company’s yard without incident.

The engine of the train came into the local railroad station from Waterbury during the noon-hour, stopped at the local station where management and railroad police boarded the engine.

It then proceeded to the Elm St. railroad yard where it spent almost an hour switching cars and lining them up to take into the Chemical Division. When the train was ready to roll, railroad employes left the train to railroad management and railroad police to operate, honoring the United Rubber Workers picket line.

President Joseph Rzeszutek of Local 218, flew in from Cincinnati Tuesday night, when news of the company’s intent to start activity at the Chemical Co. was relayed to him.

He and other Union officials met yesterday morning in the offices of John Evans, manager of the Chemical Co., with Evans and Ronald Pohl, labor relations director. No comment on the meeting was released, by either management or labor.

The Union, laboring under the threat of an injunction, has been extremely cautious that no incidence occur.

This morning, all was quiet on the picket lines at the Chemical Division. Only three pickets were observed at the main gate, one of which was a woman.

Small teams of pickets were on duty at all gates of the borough’s UniRoyal plants this morning where calm is maintained.

A group of pickets at the Elm St. gate of the Footwear Warehouse came close to being run down by a truck attempting to enter the gate at a fast rate of speed. The pickets said that the truck was coming so fast that they were unable to move from its path where they were standing talking.

Local police on the scene slowed the truck down to avoid an accident.

AKRON, Ohio (UPI) — The ‘Rubber Capital of the World’ today continues to function under a lengthy rubber strike.

Mayor John Ballard has expressed concern that an extended strike, and the resulting loss of workers’ income tax, will hamper city finances.

Meanwhile, negotiations between the General Tire and Rubber Co. and the United Rubber Workers Union remained recessed although both company and union officials say they can be resumed at any time.

The company’s 3,300 employes, covered by the union contract which expired at Monday midnight, continued working at the facilities here and at Waco, Tex.

In the rest of the industry, negotiations continued Wednesday with the Firestone Tire and Rubber Co. in Cleveland; with Goodyear Tire and Rubber Co. and with UniRoyal in Cincinnati, and with B. F. Goodrich in Columbus.

Only Goodyear is continuing production, on a day to day basis. The other three companies are closed down by strikes. The companies have a mutual aid strike agreement.

A union spokesman said he could make no comment on the

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