[Newspaper]
Publication: The Muncie Evening Press
Muncie, IN, United States
vol. 61, no. 142, p. 1;2, col. 4-8;5
Wildcat Walkout
Closes Glass Plant
Television Tube
Output Halted
A wildcat strike which began shortly after midnight forced a shutdown of the Owens-Illinois Glass Co. plant here today.
Union officials, who termed the walkout unauthorized, called a midmorning meeting with the strikers, hoping to presuade [sic] persuade them to return so bargaining negotiations with the company could be resumed.
Plant manager E. P. Spence called the walkout "a body blow" to plans for expanding the plant. The firm employs approximately 500 persons in making face plates for television picture tubes and other glass specialties.
The walkout was started at 12:10 a.m. in the color finishing department, reportedly by workers disgruntled with the pace of negotiations between the company and the American Flint Glass Workers Union of North America.
READY TO MEET.
SAYS UNION SPOKESMAN
Union official Don Cook, employed in the finishing section, said the men were dissatisfied with working conditions, bonus pay, safety hazards and production speed-ups. Cook said the local's bargaining committee is ready to meet with management to settle the dispute.
However, plant manager Spence said "we have no present plans for meeting with any union representative until our employes have returned to work."
In midmorning, Spence issued the following statement:
"At 12:10 a m. on Wednesday, July 14, a portion of our plant was affected by an illegal work stoppage and walkout.
"We continued to operate the balance of our plant until 6:30 a.m. when failure to report to work by our day shift employes has made it necessary to cease production.
"This will deal a body blow to our company's plans for the continued expansion of the Muncie plant and its future.
"We have no present plans for meeting with any Union representative until our employes have returned to work."
Union officials said they had left the bargaining table around 11 p.m. Tuesday with the intention of resuming negotiations 9:30 a m. today.
In the effort to end the walkout, union president Ed Dickson said he and other union officers were scheduled to meet with workers at the CIO Labor Center at 10:30 a.m.
"We will try to persuade the men to come back to work so union and plant bargainers can resume negotiations again, "Dickson said.
Reported participating in the picket line were Shipping Local 517, Operators Local 25 and members of the Moldmakers Union, all affiliates of the Flint Glass Workers Union.