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Strike of August 1950/51
Auburn Hosiery Mill Strike:
Monday
Aug 28, 1950
Park City Daily News -
Strike Closes Hosiery Mill
Production
at the Auburn Hosiery Mills, Inc., here came to a complete halt this morning as the result
of a union demand for higher wages.
Approximately
80 employees of the plant, all members of the American Federation of Hosiery Workers,
failed to report for work at 6 a.m.
The
concern employees some 95 persons, half of them women.
Picket
lines were thrown up around all entrances to the building and these were respected by all
union members. R. N. Kimball, president of the nylon hose manufacturing plant, said this
afternoon that "a dispute over wages" was the principal cause of the walkout.
A
representative of the U.S. Conciliation Service arrived here this morning to assist in
negotiations for a new contract, which are now going on.
Mr.
Kimball declined to venture a guess as to how long it will take plant officials and the
union to reach an agreement.
*******************
Auburn,
Ky. August 29 1950
Park City Daily News -
Striking Hosiery Mill Workers Hurl Tomatoes At Non-Union Personnel
No
end to the strike of union employees at Auburn Hosiery Mills, Inc., was seen today as
union representatives and plant officials temporarily broke off negotiations.
The
first trouble since approximately 80 members of the American Federation of Hosiery Workers
began their walkout yesterday broke out this morning, but quickly subsided.
A
plant official, who declined use of his name, said several tomatoes were hurled by
strikers, but no damage was caused. Bobby Hutcheson, non-striking electrician, and several
office girls were targets for the missiles, but only Hutcheson was struck.
The
tomatoes were thrown when the non-union employees crossed picket lines to enter the plant.
Union
representatives and plant officials broke off negotiations last night after spending all
yesterday in talks without reaching an agreement.
"We
are still quite a piece apart," said a plant official, R. N. Kimball, president of
the concern which manufactures some 2,400 dozen pairs of nylon hose a week, yesterday said
wages were the main reason for the strike.
*********************
Auburn,
Ky., September 8, 1950
Park City Daily News -
Seven Striking Hosiery Mill Workers Indicted By Logan Grand Jury.
Seven
striking Auburn Hosiery Mill workers are under indictment in Logan Circuit Court on
charges of banding and confederating to intimidate a non-striker.
One
of those indicted is Urey Marshall, about 33, who also has been indicted on a charge of
assault and battery as result of an alleged attack on Harry Gillum, maintenance worker at
the plant.
Marshall
is alleged to have been the leader of a group which accosted Gillum 10 days ago and
knocked him down.
The
other six indicted, all alleged to have been with Marshall at the time, are listed as Roy
Webb, 48; Herb Morehead, 33; Walter Rohrer, 29; Wendell Miller, 26; Reed Lee, 26; and
Bennie Ward, 24.
Their
trial is expected to be docketed for the February term of court. The original charge of
breach of the peace against Marshall was not pressed.
**************************
Auburn,
Ky., January 10, 1951
Park City Daily News -
Picket Line In Front of Kimball Home Removed.
Russellville,
KY., .....Picket lines in front of the home here of R. N. Kimball, president of the
strike-bound Auburn Hosiery Mills, have been removed at the suggestion of the union's
attorneys.
A
young woman employee of the Auburn concern, which has been shut down by a strike of
American Federation of Hosiery Workers since last August 28, walked for two days in from
of the Kimball residence. She carried a placard, charging Mr. Kimball with being
"unfair to labor.'
In
addition, a car filled with male strikers was reported to have remained parked across the
street from the residence while the lone picket walked her beat.
Attorneys
of Auburn Hosiery Mills advised union officials that court action would be instituted
against the strikers on grounds they had no legal right to picket the home, unless the
picketing was discontinued immediately.
Mr.
Kimball had no comment to make on the situation when contacted today by a reporter. He
said he had not been to Auburn in several days and does not know of the situation there.
Picket
lines have been maintained intermittently at the Auburn plant since union employees walked
off their jobs more than four months ago. They were removed during the Christmas holidays,
but have appeared several times since.
**************************
Auburn,
Ky., January 16, 1951
Park City Daily News -
Auburn Men Charged With Flourishing Deadly Weapons.
Auburn,
Ky., Jan 16........ Examining trial for two Auburn men charged with flourishing a deadly
weapon is scheduled for Jan. 27 before County Judge Homer Dorris at Russellville.
The two were identified as
Harry Gillum, about 38, non-union knitter at the strike-bound Auburn Hosiery Mill, and
John A. Graham about 42, furniture shop operator.
Charles Dickerson, Auburn,
swore out warrants against both men after he said they showed pistols at a restaurant. Joe
Butrum, service station operator here, also took out a warrant against Gillum. Butrum said
the knitter flourished a pistol at his service station
Gillum was released on $500
bond and Graham on $250 bond.
State
police were called to Auburn and took the men to Russellville where the warrants were
sworn out.
**************************
Auburn,
Ky., February 23, 1951
News-Democrat-
Hosiery Mills, Union RE-Open Negotiations.
Progress
Being Made, States R. N. Kimball
"Progress
is being made," stated Roger N. Kimball, president of Auburn Hosiery Mills, when
asked to make a statement on negotiations reopened Monday between representatives of
management and labor.
Mr.
Kimball made the statement following an all-day session Monday in Auburn, at which were
present Mr. Kimball; his attorney, P. M. Harris of Louisville, J. Goldberg, Philadelphia,
attorney for the American Federation of Hosiery Workers; Garth Ferguson, U. S.
Conciliation Service; a local bargaining committee and others.
Monday's
bargaining session was the first since early in December, when plant and union officials
met in Louisville. After that unsuccessful attempt to reach an agreement, Mr. Kimball had
state that no more offers would be made by the management, and any further move to end the
strike would come from the American Federation of Hosiery Workers.
At
Monday's session, it was agreed to adjourn until Saturday, February 24, when bargaining
would be resumed.
Mr.
Kimball refused to divulge how far apart officials were, but added he hoped to have
something further to report after Saturday. At present, he said, there are no plans for
reopening the plant, which has been idle since August 28, when the 80 workers walked off
their jobs in a strike for higher wages and other concessions.
Strike
breakers are not being used to resume production, Mr. Kimball said. "We have no plans
ready for announcement as to what we will do, if negotiations with the union fail' he
said.
Several
major acts of violence which took place in Auburn last fall were attributed to the strike;
no arrests were made in connection with any of the offences, which included shooting into
a home and a business house, and setting off a charge of dynamite inside the hosiery
plant.
The
mill had a large payroll, normally employed 95 workers, and turned out 1200 pairs of nylon
hose a week.
**************************
Auburn,
Ky., February 26, 1951
Park City Daily News -
Auburn Mills Negotiations Broken Off Again.
Russellville,
Ky., Feb 26 ... N broken off again.
R.
N. Kimball, president of the concern who resides here, today said no date has been set for
another bargaining session. "We are a little closer together than we were at the
start, but not much," he declared.
The
plant, which manufactured nylon hose, has been closed almost six months because of the
strike called by the American Federation of Hosiery Workers.
Some
80 union members walked off their jobs last August 28, and several attempts have been made
to settle differences between the union and plant officials, but to no avail.
Negotiations
were reopened last Monday and slight progress was made before the session adjourned until
Saturday. "We were unable to make any headway at all on Saturday," Mr. Kimball
declared. Monday's bargaining session was the first in more than two months.
The
two principal differences still to be settled are questions of union shop and wages. Mr.
Kimball said the union is seeking wages comparable to those paid in northern plants.
**************************
Auburn,
Ky., March 30, 1951
News-Democrat-
Tempers Cool Off On Picket Line At Auburn Plant.
The
American Federation of Hosiery Workers maintained their picket lines in front of the
Auburn Hosiery Mill this week, but tempers apparently are cooling down, Sheriff D. D.
Johnson said Wednesday night.
The
Plant resumed operations with a few over two dozen employees last week after being closed
since August by a labor dispute.
Sheriff
Johnson said he has received no complaints this week over slashed tires or physical
violence.
Logan
County Judge Homer Dorris postponed indefinitely last Saturday a hearing on an assault and
battery warrant sworn out by Ralph Ryan, union member against Earl Gray Rogers,
contractor.
This
action was taken at the request of the Louisville attorney for the labor union, who
informed Judge Dorris he was ill.
The
charge was brought against Mr. Rogers after a fist fight in an Auburn cafe "during
which I understand a few blows were struck," Judge Dorris said.
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