Carey Back

A young unknown, James B. Carey, astounded organized labor and shocked the radio industry five years ago by wangling a contract for his local union with Philadelphia Storage Battery Co. (Philco). Last week up-&-coming Mr. Carey, having soared to high place in C. I. O. as president of its United Electrical, Radio & Machine Workers, had to take a setback in the plant where he got his start.

After a four-month shutdown and quarrel over new contract terms, Philco re-opened part of its vast Philadelphia factory. Back to work went 500 of the 13,000 who worked there at Philco's peak. They had lost their union shop for a weaker hiring clause giving preference to union workers; their wages were cut 9-c- an hour for men, 7-c- for women; their hours were up from 36 to 40 per week.

Mr. Carey nevertheless thought he had done well for them: Philco had threatened to move out of Philadelphia, had already sublet its work to nonunion, out-of-town shops, and union men & women had been selling stuffed dates, shining shoes, going on relief. Principal union advantage: wealthy, fair-minded Trucker James Patrick Clarke is to arbitrate disputes, see to it that Philco keeps most of its production in Philadelphia.

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