LABOR: Feeling No Pane

Founded in 1878, one of the oldest, happiest of unions is the A.F.of L. union of glass workers. Happy too are their employers, who declare that the industry has not had a general strike since before the turn of the Century. One day this summer, over a month ago, 60 workers, 60 bosses representing their respective sides sat down in Atlantic City to iron out certain disputes.

Up for discussion, among other matters, was an industry-wide wage boost, to include all the nation’s 27,000 unionized makers of tableware, lighting fixtures, tubing, lenses—from the semiskilled up to the offhand caster plate workers at the tiptop of the craft’s rigid craft system. Not included in their ranks: workers in bottles, jars, flat glass.

After two weeks of negotiating they reached a boiling point. Last week discussions ended. But not in strife. All was still harmony in the glass industry. Said affable veteran Harry Cook, union president: “When we got tired of looking at one another we went out and looked at something else. Then when we came back things seemed to go better.” Workers won wage increases totaling $3,000,000, decided that things had gone all right.