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Cheyfitz and his pals have enough disunity already, could hardly stand more. Besides scrapping with Alcoa and WLB (partly over a $1-a-day wage boost), the Die Casting local is fighting counter-organization drives by the powerful Aluminum Workers of America (which already controls nine Alcoa plants), and John L. Lewis' District 50 division of the United Mine Workers (which controls Alcoa's Buffalo plant). Both would like to get a pipeline into Cheyfitz' fat 7,000-man dues pot. Thus the Die Casters' "no-strike" edict was partly prompted by a desire to keep alive and whole.
This week it looked as though WLB's decision was alread working minor wonders. Everything was quiet around Alcoa's Cleveland plant and production breezed along. But far more important was the fact that businessmen all over the U.S. gave a sigh of relief—if WLB sticks to its decision the day of reckless, hell-raising, rabble-rousing labor leaders is over. To a nation fighting for its life, that is as it should be.