This Day in History: 1941-08-20
The Brake Shoe President William R. Given Jr. announced a $1,000 reward for the arrest and conviction of those responsible for the sabotage at the Mahwah plant. The damage occurred on August 11th and consisted of sand being placed in the machinery of the power plant, and damage to the plant’s locomotive, yard crane, and planer. In addition, numerous windows had been broken. The damage would have been more severe if it had not been discovered and the machinery started up. This was the first time in the history of the plant that any sabotage had ever taken place, company officials insisted. The company also said that all of the demands made by the International Moulders and Foundry Workers Union, which called the strike, had been met, except for the closed shop. They believed that they must protect the reluctance on the part of some loyal workers to join the Union. They promised to treat Union and non-Union workers impartially. They said they would exert every effort to assist state and federal authorities in finding those guilty of the sabotage. (Bristow)