European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - December 23, 1987, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Wednesday. December 23, 1987 the stars and stripes Page 5 workers company clash Over Santa Hafs North Brunswick. N j. A workers sus Pended for wearing Sania Claus hats on he Job Sang Jingle belts at a proc so rally monday and i hair unbending employer suspended 100 Oiler employee when they. Too. Donned inc Christmas headgear. The Okon Ilc co., a manuf Clurar of electrical Cable said in a statement thai the Holiday Caps were not appropriate for a business environment and threatened to fire employees who continued to Wear the red hats with while my. The workers said the company May have suspended the first 23 workers last week to set the stage for upcoming contract negotiations with local \w2 if the inter National brotherhood of electrical workers. There has been no indication of Abr strife or major issues thai m Ighel come up at the Bargai Ning table. Workers said the company has no regulation against wearing hats on the Job and that most of them Wear bust Hall Caps without incident. I Wear a hat the whole year in Here and this is the Only hat i m suspended for said de Reilly who works in the shipping department. Workers suspended last week gathered in front of the Central new Jersey Plant with signs that said Welcome Okon Ilc Humbug and Ibl a local 1992 supports  one employee was dressed As Santa Claus and another brought an inflatable Santa to the Demon stration. On monday the entire first shift of about so workers showed i hair support for their suspended colleagues by Wenng similar Caps the Union said. The company responded by suspending All of them said Lenny Zahi Galski. President of i sew local 1992. They then joined the protest rally. Later when 20 workers on the second shift showed up wearing similar hats the company sus Pended them too the Union which represents about 231 workers at the Plant said. Robert Wigel a testing department worker whose indefinite suspension on thursday began the hat Flap said he has worn a Santa hat during the holi Days for the last five years without a problem. I think it s a lot of Hogwash. Christmas is very important to these  said Wigel As he mood among the demonstrators outside the Plant. A second worker was suspended thursday then a third Friday and about 20 employees showed up at work saturday wearing Santa hats. All of them were suspended for limes ranging from two to three Days. Thomas Scanlon. Vice president of employee relations of on nit said in a statement that the work ers were suspended for refusal to follow a reason Able directive of their  the statement said the suspensions came Alicr senior executives visited the Plant in this Centra new Jersey Community and saw the hats which were described by the firm As carnival like  Scanlon and other company officials refused to com ment beyond the statement which was read to reporters by a Secretary who refused to give her name. The suspension letter Given to employees said thai further instances of refusal to follow reasonable orders and or inappropriate dress apparel will subject you to further disciplinary action up to and including Dis  Arkansas site picked for bomb chemical production by Norman Blackcap military writer Washington the army on monday made final the selection of the Pine Bluff Arsenal in Arkansas As the manufacturing site for non lethal Chemi Cal components needed for the production of binary chemical bombs and Artil Lery shells. The service in a statement said it would soon publish its final decision in the Federal Register. While several Sites considered for the work were found to be environmentally suitable the Pine Bluff Arsenal provider lesser requirements for transportation of materials in the Public Domain and opportunities for belter coordinated use of re sources and labor the army said. The Arsenal also has a streamlined management Chain already in place and appears Abb to perform the work at the least Cost the service added. The army announced in october that it had tentatively selected Pine Bluff As the manufacturing site for the chemicals but was soliciting additional Public com ment for its environmental Impact statement. At the time the service said four other Sites were still in the running. Just last week an 18-year . Moratorium on the manufacture of chemical weapons came to an end when the Pine Bluff Arsenal began producing a chemical known As do for new binary artillery shells. Monday s decision Means the Basic building Block for of a chemical known As do also will be produced at Pine Bluff. Another chemical needed for a new binary bomb known As Al also will be produced at Pine Bluff under the decision the army said. Binary weapons Lake their name from the fact they Are composed of two Chemi cals kept separate until the bomb is dropped or artillery Shell fired. The two chemicals arc harmless until mixed at which Point they form a deadly Gas. The two chemicals needed to build a binary artillery Shell Are known in Chemi Cal shorthand As of and opa. The two w chemicals needed for the new Bigeye binary bomb Are q l a and Sulphur. For Security purposes the army in tends to manufacture and store opa and Sulphur at other Sites eliminating the possibility the various components could be accidentally mixed. The service said monday it had consid ered five Sites for producing do and Al Pine Bluff the Newport and. Army am munition Plant the . Phosphate development works in muscle Shoals. Ala., located at a facility operated by the Tennessee Valley authority an Olin corp. Plant in Lake Charles la. And West Helena ark., where a consortium of companies had expressed an interest. Howard nominated As Dod spokesman Washington a president Reagan on monday nominated j. Daniel Howard to become the next assistant defense Secretary for Public affairs. Assuming the nomination is confirmed by the sen ate the 44-year-old Howard would replace Fred s. Hoffman As the Pentagon s chief spokesman. Hoffman the principal Deputy for Public affairs has been serving in me Post in an acting capacity since the resignation earlier this year of Robert Sims. Howard is currently an assistant while House press Secretary dealing with foreign affairs issues. Prior to taking that Job in 1986, he spent several years working in Public affairs positions at the stale department and various overseas embassies. Sands of time in the stars and stripes 40 years ago today. Dec. 23, 1947 Gen. Lucius d. Clay said that the . Military government would take no irrevocable step thai would make four Power agreement in Ger Many impossible but he declared he did nol necessarily consider political fusion of the four Powers in Western Germany such a step. 30 years ago today. Dec. 23, 1957 the British coastal vessel Narva answering an sos from another British ship apparently Sank in the Stormy North sea with 28 men aboard. 20 years ago today. Dec. 23, 1967 the West German government rejected soviet charges that Neo nazism w As reviving in West Germany. 10 years ago today. Dec. 23. 1977 the . Space Agency named six americans including a woman As finalists for one of two scientist seals aboard the first space lab 10 be orbited in the belly of the space shuttle in i so. Donny scent Clinger 24, left and about to other Polar bears take Brief swim in Ijac Erie to raise Money far the boys clubs of Kuitala . Air Tern Quick dip a ensure Sale Day was 35 Demiri is la Luke tempera Ture was 42 decrees. The Mienl sponsored by Buffalo s second annual Winter festival