The Birmingham age-herald., 1919-06-15
W|LLYS-OVERLAND MAKES STATEMENT
Names Conditions Apply ing to All Factory
 Workers

The company in maintaining a $-hour basic week. which had been in effect be- fore the war, re-estabiished the S-hour working week, which had been temporar- fly suspended during the war by the A- hour working week.
 In order to give the men a half holiday on Saturday, a basic day of eight hours and 36 minutes was established, with the understanding that the men could by vote have six days of eight hours each.
 Nine hundred members of the machin- ists' union voted to walk out on May 5 at the end of eight hours. They influ- enced approximately 1000 other men to go out with them. Part of these men, for egners, walked out under the belief in- spired by the strikers that they were be- ing asked to work 4S hours for A hours pay. Other men walked out on being told at the end of the eighth hour by members of the strikers committee, who had been in conference with officials Of the company that it was all right to go." Some of these men said later they were under the impression that the com pany had agreed to close at the end of the eight-hour day.
 The next day 6665 men were at work Those outside, through violence and as- saults on women and old men, and by threats to others, prevented large num- bers from returning to work. The rioting grew so serious that the company at the request of the police, closed it's shop on May s.
 When adequate protection was prom ised the company again opened the shop, and several thousand men were at work.
 At the beginning of the second week men armed with stones, clubs and iron bars met the street cars, dragged men from the cars, beat them up. and then attacked men going to and coming from the plant. A large number were seriously injured, some were expected to die, and two were killed in the rioting.
 Tn mayor informed the company that he was totally unable to give protection to the plant, and the homes of the men, and asked that the company again clos. it's plant. At the same time he wired the governor for assistance.
 Labor leaders disclaimed any responsi- bility for the rioting but their official pickets threatened workers who came in or out of the plant
 Men known to be members of unions visited workers at their homes and threatened to burn their homes and even to murder the workmen.
 The strike fundamentally is not based on any question of hours or wages as large majority of the men are well pleased with the fairness of the com pany. The question Is chiefly one of whether a small group of radical mem bers of the union shall dominate and con- trol the rights of the company and it's 12,000 employees.
 This also is clearly shown by the sum- mary of working conditions:
 | The 4S-hour week, the basic week approved in Paris, England. and by the labor unions of the United States, and even by the local union which is striking.
 ?. Wages equal to or higher than those of any competitive automobile plant.
 8. Time and half for all time worked over the basic day established under the 4S-hour week. noulle time for Sunday work done on all national holidays.
 4. Guarantee against reduction of wages of any employe
 5. Guarantee to maintain wages equal to or better than those of competitors.
 G. Classification of all jobs to do away with inequalities or unfairness.
 '. Full protection made for corrections in rates or grading of employees
 8. No discrimination against union or non-union men.
 g. Equal pay for female employees for equal work ordinarily performed by men, and all tasks for female employees to be proportionate to their strength
 To- A committee made up of representa- tives elected by the employees of each de- partment this committee to elect a com mittee of five, which works with the management on all questions of labor conditions, and thus represents the em- ployes, instead of compelling them to be represented by committee elected out sid of the shop by a union organization.
 Il. Fifty-fifty profit sharing quarterly of net profits as described in detail in