New-York tribune., 1922-02-10
Borden's Will
GiveEmployees
Voice i'm Plans
Cooperative System for Its
5000 Workers Devised
as Outgrowih of Recent
Unsucccssful Strike
Men Proposed Scheme
Provides for Submission of
Requests by Committees
and Successive Appeals

Borden's Farm Products Company
announced yesterday that its 5000 en-
pioyees had formulated plan for CO.
operation in the affairs Of the company
which would be adopted Immediately
A committee of employees wishing to
make any recommendation will take its
suggestions 10 the branch super
ton Will be taken up succcssivcly by
the district manager. the personnel dc
partnent OF the company. general
committee' composed Of employees and
officers in equal numbers. and finally
ny the president of the company. whose
word Will be final
"-hc utsianding feature in the de-
v-iopment Of this plan" said +. G.
Cover. personnel director "is the fact
that the plan as now adopted is a
creation of the employees and not the
arrangement. Another feature which
differs from the usual representatio
plan is that tho local committees
formed for the consideration Of any
questions that might arise arc com
posed exclusively Of the employee rep
resentatives, no management repro
seNtatives sit ~ or these committees.
This provides the means for free and
frank discussion on all matters cominc G
before such employees from their
standpoint.
Successive Appeals Possible
Recommendation of these local
committees are then passed for adop-
tion TO the superintendent Of the com
pany branch affected. Failure by the
superintendent TO accept and execute
the recommendation automatically re-
fers the recommendation TO the district
manager. In the event Of rejection OF
the recommendation by the district
manager it Is then referred to the per-
sonnel department of the company,
whose duty is 10 maintain harmonious
relations between the men and tho
management This department may be
looked upon as a neutral agency. Mat
tors in the hands Of this department
shall be decided on their merits and a
decision rendered, based on fairness
and justice. The employees, however
need not accept tho decision of the
rsonnel departments but can carry it
to higher court--a district COM
nittec"
An important feature regarding the
authority and voting power of this
committee. Mr.. Cover said is that each
individual member shall vote as An in
divdual, whether employee or manage
mcnt repre- sentative, and not as voting
units He added
Nfcft at St q 7
adjustment at the hands of the district
committee are passed to a higher anc
final committee known as the general
committee and composed Of an equal
number of Representatives from The
men and the management. each repre-
sentative to be elected from the dis
trct committees. Matters not recelv-
ing adjustment satisfactory to the en-
plovees at the hands Of this genera
committee are passed to the president
Of the company for final decision.'
Opens Way to Understanding
Summarizing the advantages fo
both the men and the company unde'
the plan. the official said the manage
mcnt Cannot fail to recognize the
sentiment Of the men in relation t'
policies affecting them: Il IS a medium
through which mutual understanding
and agreement may always be reached
ii gives the men in the ranks II voice
in the management of tho affairs o
the company. and through tho channcl
provided the men viii come to know
much Of the intimate problems of thu
management.
The plan was conceived as q rcsul
Of the recent strike of milk workers
which proved 50 unsuccessful tha
thousands of men employed by th
Nordcu and otheY companies disre
corded the orders from their official
and returned to their jos.
All except clerical workers re part