The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1934-05-18
Flint Fisher
Body Strike
Is BETRAYED
A. F. of L. Leaders Send
Men Back Without a
Single Demand Won
BY A. B. MAGIL
,neciaI IN the Daily Wnrkerl

Especial 70 l0e UdliY WOTkeEI
FLINT, Mich, May 17.-Another
brazen betrayal has been put over
by the A. F. of L. leaders. In the
Fisher Body strike here they have
pulled the same trick as in the
Fisher strike in Cleveland, nearly
three weeks ago. They have called
of the strike pending the outcome
Of negotiations. Only this time
they did not dare bring forward the
Automobile Labor Board to help
them do the job, openly, because it
has been too much discredited
Last night, at a meeting of about
800 members of the A. F. Of L. To-
cal. the A. F. Of L. leaders put
through the vote ending the strike
Of 5000 workers at the Fisher Body
plant No. /, that has been in pro-
gress since last Thursday. The vote
was put over in characteristic A. F.
of L. style; no real discussion al
lowed, the floor being given chiefly
to trusted A. F. of L. standbys who
had been lined up in advance, and
the workers were stampeded into
voting for the settlement"
What Company Wanted
The settlement was arranged dur
ing the course of the day in secret
conferences, without the knowledge
of the members, between Francis
Dillon, A. F. of L. organizer here,
and William S. Knudsen, executive
vice-president of General Motors,
and Charles T. Fisher, of the Fisher
Body Corp, which Is a general Mo
tors unit. The terms provide that
the men shall return to work under
the conditions that prevailed at the
start of the strike, while the man
agement enters into negotiations
with the A. F. of L. leaders. If they
are unable to effect an agreement,
the strike-breaking Automobile La
Dor Board will be called in.
This is really all the company
wanted. Since the strike caught
them at the beginning of production
on the new number 40 model of the
Buick car, their sole aim was to
get the men back as quickly as pos
sible. Now they can repeat what
they did in Cleveland, st. Louis,
Tarrytown, N. Y, and other places;
drag negotiations out definitely I'M
til they have piled up production
and are ready to lay men off.
Not a single one of the mems
demands-restoration Of the old
wage rates, which had been cut IS
to 40 per cent, reinstatement of Is
victimized workers, slowing down of
speed-up and union recognition
was even considered.
At last nights meeting Of the To-
cal, Dillon was the chief speaker.
He gave slick talk full of glowing
promises and assuring the strikers
that the grievances would all be set
tied with the company. Before the
meeting opened he went around
whispering to his trusted henchmen.
lining them up to monopolize dis
cussion. Despite this, one worker
did manage to get the floor and
said: This is just like Cleveland;
they got nothing there" Another
worker asked whether the union was
being recognized. Cook, President of
the local and chairman of the meet
ing, replied glibly: 1.-THE company is
recognizing your committee and
that's the same as union recogni-
ton"
The A, F. of L. leaders then called
for rising vote, which put all those
who opposed settlement on the
spot. Since the A. F. of L. strong
arm men have been terrorzing
workers on the picket line and have
called police to arrest workers dis
tributing leaflets of the rank and
file committee, undoubtedly many
ment failed to register their vote.
workers who were against the settle
The Committee for Rank and File
Control of the Fisher Body local is
distributing leaflet exposing the
betrayal and calling on the workers
to organize fight against it. The
leaflet urges the workers to set up
committees in every department to
present demands to the company
and prepare to strike again.