Evening star., 1934-03-19
to be represented by a spokesman o
his own choosing"
Text Of N. A. C. C. Statement


Text Of N. A. C. C. Statement.
The statement was issued while
thousands of workers in automobile
factories in Detroit and nearby Michi-
gan cities we're holding meetings for
further discussion of their grievances
and awaiting the outcome of today's
meeting of the manufacturer at
New York.
Following is the text Of the N. A.
C. C. statement:
The directors of the National Auto
mobile Chamber of Commerce will
meet tomorrow to act upon the pro-
posals submitted by Gen. Johnson
Meanwhile, the automobile manufac-
lures want to make clear to their en-
ployes and to the public generally
the issue involved in the strike threat
of the American Federation of Labor
That issue is not what Mr.. Green
says it is, as he is reported in Sum-
days newspapers. The manufacturers
have not coerced their employees into
participation in the employees repre-
SentatiOn plan.
There is only one fundamental is
sue-namely, whether the automobile
industry Is to be run by the Ameri-
can Federation of Labor
The industry does not intend to
recognize the American Federation of
Labor as such, nor to enter into any
contract with it on behalf of its en-
ployes.
If strike is called, 1t will be be-
cause the American Federation of La
Dor seeks to impose itself on automo-
bile employees regardless of the en-
ployes' expressed desire to be repre-
sented by spokesmen of their own
choosing.
The automobile manufacturers have
complied with the N. r. A. in letter
and spirit.
Selection Democratic. (.
They have collective bargaining in
their plants.
Every employe has the right to be
represented by a spokesman of his
own choosing.
Membership or non-membership in
any organization Is not condition of
employment in the automobile indus
try. The representatives of the en-
ployes have been democratically elect
ed in accordance with American prin-
cipleS by secret ballot entirely unin-
fuenced by the arrangements. These
representatives and the arrangements
have met and discussed whatever
questions have arisen between them.
Practically all of them have been set
tied amicably and satisfactorily.
One outstanding reason for this
strike order is the effort of profess
sional labor leaders to get control over
the automobile workers by force, by
coercion, by intimidation of employees
and their families by open violence
and threats of strike
The desire to strike does not come
from the automobile employees Ger
tainly the manufacturers themselves
do not want a strike.
For many years the American Fed
Grafton of Labor has sought to organ
ize the automobile plants and the
workers themselves refused to recog-
nize their leadership.
Will Abide by Plans.
The national industrial recovery act
does not say that the American Fed
Grafton of Labor shall be the spokes-
man for all of the employees, but the
labor leaders have assumed that this
act makes them the spokesman for
all American labor.
There must be no misunderstand-
ing as to our attitude toward en-
ployes' representation plans. The au-
tomobile manufacturers intend to
abide by the employees representation
plans as they may be modified by the
employees themselves and will con-
tinue to recognize the duly authorized
representatives of the employees in
carrying out the collective bargaining
provision of the N. I. r. A.
The American Federation of Labor
seeks to make union card, not merit,
the sole condition of employment.
They seek to control who shall be en-
ployed and what the output shall be.
These aims are contrary to the
principles on which the automobile
industry has made its great contr:bu-
ton to industrial progress in this
country.
SHUN JOHNSON POLL.