Montana labor news., 1934-07-05
Auto LayOffs Hit De-
troll, Many Dropped

DETROIT.-(FP)-The collapse in
auto employment predicted two or
three weeks ago has hit Detroit below
the belt.
The Ford plant has laid off another
5000. Workers from practically every
plant in the Detroit area report layoffs
and speedup.
after returning to work from a
three-day shutdown, over 5000, or fiji
teen per cent, of the working force
were laid off. A few weeks ago, 40
per cent Of the men were laid off in
the body department, affecting zoo
men employed on Victoria and truck
bodies" a Ford worker says.
There has been another layoff at
Hudson's," a Hudson worker reports.
with these layoffs, the bonus is be-
ing cut and the life is being speeded
out of most Of the men"
A report from an A. F. of l. union
source states that between 5000 and
5000 workers were laid off at Hudson
in one week, making a total reduction
in the payroll of 10000 to 10000 in
three months.
AT Briggs Mack Avenue plant they
have laid off the entire night shift in
Dept. 292. In Dept. %, layoffs have
started. In Dept. 65, they have trans
ferred the men from the Dodge-Ply-
mouth line to the Chrysler line. The
entire Dodge line is to be laid off in
the near future. In the bucketing de-
partment the entire night shift is to be
laid off" a Briggs worker adds,
Workers from all body plants report
layoffs. after working II days
straight, nine hours daily, over 200 men
have been laid off at Fisher Body
Plant l8," one of the victims declares.
From 80 to 50 per cent have been
laid off recently in Depts. 10, %, 3, 545
and 1876 at Murray Body. In 135 there
has been an especially big layoff. The
shop is doing practically nothing but
Ford work and that is dropping off" a
Murray Body worker reports.
Workers from the Ternstedt plant,
a subsidiary of Fisher Body, reports
similarly. an three weeks, 5000
workers have been laid off at Tern
stedts and there are now only about
5000 working. They have discontin-
ued the midnight shift and most OF
the afternoon shift. Those that work
get only two or three days a week" a
Ternstedt worker says.
About Is per cent OF the workers at
Budd Wheel have been laid off. In
Dept. 200 word is going around that SO
per cent are to laid off.
How impending layoffs are used by
the foremen to drive workers is de-
scribed by a Briggs worker. IN Dept.
292 Of the Briggs Mack Avenue plant,
on the kick pads job, they have laid off
three men and five have to do the
work that eight men did before. They
used to have IS back hangers turning
out $40 jobs; now II have to do the
same work. Everybody is kicking be-
cause Of the speedup, especially in this
hot weather. But the foremen say
You fellows don't want to be out on
Mack Avenue So they dig in again
Chevrolet applies pressure somewhat
differently. In Dept. "a, Plant 2,
they have a new system. Every day
they manage to have a surplus OF
workers. Then the slowest are picked
out and sent home after working one
hour, This terrorizes the other work
ers into speeding up" Chevrolet
worker reports.
Under the conditions, the various
unions are holding up well. When pro
duction increases in the late summer,
it is certain that the fight for better
conditions will result in a series OF
strikes, if not in an ind%ustry-wide
strike