Evening star., 1935-05-05
INTERNAL STRIFE
SEEN IN STRIKE
Unorganized Employees Ask
Company to Reopen
Chevrolet Plant.
BY the Associated Press

By the Associated Press
p TOLEDO, Ohio. May 4.-Internal
strife among 1900 idle employees of
the closed Chevrolet Motor Co. plant
appeared today in the strike involv-
ing approximately $4,000 automotive
workers.
Unorganized employees of the plant,
where strike was called April % by
the United Automobile Workers
Union. circulated petitions drafted by
a newly formed Independent En-
ployes' Association, asking the man
agement to reopen the factory.
Nicholas Klein. counsel for strikers
at the Chevrolet and Fisher body
plants at Cincinnati, said William
Green. president of the American
. Federation of Labor, told him by tele-
phone that he was considering
strike of federation units in the auto
mobile industry. unless the Toledo
situation is promptly settled.
Green Makes Denial
This was denied by Green in Wash
ington. but Klein reiterated his state
ment. declaring that's what was told
to me" Klein added. Il suppose 1t
was a matter of policy"
Edward F. McGrady, first assistant
to Secretary of Labor Frances Per-
kins: Thomas j. Williams, Federal
conciliator and Francis J. Dillon, A.
F. of L. organizer, returned to De-
troit today.
Fred Schwake, business agent Of
al lxy that
he would not advise the union men,
bers to return to work after the union
took no action on proposal ad-
: vanced by the conciliators last night
Dillon said the proposal he pre-
eented provided for the resumption
Of negotiations when the men re-
turn to work Schwake and other
union leaders repeated their demand
that negotiations precede resumption
of operations at the plant.
Details Withheld.
Details of the proposal were not
made public.
McGrady. before leaving, said he
believed there was nothing further"
they could do here.
Ray Northrup. an employe identi-
fed with the Independent EMPLOYEES
Association. was injured slightly to-
day as he sought signatures to the
petition within the unions picket lines
surrounding the plant Police said
approximately so pickets pursued and
beat him.
Union strikers formed a picket line
at the home of Fred Seiger. president
= of the new organization, and barri-
caded his doorway to prevent prospec-
tive petition signers from entering.
- Police forced the pickets to re-
move the obstruction and to reform
p their picket line on the opposite side
of the street.
Seiger said he expected to increase
the number of signatures on the as
sociation's petition from "790 to about
1000"
We will find out how many men
j actually belong to the union" he
said. IF the employees had been al
lowed to vote we would have been
back to work now.
Closed by Lockout.
Lie pldHI WdS IlOC CLOSED DIV u
strike but lockout forced by small
minority of employees belonging to the
union. The union is causing en-
plcyes loss in wages that could not
be equaliSed in two years even on
the increased wage scale offered by
the company in its counter-propos-
ais"
NO other corporation In the United
States is giving its employees a chance
to reinvest their earnings in the
company" he said. IF we kill the
goose that lays the golden eggs, we
are crazy"
The Automobile Workers Union,
A. F. Of L. affiliate, is demanding a
signed contract, blanket wage IN
creases. improved" working condi-
tions and seniority rights The Pc
tition of the independent association
calls for acceptance of the company's
counter-proposal which included
blanket 5 per cent wage increase,
rigid enforcement of seniority rule
established by the Labor Relations
Board, conferences with employe rep
resentatives on company -employe
questions and no discrimination
against any employe because Of serv-
ice on the Executive Shop Committee.
The latest General Motors subsid-
larry unit closed by the Toledo situa-
ton is the Chevrolet Fisher body
plant at Buffalo. Plant officials said
instructions were received today to
close down until settlement is
reached at Toledo. The Buffalo unit
employed approximately 1900.