The Waterbury Democrat. [volume] (Waterbury, Conn.) 1917-1946, 1937-01-08
BEHIND
THE SCENES
On
WASHINGTON
General Motors Strike Con-
sidered In Washington
From Five Different An
giles.

!. Washington, Jan. 0-The General
Motors strike Is being considered in
Washington from the following
angles, among others:
THE future Of John L. Lewis,
chief Of the Committee for In
dustTial Organization, whose WILL
1ngness TO meet owners Of the mass
Production industries In battle at
tllis time Is q gamble OF his own
position In the labor movement and
the future success OF the c. I. o.
Possibility that showdowns in
- the steel and coal industries
win appear along with the one In
automobiles and perhaps bring
about situation Of general strike
proportions In which Roosevelt
VIII feel forced to act In a way
Which would bring a break be-
tween him and Lewis.
0-Question whether the U. 8.
- Supreme Court (meaning one
or two Of It's members) will be 80
Impressed by the dangers of ex-
Aensiye labor warfare that 1t will
hold the Wagner labor disputes
act constitutional. This would
force the automobile, steel and
other industries TO concede a ma
s3or point by bargaining collec-
lively with labor unions and abol-
1shing their company unions.
gM-Possible effect OF labor war
II fare IN speeding labor legislation
10y congress.
.E-Likelihood that the LaFollette
e labor spy committee will turn
loose It's evidence by resuming
Hearings with General Motors
witnesses on the stand. (Alleged
evidence exists that spies searched
Clothing Of workers for union
cards or other discriminating"
Saocuments which, when foundp,
were considered cause for dis
sfnissal)
&C. !. o. Has F. d. RS Favor
& Meanwhile. 1t Is important TO
bear In mind that the automo-
bile industry employs 1900 00
workers, directly or indirectly;
that Roosevelt is sympathetic with
The G. I. o. and would prefer a
strong labor movement; and that
The anticipated General Motors
sytrike and the series Of previous
Automobile supply strikes are not
~ well-planned, carefully organ
Etzt1 movement.
IL Lewis and the G. j. 0. con-
= sciousIy planned a big auto strike
= at this time, no outsider In Wash
= fBgtOn has been able 10 discover
Mf6 Labor leaders say the G. I. ID.
/. movement received heavy impetus
n from the election, In which labor
v voted almost soIidly for RoOse-
q welt and workers felt q new sense
: Of power.
. Memory OF Roosevelt's strong
N campaign stand for collective bar
gaining stiffened labor demand for
1T. According 10 union men, strikes
in the industries supplying auto
fgnobile companies broke out In
SsAtlanta, Kansas City, Cleveland,
and Flint only after men had been
fired or Disseminated against for
ylnion activity Or membership.
Take Bit In Teeth
& Sitdown strikes in the supply in
sdustries usually began without in
.stigation from union leaders. Work.
sers In the flat glass industry, for
instance, practically ran away with
their union chiefs.
But the sitdown strikes enOr-
> mously accelerated union organi-
= zati0n, according 10 reports In
= Washington. As II impressed by
3. new sense Of solidarity and
u power. sitdown strikers pro-
ceeded TO sign cards I'm large
: patches, sometimes unanimously.
q Lewis insisted on having eyi-
dence OF this before he announced
his collective bargaining ultima
ytum TO General Motors a week
before Christmas, soon after he
land other G. I. o. leaders realized
Tor the first time how fast the
~. A. w. was organizing.
= 1t was then that Lewis decided
sthat opportunity was Unexpectedly
sat hand and should be grabbed
vat the automobile industry's nor
smai peak OF production.
Helps Chrysler, Ford
> The C. ]. o. hopes TO take advan-
stage Of the competitive situation and
Elet the Chrygler Motor Corporation,
with which It's relations are less
Estrained, sell all the cars 1t can
while the U. A. w. ties up General
aMotors.
RegretfulIy, they admit that
: Henry Ford may also benefit, since
= organization In Ford plants has
y been . slow. painful, and cx-
Il tremeIy secretive process. Ford's
y chief worry, II Is reported In
z Washington, will be In getting
= glass. No one seems 10 know how
= much he has on hand.
= The Wagner Labor act, with It's
Kuarantee OF collective bargaining,
win not be argued before the su-
Z prerne court until Feb. 8 and argu-
4 fneut Is expected to be postponed
Z even beyond that II Justice Har-
= Ian r. Stone has not then recoy-
: cred sufficiently from illness TO re-
< turn TO the bench.
y Copyright, 1887, NEA Service, Inc.)
-
sONLY TWO FACED
d nCATu TN HuAID